How did we make more and more precise measuring equipment?

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Young machinist here. How did we make precise instrument from something supposedly less precise and how did we calibrate it? We have machines that can machine things within .0001 inches or less of tolerance. Wouldn’t that require the machine to be made with at least the same precision? This applies to the measuring equipment as well. In order for say a micrometer or CMM to measure down to .0001 or even .00001 of an inch, how did we ensure those firsts were accurate?

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Anonymous 0 Comments

The machines are designed in such a way, that once they are build they hold their properties as much as possible. As soon as something fixed in place and doesn’t move anymore, you can just calibrate them. Which is a reason why we’ve moved to derive measurements from physical experiments.

Due to the calibration they can achieve vastly higher precision as their singular parts. As long as you account for stuff like deformity and the precision in repetition,

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