Buy Dial Indicators Online in Australia
Dial Indicators and Dial Test Indicators for Precision Measurement in Australia
Dial indicators — also called dial gauges or clock gauges — measure small displacements and surface variations with precision, displaying the measurement on a circular scale with a rotating pointer. They're used for runout checking, parallelism measurement, surface comparison, machine setup, and quality inspection across Australian engineering, toolmaking, and maintenance. AIMS Industrial stocks dial indicators, dial test indicators, and magnetic stands from Insize, Bison, and Mitutoyo.
Dial indicator vs dial test indicator
- Dial indicator (plunger type) — spindle moves in a straight line along the indicator axis. Standard instrument for measuring runout, flatness, and comparative height. Range typically 0-10mm or 0-25mm in 0.01mm or 0.001mm graduations
- Dial test indicator (DTI / lever type) — small contact point moves on an arc rather than straight line; allows measurement in confined spaces and at angles where a plunger type won't fit. Essential for setting work in a lathe chuck and checking small bores
Graduation and resolution
Standard dial indicators are graduated at 0.01mm (1 graduation = 10 microns) for most workshop and maintenance checking. For higher-precision work — tight-tolerance bores, precision surface comparison, or machine tool calibration — 0.001mm (1-micron) graduation indicators are available. Match the resolution to the tolerance being checked: a 0.01mm indicator is adequate for most maintenance work; precision toolroom work may need 0.001mm.
Indicator holders and magnetic stands
A dial indicator is only as useful as its mounting. Magnetic stands allow the indicator to be positioned quickly on any steel surface — machine tables, lathe beds, surface plates — and adjusted to any angle. Fine-adjust mechanisms on quality stands allow zero-backlash positioning. For reliable measurement, the stand must be rigid — flex in the mounting introduces error directly into the reading.
Common applications
- Runout checking of rotating shafts, chucks, and arbors
- Parallelism and squareness checking in machine setup
- Bore comparison against a master gauge
- Surface plate inspection and height comparison
- Setting machine slides and adjustable work holders
Related metrology tools
See also: vernier calipers and micrometers for direct dimensional measurement, and engineers squares for squareness reference.
For specific accuracy requirements or instrument calibration enquiries, contact our team.