10 Questions You Should to Know about tape measure manufacture

How to Choose the Right Tape Measure

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There are a number of factors that absolutely must be taken into account when choosing the right tape measure. Whilst most tool retailers don’t know the first thing about tape measures, as the UK’s only dedicated tape measure specialist we feel it’s important to give our customers all the information they need to make an educated decision.

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Size – Is Bigger Always Better?

Put simply, no. Whilst there are a number of benefits to a larger, wider tape measure, there are many trades and amateurs out there who prefer or need a narrower blade. A larger, more robust case can almost always take more punishment than a more compact, lighter case. If you’re working in a site environment where knocks, scrapes and other types of accidents are likely then we would highly recommend going for a larger, better protected site tape such as a Milwaukee or Stanley FatMax. Similarly, if standout is paramount (the distance a tape can be extended before it bends) then a professional quality, wide blade (27mm – 32mm) is essential.

When working alone over longer distances it can be incredibly difficult to measure accurately with a small, narrow-bladed tape. The wider the blade and thicker the steel the longer the standout and the easier your job becomes.

However, if you’re working in a workshop environment a big, heavy tape can be a hindrance. In such cases we’d recommend going for something a little more compact that fits into the palm of your hand. Tapes such as the Stanley Powerlock or almost anything from Fisco would be ideal.

When it comes to flexible surveyors’ tapes, however, aside from cost and case size there is no real disadvantage to having a longer blade.

Hook Type

You might think with pocket tapes that all end hooks are the same... this is not the case! All pocket tapes will have a self-adjustable metal end hook that moves in/out to compensate for both internal and external measurements. That can be where the similarities end, however.

Cheaper tapes will usually feature a fairly small, flat end hook that can be hooked over an object allowing the user to read the measurements from above. More expensive or specialist tapes can feature multi-directional end hooks that allow the user to hook the tape onto objects above, below and even to the side. These are particularly useful for those working alone and for those who need to read measurements from below as well as above.

When it comes to surveyors’ tapes there are a number of different hook types to choose from. The most popular type for the UK market is a folding metal hook with prongs/teeth that allow it to be anchored into the ground or hooked over an object. Some more expensive tapes will also feature a loop (ideal for holding when pacing out or for anchoring into the ground with a peg) whilst others will feature only a loop.

Accuracy

Tape measures are generally split into four standards of accuracy. Your average promotional tape or tape measure found in the bargain bin of your local hardware store or DIY superstore will be ‘unclassified’. In other words, it hasn’t been tested to any recognised standard of accuracy. Whilst this is not a guarantee of inaccuracy we would strongly recommend against using an unclassified tape for any measurement tasks where absolute precision is important. These will, however, be absolutely fine for rough measurements or estimations. If a few millimetres here or there aren’t a problem you’ll be fine.

Class III is generally reserved for fibreglass surveyors’ tapes and is the lowest officially recognised level of accuracy. Class III is becoming increasingly rare with many manufacturers improving the quality of their tapes in order to achieve Class II.

Class II tapes cover the vast majority of the professional/everyday quality tape measures on sale in the UK today. Almost all Stanley tapes (and those made by other tool giants such as Bahco, Irwin, Draper and so on) are EC Class 2 accurate. To give you an idea of accuracy, at 10m at 20°C and a pulling force of 50 Newtons, a Class II tape should be accurate to ±2.3mm.

Class I tapes, as you’d imagine, are the most accurate tape measures on the market. To put things into perspective, whilst at 10m a Class 2 tape will be accurate to ±2.3mm, a Class 1 tape will be accurate to ±1.1mm over the same distance. The vast majority of Fisco’s pocket tapes are now Class 1 accurate and are ideal for those in sensitive engineering professions (nuclear, aerospace etc.) or simply for those who demand maximum precision in their work.

Graduations / Units of Measurement

Possibly the single most important factor to consider when choosing a tape measure is the units of measurement or graduations marked on the blade. All UK/European tape measures must have at least metric markings - the majority of UK tapes (due to our curious mix of metric and imperial scales) also include imperial markings (feet, inches and fractions of inches). No UK-specification tape measures feature imperial-only markings.

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Whilst the vast majority of UK tapes are metric/imperial, the most UK trades and professions work solely in metric and have done for some time. When considering a metric/imperial tape you should really consider whether you really, truly need the imperial scale. The average UK-spec tape reads left to right with the user reading and marking instinctively along the top edge of the blade. With a metric/imperial tape the top edge of the blade features the imperial scale – the metric scale is along the bottom. Transposing a measurement point from one side of the blade to the other leads to inaccuracies, frustration and slower measuring.

A metric-only tape, on the other hand, features metric markings on both edges of the blade making for quicker, more accurate and hassle free measurement along the metric scale.

It’s also worth considering how the units of measurement are displayed on each tape. Unlike any other UK retailer, The Tape Store provides photographs of the blade of each tape on our site, clearly showing how each measurement is displayed.

Not sure what we mean? Well, some manufacturers mark the metres as 1, 2, 3 and so on before counting the centimetres in the same way. Others mark metres in multiples of 100 (100cm/m)... so 100, 200, 300 etc. with the centimetres then being marked as 101, 102, 103... Many of our customers are quite specific about how they want their tape’s measurements displayed.

Blade Material

There are three materials that are commonly used in the construction of tape measure blades. Each has its own quirks and characteristics that make it ideal for some applications and unsuitable for others.

Steel is by far the most commonly used material – it’s strong, robust and good value for money which is exactly why it’s used for the manufacture of almost all pocket tape blades. Whilst the quality of steel remains more or less the same regardless of the manufacturer and model, the thickness, width and protective coatings do not. The 25mm blade on a professional quality Bahco tape, for example, is miles apart from a budget quality Blue Spot tape. Be sure to identify the qualities you need in a tape before making your purchase.

Stainless steel tape measures are few and far between but do offer resistance to corrosion in return for a slightly higher price. Whilst those produced by the major tape measure manufacturers (such as Bahco and Stanley) are of extremely high quality, the material itself is slightly softer and less tough than a conventional, high quality steel blade. For those working in or around water, however, there really is no substitute.

Fibreglass is used in the manufacture of the vast majority of surveyors’ tape measures. Its combination of flexibility, stretch resistance, heat resistance and resistance to water and tearing makes it the ideal choice for all those looking to take long measurements in a dirty environment. Being waterproof any mud/debris can be easily washed off under a tap. It is this debris that can cause damage to blade markings and mechanisms, thereby shortening the life of your tape.

Case Design

Whilst almost all pocket tapes are of a closed case design (i.e. the blade is coiled within and wound back into an enclosed case), surveyors’ tapes are frequently available with two different case designs.

Closed case types, as with pocket tapes, see the blade being stored within and protected by a convenient, relatively compact case. These are ideal for professionals or those who are concerned about dirt from the blade being transferred onto the contents of their briefcase or car boot.

Open reel or open frame tapes see the blade wrapped around a spindle and open to the elements. The open frame design makes them ideal for those who work in muddy environments as any dirt can be easily rinsed or wiped off the exposed blade. These tapes also feature a handle which allows the user to quickly and easily pace out long measurement runs – something that’s not so easy with a closed case tape.

Locking Mechanism

Not a feature on surveyors’ tapes, almost all pocket tape measures feature a locking mechanism (or blade lock) the grips the blade and prevents it from returning back into case. These fall into two main categories – the conventional blade lock (whereby the user extends the blade to the desired length and then manually engages the lock) and the auto lock. The autolock mechanism automatically grips the blade at whichever length it is extended to. To return the blade to the case the user simply presses/holds the button to release the lock.

Hello Cats Clause,

We have discussed verification of tape measures many times here.

It all comes down to what they are used for, and how that could affect your customer satisfaction/other goals. You have said "they do use, some steel rules and tapes" but you didn't say what they were measuring. What was it? What would happen if the tape measure was wrong?

1) I used to do sheet metal fabrication and used tape measures extensively. If the user does not slow the tape retraction when bringing the end tab back to base, the stress of the snap from this action can elongate the holes holding the rivets which affix that tab to the tape. As a result, an error of 1/64 to 1/32 may be possible. What is the tolerance for what these are used for? I once had a client that made 10-foot square, steel-framed structures for the oil and gas-fired energy companies. They used tape measures to confirm size and squareness, because if these items did not fit the result would be very bad.

2) I do woodworking as a hobby. I once bought a tape measure from some discount store bin, and found it measured a full 1/8 inch short per foot. Truly. I wish I kept it. The thing would have made a great prop for training exercises. Imagine what this error would have meant over a sizeable object.

My point is, tape measures can matter and the slogan "You get what you pay for" does appear to have merit.

Can you give us more information about what these tape measures are used for, and how you know they are "telling the truth"? ^
It's not just what the tape measures are used for, but what level of accuracy/tolerance you are checking with them.
You'd certainly need to have some form of basic accuracy check performed if they are uncalibrated but if for example you are using them to check if a bar of raw material is 6ft or 8ft long when delivered, the accuracy/calibration requirements would be much less stringent than if you were checking that a new building was, say, within 2 inches of being 20 feet long on one side I'm also having the same issue some what.
I work in Steel Manufacturing firm that builds Agricultural and industrial fencing, We currently assign a unique number to every Tape Measure & Steel Rule, our Calibration Process denotes that these items are only subject to visual inspection, yet still require confirmation in our Calibration Register every 12 months with an accompanied document containing it's unique ID and confirmation that it/they have passed their visual inspection.

This is a pretty convoluted process especially considering there are over 450 employees/working bays that hold a Tape Measure, not only that, the Tape Measures themselves are cheap and break often, get lost or whatever, it takes up way too much time as there is only ME dealing with this. Just the act of aquiring a new Tape takes forever, Acquire the Tape... me asking for a Unique ID.. creating the Calibration Entry...awaiting for confirmation that they've engraved it...waiting for the old tape to be sent to us with the document.. It's just not working at all imo.

I've attempted to convince my Senior that this requirement should be removed, especially since Tapes account for 55% of the 650 items in our register and the fact their only subject to visual inspection it seems pointless having all of these logged with unique IDs, I just want them marked with 'CNR' (Calibration not required), I've tried to contact the manufacture for their tolerances to see if their tolerances are finer than ours to try and incorporate this some how.

does anyone have ay general advise, I know I need to find out specifically how we use them so I need to gather more info. One of the first steps is to specify who can perform the visual inspection. If it can be performed by the user, why would an Inspection Department be burdened with the task of performing the inspections and logging the results of these inspections? The onus would be on the user. What does the visual inspection consist of? A check for freedom from damage and that the first x inches hasn't been cut off or otherwise removed?

Who buys and distributes the tape measures? Do you have a nominated supplier and/or model number or will "any old tape measure" suffice?

One of the first steps is to specify who can perform the visual inspection. If it can be performed by the user, why would an Inspection Department be burdened with the task of performing the inspections and logging the results of these inspections? The onus would be on the user. What does the visual inspection consist of? A check for freedom from damage and that the first x inches hasn't been cut off or otherwise removed?

Who buys and distributes the tape measures? Do you have a nominated supplier and/or model number or will "any old tape measure" suffice?

Maybe I wasn't clear sorry, The visual inspection is completed by the user, in which a document containing the results of the visual inspection is then sent to Quality where we store it and update its entry in the Calibration Register to say it passed and complete again in 12 months. The users themselves don't have access to our databases so the Visual Inspection Documents are passed to their supervisor who then scans and emails them to us.

The Visual inspection itself is very thorough, as detailed in the Visual Inspection Document, this is for damage, wear, operation of the Tape, clear markings on the Tape for X amount of length (I'm sure it says the full length of the Tape).

Our Purchasing Department buys the Tapes and are then sent to our 'Stores.' The Stores then hold the stock and distribute them once they are contacted by an employee when a new Tape is required, I've seen a few types of Tapes at the moment, Rolson 5 Metre and Rolson 8m which generally seems to be what we use though their are other, older tapes in circulation from other brands. Hi all -great feedback so far thanks. So for this client:

Tapes. Only used for packing verification purposes. IE checking pallet sizes. For this purpose the accuracy of a class II tape (3.2mm error over 10m) is more than enough.

Rules. Used in QC lab to measure slump distance of a semi liquid product over time. Nothing high precision, an accuracy of +/- 0.5 mm would be more than enough.

I am happy that if they only use "good quality" steel engineers rule and similar (Class 2) tape are fine for both applications if they are visually monitored for wear and legibility before use. I do not want to ask the company to go down the route of getting a master Rule / Tape calibrated to national / international standards and then check the working equipment to these as they are an SME and in my view this is over the top for their needs. I am not aware of a "Class II rule" as auditor suggested - happy to be corrected!