Decimal Minute timer - applications

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ctwo
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Decimal Minute timer - applications

Post by ctwo »

I acquired an analog table-top timer with a single hand and dial that is graduated in 1/100 of a minute with numbers counting 10, 20, 30, ..., 100, so you can time events lasting up to one decimal minute. One lever will reset the hand and the other will start/stop the timer.

This is a "normal" 60 seconds/minutes version of the timer: https://www.ebay.com/itm/155035806178

What applications could mine be used for?

What is also curious is that all of the parts are included in the movement with the exception of the minute/hour(?) hand and a cardioid zero-reset cam for that missing hand. The MFG has instead placed a round disc instead of the actual hand, and I can tell the arm was not just simply broken off of the central mounting. Why would they omit these two trivial pieces?

What I intend to do is make these two parts. I wasn't sure about the cardioid reset cam and it's too difficult to remove for duplication, but I think I can get a dial indicator in there and take enough measurements to replicate one on the rotab or CNC mill.
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Bill Shields
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Re: Decimal Minute timer - applications

Post by Bill Shields »

is useful for comparing metric degrees to imperial degrees....

don't ask....long story involving a very reputable Swiss CNC manufacturer...
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ctwo
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Re: Decimal Minute timer - applications

Post by ctwo »

It's impossible to measure degrees. It can measure at most 1 minute, unless you're counting revolutions, and then it counts in 0.6 seconds intervals. Why am I perplexed?
Standards are so important that everyone must have their own...
To measure is to know - Lord Kelvin
Disclaimer: I'm just a guy with a few machines...
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Bill Shields
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Re: Decimal Minute timer - applications

Post by Bill Shields »

I was being very facetious -> sorry. Spent more than a few hours trying to figure out why a particular tool rotary positions were wrong .. because they were converting all metric values INCLUDING DEGREES by the 25.4 factor.

Back to the original question:

In the manufacturing world, calculating operation time in decimal minutes is straightforward and convenient with decimal minutes.

The software for which I do development returns (in native format) the time of operations in decimal minutes, which makes adding cumulative operations straightforward.

Many companies calculate production costs (and estimates) based on $/minute of machine time.

Having decimal minutes available is convenient.

It also comes in handy when using Tool Life macros in a machine control to decide when it is time to substitute a "sister tool' or alert the operator that it is time to change a tool before it gives up the ghost.
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ctwo
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Re: Decimal Minute timer - applications

Post by ctwo »

No question on why decimal minutes. But why would a company build an analog timer that only counts up to one decimal minute? In what application could it have been used? I cannot find any example of a timer that is limited like this - all the ones I find have a minute hand.

I will be happy to have a 100 decimal minutes timer. A one decimal minute timer cannot even time a soft boiled egg.
Standards are so important that everyone must have their own...
To measure is to know - Lord Kelvin
Disclaimer: I'm just a guy with a few machines...
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