Know GD&T Symbols Start Your Design Engineering Career

With a Bang!

When you dream of becoming a design engineer, you need to up your

game. When you design something, it should deliver the desired
performance in the real situation. For this, as design engineer you must be
good in your visualization, engineering drawing, strength and properties
of materials and how you use GD&T to guide the production engineer as
well as the inspection engineer.

If you want to know more about GD&T symbols read preceding blog in
the sequence Know GD&T symbols start your design engineering career
with a bang! Part-2

GD&T Symbols

We have explored 10 GD&T symbols in our previous two blogs, this will
cover the remaining 4 symbols.

Circular Runout

Circular Runout indicates variation in a given reference feature/features

with respect to another datum/reference when the part is rotated 360°
around the datum/rotational axis. Shafts and spindles mount some parts
like gears, pulleys which rotate at high speed. These parts should not
create any dynamic imbalance which may reduce efficiency of the whole
mechanism and even reduce the life span.

Examples
 Gears, pulleys, hubs, clutch plates which rotate at high speed
mounted on Shafts, mandrels or Spindles

Application

Circular Runout is applicable where revolving feature itself is short at its

functional length or mounts a component which is short at its thickness.
The mounting component may have a fixed location on the shaft or move
axially. It is indicated by an arrow with slant of 450. To inspect the
component should be held at different location which is a datum feature.
The axis of Ø40 is a datum feature. Accordingly, component should be
held at Ø40 with the help of datum simulator which can be an expanding
sleeve for Ø40, capable of revolving around horizontal axis. Now feature
control frame specifies that if a dial indicator is aligned to the component
in slowly revolving state, then it must not indicate variation more than
0.05 mm.

Total Runout

This characteristic is applicable for the revolving feature which is

considerably long and mounting some revolving component almost
equally long.

Examples

 A double or triple gear

 A stepped pulley
 A splined hub

Application

It is indicated by a double arrow symbol where an individual arrow shall

have the same specification as that for the circular runout.

It indicates that the total runout of the outer diameter B and the adjoining
face C is under discussion. The outer diameter features A and D are the
joint datum features. If a dial indicator is aligned on the outer diameter B
while component is slowly revolving, then the total variation within all
observations must not exceed 0.05 mm. Similarly, if the dial indicator is
aligned in the surface C and readings taken at various radial locations,
then the total variation within all observations must not exceed 0.1mm

Surface Profile

Very complex surface profiles are created for the purpose of aesthetics,
aero-dynamics or for creation of a very complex motion. Variation in
these profiles should be controlled to avoid function/fitment problems.

Examples

Cams, turbine blades, sheet metal body parts of an automobile, impellers

Application

The symbol for surface profile is inverted semicircle. The surface profile
can be defined using number of curvatures, straight or slant lines,
mathematical equations etc. Feature control frame indicates that profile
PQ can deviation from its true shape by not more than 0.5mm. The
mentioned permissible deviation of 0.5 mm shall be understood as the
local deviation which must be contained within 0.5mm equally
distributed on either side of the true profile.

Profile of a line

Profile of a line indicates permissible tolerance zone around any line in

any feature, usually for curved shape. Profile of a line specified a
tolerance zone on either side of the cross section at any point along the
surface.

Examples

 Plate cams
 Sheet metal templates for copy turning
 Inspection templates

Application

The characteristic symbol is an inverted semicircle without the diameter

base. The interpretation is the same as that for profile of a surface.

How to master GD&T Symbols and standout in the job interview?

Just knowing the theory is not enough. You should practice design of a
component assembly or modify a component to improve its functionality.
With such practice you will become confident to answer any type of
question in the interview. You need to choose a training institute which
can equip you with the knowledge and skills that the industry demands
for. CADCAMGURU is one of such institutes which focusses on honing
the job skills of the candidates with practical exposure of designing or
improving design of real mechanical components and assemblies.
Choosing the right mentor for training is the first step and first strong step
leads to a great career.