Threaded fasteners are used in the manufacture of a wide variety of items. A fastener's effectiveness to provide a secure and safe connection is jeopardized without precise thread size.

1. Three Sources of Thread Gauge Damage to Beware Of
Threaded fasteners are used in the manufacture of a wide variety of items. A fastener's
effectiveness to provide a secure and safe connection is jeopardized without precise thread
size. Thread gages are used by manufacturers to verify fastener specifications and preserve
the integrity of all threaded fasteners exiting their facilities. Despite these concerted
efforts that are meant to prolong the durability of these gages, they may experience some
wear and tear over time.
This article brings to your attention the signs of such possible wear and tear, ensuring you
will be able to recognize malfunction and fault in thread gages before they cause major
difficulties in the future.
 Developing Abrasions
Contact with the fasteners being measured is one of the most common ways a thread gage
can be damaged or compromised. Fasteners are threaded into or through the thread gage.
The threading operation can generate friction, resulting in scratches on the internal surface
of such thread gage. Abrasions have proved to have the effect of changing the thread gage
profile and appearance, making it extremely difficult to generate precise reading while
measuring with the faulty thread gage.
To maintain the integrity of your fasteners, verify your gages, whether UNC thread gauges
or otherwise, frequently for signs of wear and replace broken gages as soon as possible.
 Unwanted Expansion
Steel is utilized in several thread gages used in modern industrial plants. Despite being a
metal alloy with significant strength and durability, steel has a propensity to expand over
time. Once a steel product is used, the atoms inside it can begin to relax. The rate at which
steel expands can be influenced by environmental factors such as high temperature and
extreme humidity.
Therefore, make sure that your thread gages especially NPT thread gauge are being used
in an environment with controlled conditions. It is advisable that fasteners be
conditionally tested in temperature-controlled environments. Likewise, these types of gauges
should be kept and maintained well in a temperature-controlled environment so as to avoid
expansion-induced damage.
 Occurrence of Burrs
If you want to ensure that your fasteners match precise design criteria, ensure the dimensions
of the thread gauge are perfect. Burrs can form whenever one steel product comes into
collision with another. Burrs are caused by impurities cutting their way into the surface of
your gauges. Overtime, burrs might make it difficult to acquire an exact estimation with your
thread gage, potentially resulting in a drop in a fastener's quality. Inspecting all thread gages
in your plant or facility on a regular basis ensures that burrs do not create threaded fastener
issues down the road. ACME thread gauges can be gravely affected by burrs so inspect
regularly for declined functionality.
NB: Under extreme pressure or even temperatures, gages may slightly begin to unnoticeably
bend and ultimately become faulty. Hence the need for monitoring closely for changes in
functionality.

2. Always check your equipment for the above signs or any other unusual change and take
prompt action. Contact a supplier to learn more about thread gages or to change your
damaged ones.