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Tolerance Stack-Up Notes: Contact Surface Between Parts When Assembled
Tolerance Stack-Up Notes: Contact Surface Between Parts When Assembled
ES51 Graphics 4
Prof. Robert Howe
Each part has a tolerance; how do these add up when parts are assembled?
Approach: Consider the limiting tolerance of each part to find the limit of the overall
tolerance in each direction. In particular, consider each direction of misalignment
separately, and make each part dimension either its maximum or minimum size to
produce the maximum displacement of the assembly in that direction.
Example 1: An assembly of two L-shaped parts. How far out of alignment is the left
common edge, i.e., what is the tolerance for alignment of surfaces A and B?
B
1.002
1.000
1.000
.997
Contact surface
between parts
when assembled
+.997
A
1
Contact surface
between parts
when assembled
+1.000
Centerline of
clearance hole
Clearance Holes
B
1.502
1.498
Tapped Holes
A
1.502
1.498
Centerline of
tapped hole
+.000
-0.134
Total displacement
0.016
A
+0.124
+1.498
Set the tolerance of the screw to its minimum value for the same reason.
Set the diameter of the clearance hole to its maximum value, so surface B is displaced
to the left as far as possible.
Likewise, set the hole center location in the upper part to its maximum.
As above, to calculate the displacement of B, assume that distances to the right are
positive and that surface A defines the zero point. Start at surface A, then add the distance
to the centerline of the tapped hole (which is the same as the centerline of the bolt), then
add the distance from the centerline of the bolt to the edge of the bolt (which is the same
as the edge of the clearance hole in the upper part), then subtract the distance to the center
of the clearance hole, then subtract the distance from the hole center to surface B:
1.498 + [(.250-.002)/2] [(.266+.002)/2] 1.502 = -.014
This means that surface B is .014 to the left of A.
Repeating the same procedure for the other direction and thus (or recognizing the
symmetry of the tolerances), we find the tolerance on the alignment between A and B is
+.014. This does not consider rotation of the upper part with respect to the lower, so that,
for example, the left edge of one clearance hole is resting against the bolt and the right
edge of the other hole is resting against the bolt; for this calculation, a similar calculation
of the limits of motion can be applied.