What are pressure gauges?

Pressure gauges are mechanical devices used to set up & monitor fluid power. Pressure gauges can be both pneumatic & hydraulic, and using systems without them can lead to unexpected and unreliable performance.

Pressure pumps or test pumps are often used alongside the pneumatic & hydraulic pressure gauges to test, troubleshoot, and calibrate pressure switches, transmitters, and others. In test facilities, the handy portable pressure gauge devices are often employed as a pressure source.

Hydraulic and pneumatic systems, pumps, portable compressors, industrial equipment, and pressurised containers all use pressure gauges.

Types of pressure gauges

Commonly, two types of pressure are used. These are analogue pressure gauges and digital pressure gauges. They can be defined as follows:

Analogue pressure gauges

Pressure gauges that use a needle scale to exhibit the pressure as sensed by the measuring element are called analogue pressure gauges. They can use the Bourdon tube pressure or Bellows measurement. 

Digital pressure gauges

Digital pressure gauges display the readings of pressure data on a digital output display and use microprocessors and sensors to do so. They have resolution scales ranging from 0.001 to 0.01 on digital pressure gauges and hence are appropriate for low pressures. 

Best practices while buying pressure gauges

There are certain aspects that must be considered before you buy a gauge. These are:

Type:

Pressure gauges are available in a variety of materials, including copper alloys, stainless steel, and nichrome. While copper alloys can be an effective choice, stainless steel provides more corrosion resistance. You can choose from alloys of nickel and iron as well since their coefficient of expansion is small and don’t let the instrument’s temperature affect the pressure readout.

Size:

Another thing that you need to consider is the size of the pressure gauges. While hydraulic pressure gauges have diameters between 63 and 100 mm, you can choose pneumatic gauges in diameters ranging from 40 to 63 mm.

Assembly:

When you are buying pressure gauges, determine what type of assembly you want. For instance, you can choose pressure gauges that allow vertical or back mounts, or can also be mounted on a panel with the help of a frontal ring or flange.