need short range digital back gauge

we want to add a short range auxilery single point digital back gauge to our 150 ton brake. we have a CNC back gauge already but it is a bit rough for some small parts we are doing. Ideally it would have around a 6 inch range, extend off the back of the lower die section area and some sort of mechanical stop that would move in and out on a ball screw or toothed belt. the stop itself will not be pulling or pushing material but we want it powered, ie self position per the distance inputted. Think miniature tiger stop. [We are contacting tiger stop to see if they have anything this small], but I am asking to see if you guys have any suggestions. We can build anything but would prefer an out of the box solution, or perhaps something that we make the supports for, etc.
thanks

The "bear" (cough, cough, grizzly) sells a 6" digital scale with the reader head
remoted on a wire.

Sort of a cheap 1 axis DRO.

Shop Tools and Machinery at Grizzly.com

thanks Doug.

That grizzly wont help with the self powered part.

Omron makes a system, at least i saw one on a press i looked at a few years ago. I looked in the omron catalog. Couldnt find it.

Qty (2) pieces of unistrut, some 1/2-13 all thread down the middle of
each piece, and a crank on the end of each, with 2 of the readout
units.

Or, qty (1) crank, and a bicycle chain between the 2.

I made a shop job back gage from chinese ballscrew powered by stepper and forward/reverse switch and guided by round mounted shaft. Might put a dro on it. Or better yet some cheap chinese cnc control.