Geometric

Tolerances
&
Dimension
ing ToolDesign,3331

Based on notes of Prof McCarthy, University of California, Irvine

DrSiminNasseri
SouthernPolytechnicStateUniversity

Content

MET3331, Prof
Simin Nasseri

Overview
Formtolerances
Orientationtolerances
Locationtolerances
Wrappingup

Southern Polytechnic
State University

ANSI Y14.5-1994 Standard

Thisstandardestablishesuniform
practicesfordefiningandinterpreting
dimensions,andtolerances,andrelated
requirementsforuseonengineering
drawings.

Thefiguresinthispresentation
aretakenfromBruceWilsons
DesignDimensioningand
Tolerancing.
MET3331, Prof
Simin Nasseri

Southern Polytechnic
State University

Geometric Tolerancing
What is Geometric tolerancing used for?

Geometric Tolerancing is used to specify the shape of features. Things like:

Straightness

Flatness

Circularity

Cylindricity

Angularity

Profiles

Perpendicularity

Parallelism

Concentricity
And More...

MET3331, Prof
Simin Nasseri

Southern Polytechnic
State University

Overview of Geometric
Tolerances
Geometrictolerancesdefinetheshapeofafeatureas
opposedtoitssize.
Wewillfocusonthreebasictypesofdimensionaltolerances:
1. Formtolerances:straightness,circularity,flatness,
cylindricity;
2. Orientationtolerances;perpendicularity,parallelism,
angularity;
3. Positiontolerances:position,symmetry,concentricity.
MET3331, Prof
Simin Nasseri

Southern Polytechnic
State University

Symbols for Geometric

Tolerances

Form

Orientation
Position

MET3331, Prof
Simin Nasseri

Southern Polytechnic
State University

Most Common Symbols

MET3331, Prof
Simin Nasseri

Southern Polytechnic
State University

Feature Control Frame

Ageometrictoleranceisprescribedusingafeaturecontrolframe.
Ithasthreecomponents:
1.thetolerancesymbol,
2.thetolerancevalue,
3.thedatumlabelsforthereferenceframe.

MET3331, Prof
Simin Nasseri

Southern Polytechnic
State University

Feature Control Frame

How do you read this feature control frame?

The specified feature must lie perpendicular within a tolerance zone of 0.05
diameter at the maximum material condition, with respect to datum axis C.

In other words, this places a limit on the amount of variation in perpendicularity between the
feature axis and the datum axis. In a drawing, this feature control frame would accompany
dimensional tolerances that control the feature size and position.

MET3331, Prof
Simin Nasseri

Southern Polytechnic
State University

Reference Frame
Areferenceframeisdefinedbythree
perpendiculardatumplanes.
Thelefttorightsequenceofdatumplanes
definestheirorderofprecedence.

MET3331, Prof
Simin Nasseri

Southern Polytechnic
State University

Order of Precedence
Thepartisalignedwiththedatumplanesofa
referenceframeusing321contactalignment.
3pointsofcontactaligntheparttotheprimary
datumplane;
2pointsofcontactaligntheparttothesecondary
datumplane;
1pointofcontactalignsthepartwiththetertiary
datumplane

MET3331, Prof
Simin Nasseri

Southern Polytechnic
State University

Using a
Feature as a
Datum
Afeaturesuchasa
hole,shaft,orslotcan
beusedasadatum.
Inthiscase,thedatum
isthetheoreticalaxis,
centerline,orcenter
planeofthefeature.
ThecircleMdenotes
thedatumisdefinedby
theMaximumMaterial
Condition(MMC)
givenbythetolerance.
MET3331, Prof
Simin Nasseri

Southern Polytechnic
State University

Material Conditions
MaximumMaterialCondition(MMC):Thecondition
inwhichafeaturecontainsthemaximumamountof
materialwithinthestatedlimits.e.g.minimumhole
diameter,maximumshaftdiameter.
LeastMaterialCondition(LMC):Theconditionin
whichafeaturecontainstheleastamountofmaterial
withinthestatedlimits.e.g.maximumholediameter,
minimumshaftdiameter
RegardlessofFeatureSize(RFS):Thisisthedefault
conditionforallgeometrictolerances.Nobonus
tolerancesareallowedandfunctionalgaugesmaynotbe
MET3331,
Southern Polytechnic
used.Prof
Simin Nasseri

State University

Material Conditions
ANSIY14.5MRULE#1:
Adimensionedfeaturemusthaveperfectformatitsmaximum
materialcondition.
Thismeans:
Aholeisaperfectcylinderwhenitisatitssmallest
permissiblediameter,
Ashaftisaperfectcylinderwhenatitslargestdiameter.
Planesareperfectlyparallelwhenattheirmaximumdistance.
ANSIY14.5MRULE#2:
Ifnomaterialconditionisspecified,thenitisregardlessof
featuresize.

MET3331, Prof
Simin Nasseri

Southern Polytechnic
State University

Material Conditions

Which one is which?

MET3331, Prof
Simin Nasseri

Southern Polytechnic
State University

Straightness of a Shaft
Ashafthasasizetolerancedefinedforitsfitintoahole.Ashaftmeetsthis
toleranceifateverypointalongitslengthadiametermeasurementfallwithinthe
specifiedvalues.
Thisallowstheshafttobebentintoanyshape.Astraightnesstoleranceonthe
shaftaxisspecifiestheamountofbendallowed.

MET3331, Prof
Simin Nasseri

Southern Polytechnic
State University

Straightness of a Shaft
Addthe
straightness
toleranceto
the
maximum
shaftsize
(MMC)to
obtaina
virtual
condition
Vc,orvirtual
hole,thatthe
shaftmustfit
tobe
acceptable.
MET3331, Prof
Simin Nasseri

Southern Polytechnic
State University

Straightness of a Hole

Thesizetoleranceforaholedefinesthe
rangeofsizesofitsdiameterateachpoint
alongthecenterline.Thisdoesnot
eliminateacurvetothehole.
Thestraightnesstolerancespecifiesthe
allowablecurvetothehole.
Subtractthestraightnesstolerancefrom
thesmallestholesize(MMC)todefinethe
virtualconditionVc,orvirtualshaft,that
mustfittheholeforittobeacceptable.

MET3331, Prof
Simin Nasseri

Southern Polytechnic
State University

Straightness of a Center
Thesizedimensionofarectangularpartdefinestherangeofsizesatany
Plane
crosssection.

Thestraightnesstolerancespecifiestheallowablecurvetotheentireside.
Addthestraightnesstolerancetothemaximumsize(MMC)todefinea
virtualconditionVcthatthepartmustfitintoinordertomeetthetolerance.

MET3331, Prof
Simin Nasseri

Southern Polytechnic
State University

Flatness, Circularity and

Cylindricity
Theflatnesstolerance
definesadistance
betweenparallelplanes
thatmustcontainthe
highestandlowest
pointsonaface.

MET3331, Prof
Simin Nasseri

Southern Polytechnic
State University

Flatness, Circularity and

Cylindricity
Thecircularity
tolerancedefinesapair
ofconcentriccirclesthat
mustcontainthe
maximumandminimum
radiuspointsofacircle.

MET3331, Prof
Simin Nasseri

Southern Polytechnic
State University

Flatness, Circularity and

Cylindricity
Thecylindricitytolerance
definesapairofconcentric
cylindersthatmuch
containthemaximumand
minimumradiuspoints
alongacylinder.

MET3331, Prof
Simin Nasseri

Southern Polytechnic
State University

Parallelism Tolerance
Aparallelismtoleranceis
measuredrelativetoadatum
specifiedinthecontrol
frame.
Ifthereisnomaterialcondition
(ie.regardlessoffeature
size),thenthetolerance
definesparallelplanesthat
mustcontainthemaximum
andminimumpointsonthe
face.
MET3331, Prof
Simin Nasseri

Southern Polytechnic
State University

Parallelism Tolerance
IfMMCisspecifiedforthe
tolerancevalue:
Ifitisanexternalfeature,then
thetoleranceisaddedtothe
maximumdimensiontodefinea
virtualconditionthatthepart
mustfit;
Ifitisaninternalfeature,
thenthetoleranceis
subtractedtodefinethe
maximumdimensionthat
mustfitintothepart.
MET3331, Prof
Simin Nasseri

Southern Polytechnic
State University

Perpendicularity

Aperpendicular
toleranceis
measured
relativetoa
datumplane.
Itdefinestwo
planesthatmust
containallthe
pointsofthe
face.
Aseconddatum
canbeusedto
locatewherethe
measurements
aretaken.

MET3331, Prof
Simin Nasseri

Southern Polytechnic
State University

Perpendicular
Shaft, Hole, and
Center Plane

Shaft:Themaximum
shaftsizeplusthe
tolerancedefinesthe
virtualhole.

MET3331, Prof
Simin Nasseri

Southern Polytechnic
State University

Perpendicular
Shaft, Hole, and
Center Plane
Hole:Theminimum
holesizeminusthe
tolerancedefinesthe
virtualshaft.

MET3331, Prof
Simin Nasseri

Southern Polytechnic
State University

Perpendicular
Shaft, Hole, and
Center Plane
Plane:Thetolerancedefinesthe
variationofthelocationofthe
centerplane.

MET3331, Prof
Simin Nasseri

Southern Polytechnic
State University

Angularity

Anangularitytoleranceismeasured
relativetoadatumplane.
Itdefinesapairplanesthatmust
1. containallthepointsonthe
angledfaceofthepart,or
2. ifspecified,theplanetangentto
thehighpointsoftheface.
MET3331, Prof
Simin Nasseri

Southern Polytechnic
State University

Position Tolerance for a Hole

Thepositiontolerancefora
holedefinesazonethathasa
definedshape,size,locationand
orientation.
Ithasthediameterspecifiedby
thetoleranceandextendsthe
lengthofthehole.
Basicdimensionslocatethe
theoreticallyexactcenterofthe
holeandthecenterofthe
tolerancezone.
Basicdimensionsaremeasured
fromthedatumreferenceframe.

MET3331, Prof
Simin Nasseri

Southern Polytechnic
State University

Material
Condition
Modifiers
MMC:
Ifthetolerancezoneis
prescribedforthe
maximummaterial
condition(smallest
hole).Thenthezone
expandsbythesame
amountthattheholeis
largerinsize.
UseMMCforholes
usedinclearancefits.
MET3331, Prof
Simin Nasseri

Southern Polytechnic
State University

Material
Condition
Modifiers
RFS:
Nomaterialcondition
modifiermeansthe
toleranceisregardlessof
featuresize.
UseRFSforholesusedin
interferenceorpressfits.

MET3331, Prof
Simin Nasseri

Southern Polytechnic
State University

Position
Tolerance on a
Acompositecontrolframesignalsa
Hole
Pattern
toleranceforapatternoffeatures,
suchasholes.

Thefirstlinedefinestheposition
tolerancezonefortheholes.
Thesecondlinedefinesthe
tolerancezoneforthepattern,which
isgenerallysmaller.
MET3331,
Prof
Simin Nasseri

Southern Polytechnic
State University

Datum Reference
in a Composite
Tolerance
Adatumspecificationforthe
patternonlyspecifiesthe
orientationofthepatterntolerance
zones.

Primarydatumspecified.

MET3331, Prof
Simin Nasseri

Southern Polytechnic
State University

Datum Reference
in a Composite
Tolerance
Nodatumforthepattern

MET3331, Prof
Simin Nasseri

Southern Polytechnic
State University

Summary
Geometrictolerancesaredifferentfromthetolerancesallowedforthesizeof
feature,theyspecifytheallowablevariationoftheshapeofafeature.
Therearethreebasictypesofgeometrictolerances:Form,Orientationand
Positiontolerances.
Geometrictolerancesarespecifiedusingacontrolframeconsistingofa
tolerancesymbol,atolerancevalueandoptionaldatumplanes.
Materialconditionmodifiersdefinetheconditionatwhichthetoleranceisto
beapplied.Ifthemaximummaterialconditionisspecified,thenthereisa
bonustoleranceassociatedwithadecreaseinmaterial.
1.Theformofafeatureisassumedtobeperfectatitsmaximummaterial
condition.
2.Ifnomaterialconditionisspecified,thenitisregardlessoffeaturesize.
MET3331, Prof
Simin Nasseri

Southern Polytechnic
State University

Additional materials

http://www.engineersedge.com/tolerance__calc_menu.shtml
http://www.engineersedge.com/fixed_fastener.htm
http://www.engineersedge.com/gdt.htm

MET3331, Prof
Simin Nasseri

Southern Polytechnic
State University