Sunday 31 August 2014

The Uses Of A Slope Indicator

By Marlene Blevins


Slope indicators and meters fall in the same class of gadgets. They are both used for determining the steepness of an area. All people who measure the inclination of surfaces, buildings, and other items find a slope indicator to be a very useful device. Normally the device is meant for application in areas with rough and rugged terrain or landscape.

Accurate readings for slopes can be provided by indicators if they are installed on machinery such as motor graders following the right installation procedure. There must be some level of parallelism between the device and the machines it is installed on at the time of installation. The machine must therefore be placed on a flat surface before installing. All readings should be taken over a huge distance to achieve a high level of accuracy.

Modern devices are made with bright beautiful colors to make them look good when installed. They also incorporate a large scale that covers a wide viewing range. Most scales run from 0 to 50 degrees on either side of the scale. Very steep slopes on the gadget are indicated by a red color to show that they are danger zones. Normally readings that exceed 35 degrees are the ones regarded as the most dangerous.

Devices not meant for installing on machinery come with rectangle-shaped cutouts at their bases. The cutouts are for attaching the devices on poles when in use. Some devices have slightly larger cutouts for holding or attaching them on ropes. Attaching on other platforms like skis is made easier by having the bases made in a concave shape. Most applications involve spending several hours in the field hence most models are light in weight.

Slope indicators range in size from small hand-held devices to large units. The size depends on the purpose for which the gadget is meant. Latest models have a very high level of accuracy to ensure that perfect slopes are constructed. Accuracy is measured in degrees and is normally within a degree. The response time in most accurate models is below one second. Since the equipment is used in rugged conditions, it is designed in a way to ensure accurate readings in snowy, rainy, and dusty environments.

Cases used to seal the working mechanisms of the commodities are constructed from various materials. Plastics, alloys, fiber, steel, and aluminum are the most commonly used materials for constructing casings. Using the gadget correctly can translate into a faster rate of doing work. In fact, using the meter can allow grading work to be done in darkness where there is no light.

The user is able to take readings in a single glance because most gadgets are calibrated in huge numerical scales. Balls or pointers are used to show readings by resting on the values. Some pointers take a few seconds before settling on the reading.

Cost depends on various factors like accuracy, quality, manufacturer, type of scale, size, and response time. Prices range from a couple to hundreds of dollars. Some of the places one can make a purchase from include local stores, on-line stores, shopping malls, and licensed dealers.




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