Most of us, once in our life time, would have visited a typical

medical practitioner in our neighborhood -- This Doctor, in his

small clinic, will have quite a few commonly used instruments
for diagnosing regularly treated diseases.

Of course, for advanced tests and check-up, if need arises, the

Doctor will refer us to a bigger hospital or testing labs

Aren’t maintenance technicians sort of doctors diagnosing

machines and their problems?

Shouldn’t they also possess certain critical tools / measuring

devices for effective diagnosis and troubleshooting?

Welcome to Factory Clinic…….. Know what basic things you

have to keep in your clinic for treating the patient !!
SPIRIT LEVEL – A simple device used to measure the
alignment of almost anything from long pipe lines to
machines. Sealed small glass or plastic tube consists of
spirit – usually Methyl Alcohol – with a bubble in it which
shifts from the center line based on its alignment. The
accuracy of spirit level is measured like 0.1 or 0.01 or
0.001 millimeter per meter. Generally, 0.01 per meter
Spirit Level is sufficient for all day to day activities.

It is suggested to have X-Y (as shown above) dual axis

Spirit Level for easier alignment / checking in both
directions.
VERNIER CALIPER – A simple measuring tool for
checking dimensions like length, diameter (internal &
external) with accuracy of 0.01 millimeter (called Least
Count) is sufficient for day to day quick measurements. It
can also be used for checking the “depths” of any
component . Calipers are available in different sizes.
Usually 300mm / 12” is commonly used. It is also
available in digital format which not only precisely displays
the value but also stores it for recollecting later.
FEELER GAUGE – It is a collection of hardened steel
sheets of different sizes varying from 0.0001mm up to
5mm combined together. By adding the sheets of different
sizes we can easily determine many dimensions – bearing
clearance, gap between two mating parts, spark plug
clearance, valve clearances, eccentricity in a circular
assembly and many more…

A simple yet powerful piece of tool which can be tucked

inside a pocket too….
MICROGAUGE or MICROMETER – It is yet another small
piece of measuring instrument that can be used to
measure critical dimensions. Its limitation is that it cannot
be used for large measurements. Using this tool, we can
measure cable strand diameters (for example to check
incoming material quality and compare to standards),
sheet thicknesses (you may want to insert some shims
into an assembly), valve dimensions, critical washer
dimensions and more……
MAGNIFYING LENS – Don’t be surprised about having it
in your tool box. It can do a lot good than just burning
paper in sunlight !!! Use it to inspect and analyze small
relay failures, read information on tiny PCBs, inspect
contactors for carbon deposits, magnifying valve spools.
It can also be used to check presence of any foreign
objects in grease, lubricating oil and many more…

Don’t use it to predict someone’s future!!!!

DIAL INDICATOR – A very sensitive measuring device
which can be obtained in many accuracy levels. It can
even measure a variation of 0.001mm when mounted
correctly. Usually it is fixed to a magnetic stand. This dial
indicator can be used to measure axial and radial run
outs, parallelism of a bar or a straight bar or object,
variations in any pattern over a period of time, vibration of
any rotating equipment. It can also be used to sense any
changes in stroke length variation of actuating cylinders or
rods
MAGNETIC STAND – A compulsory supplement to the
dial indicator, it can also serve many other purposes. It
can be used to hold any other measuring device or probe
in the intended location. With a simple ON-OFF switch the
stand can be magnetized or demagnetized.
HYDROMETER – A simple device to measure the specific
gravity of liquid. Specific Gravity (SG) is the ratio of
density of any liquid to WATER, which is the standard
liquid. Water has a specific gravity of 1. Its obvious use is
checking SG of electrolyte in the battery. It can also be
used to measure SG of any liquid including engine oils,
hydraulic oils. For example, on filling new oil measure the
SG and monitor it after a fixed period to analyze any
deviations and take corrective action
LITMUS PAPER – Litmus is basically a water soluble
mixture of many natural dyes obtained from lichens, a type
of organism. It is absorbed into filter paper which when
dipped in any liquid changes its color depending on pH
value. It therefore, broadly, tells whether the liquid is
acidic or alkaline. It turns red when the dipped liquid is
very acidic and blue when it is very alkaline. It can also
change to intermediate color. Although it is widely used for
checking engine coolant mixture, it can also be used for
checking many liquids in a typical plant including drinking,
sanitary water.
TORQUE WRENCH – In TPM there is a fundamental
concept taught to the operators. It is called CLIT standard
in which T stands for TIGHTENING. How much tightness
a bolt requires depends on its application and criticality. A
25mm (1”) bolt definitely can be tightened more than a
5mm (1/5”) bolt for example. And if an assembly has
multiple bolts, it is essential to TIGHT them to same value
which can only be determined by using a torque wrench. It
can be a simple mechanical torque wrench as shown in
picture or advanced one which “clicks” on reaching set
torque and does not allow over tightening
MAGNETIC COMPASS – Although considered as a
scientific instrument, it will be helpful in determining
direction for construction and orientation purpose. It helps
instantly determine the latitude and longitude of a position.
ANALOG MULTIMETER – Any fluctuation in the voltage,
resistance and / or current can be easily understood by
this simple analog meter. Digital multi-meters measures
the RMS value of any parameter and does not clearly
show the fluctuation of a value. One of the best example
of analog multi-meter is checking resistance variation in a
brush type DC motor. It is also useful in analyzing outputs
from various feedback devices like potentiometer, encoder
and more.
DMM – Digital Multi-Meter is a simple measuring
instrument with wide range of selections. DMMs measure
RMS (Root Mean Square) value of any parameter and
many basic models will not show the Peak values. Some
of the common features that a DMM should have are: i)
Hold option to lock a particular value ii) Diode Test
Indicator iii) Internal fuse for protection iv) AC / DC voltage
and current measurement options v) Resistance
measurement option up to 20 Mega Ohms vi) Auto Range
selection vii) Auto Power off to conserve battery
MEGGER – An indispensible measuring device for
determining insulation resistance of any electrical
component – electric motor, transformer, cable and more.
Although electro-mechanical meggers are economical,
digital meggers are more easier to use and different
voltage levels can be easily set. They also have data
storage and transfer facility with ability to retain data for
longer periods.
LCR Meter – It is quite possible that DMMs can also have
option to measure LCR or Inductance (L – Henry),
Capacitance (F-Farad) and Resistance (R-Ohms). But a
separate LCR meter is recommended for troubleshooting
and maintenance purposes. A typical LCR should have
auto range and hold facility. More advanced LCR (and
even DMMs) have a serial data transfer port which can be
connected to a computer for continuous data acquisition.
ANEMOMETER – It is a simple hand held device to
measure the velocity of air. Its application can vary from
measuring output across a radiator (which will help check
the blockage) to measuring output from a fan or
centralized air handling system. The measurement can be
displayed in any linear units of velocity like centimeter per
second, miler per second, kilometer per hour etc.
DECIBEL or SOUND METER – With stringent regulations
on noise pollution in and around a factory, it is quite
essential to have “sound” knowledge of noise levels.
Although our ears are best judges, it is essential to
measure noise produced from various equipments. It will
also help in early detection of arriving problems. For
example, a loose coupling or a faulty bearing from an
equipment can influence the noise levels. This simple
measuring device measure noise in dB (deciBels).
WALKIE TALKIE – Have you been running from place to
place trying to communicate with technicians? When two
people are working on fixing some problem, but are
located far away, this simple device, even the ones
available in toy shop, will enhance communication. One
person in utility room, for example, can talk to another
person on shop floor on various issues. It will also help
reduce searching for people without actually running
around. Can be a very important device for reducing
MTTR (Mean Time To Repair) in the TPM implementation
process.
(Electro Static Discharge) Wrap – Independent of our
ability to handle any electronic boards, especially the ones
which have memory storage ICs, it is essential to
discharge static electricity from our body. This simple wrap
must be worn around wrist and grounded to prevent
damaging expensive electronic boards.
LUX METER – No facility can run without sufficient
lighting. How much is “sufficient” should not be a guess
work since lighting has direct influence on a person’s
efficiency. Some facility might need “bright” lighting and
some may need “just enough” lighting. A simple lux meter,
which measures intensity of lighting usually in LUMEN
units can help avoid guessing. It will also help selecting
right type of lighting and understanding the distribution.
INFRARED THERMOMETER – Measuring temperature of
high temperature or distant objects can be easily
accomplished using this device. An infrared ray is passed
on to the target object and amount of reflection from it
determines its temperature.
RH / Temperature Gauge - Temperature and Relative
Humidity are two factors that will help determine many
conditions including efficiency of air conditioner for
example. Relative Humidity indicates percentage of
moisture present in atmosphere
TACHOMETER - A device used for measuring the RPM
(Revolutions Per Minute) of any rotating equipment. With
additional components, it can measure the surface speed
of various elements like conveyor belts, chains and more.
Contactless tachometers are also available.