Mérfejet

Mérfejet, in Hungarian, denotes the measuring head of a measurement instrument. The term combines mérő meaning “to measure” and fej meaning “head,” and is used to refer to the part of a device that carries the sensing element and interfaces with the object being measured. In many technical texts the more common form is mérőfej, with mérfejet appearing in inflected forms.

A measuring head can be of several types. Tactile measuring heads carry a stylus or probe that deflects when it encounters a surface, converting contact deflection into positional data. Optical measuring heads use cameras, lasers, or light patterns to infer geometry without physical contact. Hybrid or multi-sensor heads combine modalities to improve speed, accuracy, or the range of measurands. The head is typically mounted on a stable housing and connected to the measurement system’s electronics, often enabling precise positioning, rotation, or scanning within a larger instrument such as a coordinate measuring machine (CMM) or profilometer.

Operation and data flow are similar across types: the head acquires spatial information, which is transmitted to metrology software for processing, coordinate transformation, and feature analysis. Probing routines may include touch-probe sequences, scanning, or surface triangulation, depending on the head’s design.

Calibration and maintenance are essential for accuracy. Regular calibration to a reference frame, compensation for stylus length or sensor offset, and monitoring of wear or optical cleanliness are common requirements. The measuring head is central to tasks in quality control, reverse engineering, and precise dimensional metrology.

See also: measuring systems, CMMs, tactile probes, optical probes.