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Dial Indicator now a "Variance" Indicator?

Z

zipfactor

Cast Iron
Joined
Oct 10, 2013
Location
USA - OH
Cruising McMaster today, I saw that they are now calling dial indicators and test indicators "variance" indicators now? Sounds like the marketing people in the indicator sector thought this sounded more appealing?
 
zipfactor said:
Cruising McMaster today, I saw that they are now calling dial indicators and test indicators "variance" indicators now? Sounds like the marketing people in the indicator sector thought this sounded more appealing?
Click to expand...

.
more likely in other countries and other languages other names are used for tools. so if a few billion people use a different name for a tool whos to say it is wrong ??
Americans call themselves Americans yet Chinese call them "may gor en" and them selves "June gor en" not Chinese
.
its called different languages and translations
 
I still remember when they changed the word "trucking" to "logistics" and when "products" became "solutions." There was even a restaurant
called "Dinner Solutions." Computer programs became "apps" (and programming is "coding"). Clichés became "memes" and Parmesan became "Asiago."
But I thought McMaster was still in Chicago. Have they changed that to Zhōng guó Illinois?
 
I can understand the use of that term. Perhaps they have hired someone from another country who is using a too literal translation of the term used in his/her home country. BUT I purchase DIAL INDICATORS. I do not purchase variance indicators.

I suggest that you do the same. That should solve that problem.
 
I think it is a reasonable description of what the devices are used for. Dial indicator is essentially a vernacular term used by those who already know what they are, and that isn't helpful to the newbie/foreigner. Besides, a digital version has no dial, but can still be used to detect variance. 99.9% of the time, I don't even think to quantify the variance I see displayed, I just want the needle to not move very much.....just a wee bit, so I know it's not hung up :D
 
international GD&T terminology uses the term variance. run-out is total indicated variance. this makes sense because VARIANCE IS A THING YOU CAN MEASURE. -it translates well. Try translating reading, or clock, it means nothing specific except to the people who grew up with it.
 
It is often hard to figure out why McMaster does what it does... especially since they don't seem to want to sell outside the country, so who cares what the rest of the world calls it? Their IT people seem to get starnge notions, I've noticed this with other items, too. I wonder if they don't track search terms to see where the search finally ends up, then add the terms to that product description. Currently, they've made a mish-mash of terms, we have "DIAL PLUNGER STYLE VARIANCE INDICATORS, and DIAL LEVER STYLE VARIANCE INDICATORS. Somewhere in the description, the "lever style" get properly called "test indicators", but the word "test" creeps into some of the plunger style descriptions, too. You have to go to "other indicators" to find "AGD Indicators", but that leads you back to this variance crap.

I like McMaster, but they need to reign in their IT people.

Dennis
 
Mtndew said:
There has to be a marketing reason for this.
Click to expand...

I bet they track exactly what people search for and compare to what they end up buying and many of the newer folks entering the field search for variance because that's what they learned. If you old farts would buy more stuff you already have several of maybe you could statistically bury the term

Sent from my E6810 using Tapatalk
 
That's fine... I've long suspected that they have a long list of misspellings and kinda close terms associated with each item so misspelled searches, or "shots-in-the-dark" turn up the likely target. But they should keep these hidden, and strive to use industry standard terms in the descriptions... since our schools no longer teach this stuff, the kids have to learn it from the catalog.:angry:

I'm disappointed. I just searched their site for a "whatsit", and it didn't take me to anything useful.:(

Dennis
 
"Your call is important to us."
when they mean
"If your call was really important to us, we'd have enough staff to answer the phone".

"We are experiencing a high call volume"
when they mean
"You are experiencing our not having invested in an adequate staffing level"

"A technician will be with you as soon as they are available"
but what the omit is
"And the technician is now in the middle of banjo lessons"
 
KMoffett said:
Due to McMaster-Carr's great search engine "dial indicator" will still get you there.
Ken
Click to expand...

Everyone here PLEASE WRITE TO MCMASTER CARR ABOUT THIS BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!!!

Their search engine is being destroyed as you read this! You guys see it from the machinist side. I happen to see it from the plumbing side. It has been very difficult to order materials due to all the name changes. I order every day and it sometimes turns into an exercise in futility. I’m making lots of mistakes as a result.
 
winger said:
in England they are clocks

Dave
Click to expand...

Not just England. I picked up the habit of calling them 'clocks' too, coming out of Detroit. As in "Put a clock on that and see what it's doing".
But I agree, it's not very descriptive unless you already know what they are.

-Brian
 
bosleyjr said:
"Your call is important to us."
when they mean
"If your call was really important to us, we'd have enough staff to answer the phone".

"We are experiencing a high call volume"
when they mean
"You are experiencing our not having invested in an adequate staffing level"...............
Click to expand...

And I have never experienced any such bull shit with the mention supplier.
Have you?

And where does "clock it in" come from? Is this a Brit term or do France, Germany, Switzerland and others use the same?
One knows the meaning when spoken to you but...
DTI is interesting. Does not indicate correctly if movement is very much.
Bob
 
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