[Gibbon1]

In aerospace everything like that is traceable and calibrated on a schedule. Traceable means that there is paper work that shows what it was calibrated against. Which itself is traceable to a NIST standard. The difference between traceable and ordinary measurement equipment is a couple of extra $.

Put is this way one time I found a set of hex torque drivers with cal stickers on them at a surplus place. So when I say everything I do mean everything. So yeah a feeler gauge should be traceable.

[a2tech]

Yup. Traceable all the way back to the batch of material the part is made of. For every part in the plane. One of my customers makes parts for Rolls-Royce engines for the aviation industry and have to store certs and manufacturing records for even the smallest part. That includes certs on each step of manufacturing and material. Its pretty intense! During crash investigations they can be called upon to provide the full audit trail. Now imagine the amount of paperwork that is produced during an investigation when every nut and spring in a plane has the same amount of associated paperwork produced.

[aunty_helen]

>The difference between traceable and ordinary measurement equipment is a couple of extra $.

This idea again. I don't know why people are saying this. It's not true. Aviation you're allowed to use any tool you want unless the workshop manual says to use a specific tool.

OEM calibration certs are useless to an aviation company because it's someone else promising accuracy that could see you thrown in jail if it's wrong. Before tooling is used the first time it will be calibrated. Then calibrated again at set intervals.

>hex torque drivers with cal stickers

It's most likely the part had stickers so it was in their system for visual inspection for good condition. I have a pair of lockwire pliers that were pulled from the shop floor due to them being indicated worn during a visual inspection. I still have them 7 years later and they're still the sharpest pliers I own.

As for the traceability from birth, this applies to parts that go on the aircraft not tooling. Tooling traceability you need to know what tool was used if it's required to be calibrated. ie torque wrenches.