Thread pitch – how to measure it?

The English language is a very important part of many industries, from the food industry to the machinery and manufacturing sector. The concept of a thread should be considered under several parameters, including m.in. its type, diameter and pitch.

One of the most common types of fastener thread is the metric thread, commonly used for several reasons, mainly due to its ability to self-lock and its high strength due to its large angle. There are several types of metric threads, the most popular being conical, circular, triangular and trapezoidal. This type of thread is usually designated with the letter M. It is worth bearing in mind that the threads in bolts can be of different sizes. Therefore, to make sure that the chosen size will be correct, it is worth checking the thread pitch table.

What exactly is thread pitch and how to measure it? For metric threads, thread pitch is the distance between the thread tips. So, if the thread is described as M20x2.5, it should be read in such a way that its vertices are 2.5 mm apart. In inch threads, what matters is how many vertices there are in a section of one inch.

There are two ways to measure the pitch of a thread. The first is the thread standard and the second is the use of a calliper. Standard threads use gauge strips. At this point, it is worth checking the table of the pitch of metric threads, which takes into account the most popular and most used in practice thread dimensions. The table also includes additional information including thread classification such as. due to their shape, the way they twist or their position. What’s more, the table also includes the dimensions of inch threads. The differences between the two types of threads are minor and relate to the value in which its diameter and pitch is sensitive. In inch threads, these values are expressed in inches.

The most common method of measuring the pitch of a thread is by using a measuring device e.g. calipers. The obtained result will also indicate whether there is a metric thread (if the measurement result is a whole number) or inch.