Flatness Testing

Flatness Testing

Flatness Testing - On many types of machine tools, an essential test is the flatness or straightness of its bed. The block level is the most generally useful instrument, for this test on horizontal surfaces, and is the only satisfactory method of measuring wind or twist in a bed.

For testing wind in a bed, the level is placed crosswise, either on the bed or on the saddle or table, and is traversed along the bed white noting any variation in reading. Large block levels of 450 mm or 600 mm length are convenient for this type of work, as such lengths will bridge the gaps of most lathe beds. A sensitivity of 10 seconds per division is adequate for most machine tools.