ABSTRACT
In the history of the world of manufacturing, the shop floor has often been tasked with doing quick, rough checks on the products undergoing production. These measurement procedures sometimes were visual checks by the manufacturer to determine flaws in the parts. When this was insufficient, instrumentation was employed, but usually of a less sophisticated nature than would perhaps later be utilized in the inspection lab. Still, some of the earliest and most effective gages were mating parts that had already been produced and were plucked from a barrel to serve as a test of functionality. The part just finished or nearing completion was tried on the potential mating part. If it assembled, it was assumed the newly formed part was functional and, therefore, acceptable.
