Opus ceramic gauge blocks (Zirco-Blocks) are manufactured from an exceptionally pure grade of zirconia ceramic.
The commonly held belief that all ceramic materials are brittle and prone to catastrophic failure can now be dispelled with the remarkable zirconia ceramic material which used to manufacture Opus Zirco-Blocks blocks.
Opus Zirco-Blocks are an effective substitute for the traditional steel gauge blocks and out perform them in many applications.The exceptional material combined with Opus’s specially developed lapping techniques and strict quality control produces a gauge of exceptional quality and value
Main features include:
Coefficient of thermal expansion close to steel
Good abrasion resistance - up to 10 times that of steel
Very high corrosion resistance
High thermal stability - does not react quickly to handling
Very good wringing properties
Highly resistant to knocks and drops
Does not burr easily
Opus Zirco-Blocks ceramic gauge blocks are rigorously checked for flatness of their measuring surfaces using a laser flatness interferometer. Each gauge is then calibrated in our own UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service) accredited laboratory for length and graded according to the relevant national or international specification. You can view our UKAS accreditation schedule here.
Gauges can be supplied in sets or as individual sizes, special sizes up to 100mm (4 inches) in length can also be supplied upon request. To see our standard set compositions please click here.
Material Characteristics: Coefficient of Thermal Expansion: 9.7 x 10-6 per °C Hardness: 1350 Hv Youngs Modulus: 205 Gpa
