Convert Centiinch (cin) to Mil (mil) instantly.
About these units
Centiinch (cin)
A centiinch is 1/100 of an inch, making it a small but straightforward derivative of the imperial system. Although seldom used today, it historically appeared in precision engineering, machining, and scientific instruments that relied on extremely fine calibrations before widespread adoption of decimal-based units like millimeters. Because the inch was long established in many English-speaking industries, dividing it into 100 equal parts provided a convenient decimal alternative to the more cumbersome 1/8 or 1/16 subdivisions found in carpentry and early tooling. The centiinch never gained strong traction, particularly once the metric system became dominant for precision work. However, it remains an interesting footnote in the evolution of measurement, illustrating attempts to reconcile the decimal preference with traditional imperial standards.
Mil (mil)
A mil is an imperial-derived engineering unit equal to one-thousandth of an inch. It is used extensively in manufacturing, machining, and electrical engineering. Printed circuit board (PCB) trace widths, for instance, are often measured in mils because the unit provides a convenient scale for precision without resorting to decimals in inches. Because 1 mil equals 25.4 micrometers, it occupies a scale appropriate for tolerances in industrial production, coatings, film thickness, and gaskets. The mil is especially common in the United States, where certain engineering standards still rely on the imperial system. It provides an intuitive small-scale measurement for technicians accustomed to inches, helping avoid errors that might result from metric conversions.