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Posted on: 17 October 2022

Industrial fasteners play a critical role in modern manufacturing and assembly. Many of the fasteners that are used to hold a product's components together are threaded. The threads on these fasteners must meet some pretty exacting specifications in order to function effectively.

Thread gages are used by manufacturers to determine whether or not threads meet tolerance requirements. While most manufacturers use thread gages daily, many forget about the benefits of using thread plug gages as well.

What Is a Thread Plug Gage?

Threaded fasteners feature two parts—the male and the female. The male parts are threaded on the outside surface and are designed to be inserted into the female parts, which are threaded along the interior surface.

A thread gage measures the parameters of the threading on the male part of a threaded fastener. Thread plug gages are meant to measure the threading on the female parts of these fasteners.

Both types of gages are important since the threading on both the male and female parts must meet quality standards in order to provide a secure hold.

How Are Thread Plug Gages Used?

A thread plug gage has threading on both ends. One end is referred to as the "GO" end, with the other being the "NOGO" end. Both ends are used when testing the parameters of the threading on female fastener parts.

The GO end is always longer than the NOGO end. This is because, in order to pass inspection, the GO end must be able to be threaded all the way through a female fastener part. The NOGO end is shorter because this end should not be able to go more than a few turns once inserted into the female fastener part.

In order for a female industrial fastener part to be considered viable, it must pass testing administered by both the GO and NOGO ends of a thread plug gage.

Are Thread Plug Gages Reliable?

The reliability of a thread plug gage will depend on how well the gage is cared for over time.

You want to ensure that your gage doesn't show any signs of corrosion before use. You should also keep your thread plug gage clean to prevent debris from altering the specifications of the treading on the gage itself.

As long as you are storing and calibrating your thread plug gage properly, this tool should remain a reliable asset for testing the threading on female fastener parts. 

For more information about British thread gages, contact a local company.