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The Role of Basic Dimensions in Data Reporting for Geometric Tolerances – Part 2 TREE MENU
Written by Evan Janeshewski Home

In Part 1 showed examined basic dimensions from a standards and quality assurance perspective.  For conformance assessment, there is no Current Issue
requirement to report measured values that correspond to basic dimensions.  Nevertheless, this is being done in industry in various ways and for various
purposes.  This article will examine and different strategies being used to generate measured values for basic dimensions. Past Articles

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Strategy 1 – Direct Measurement Calypso

  CMM Manager

One strategy is to simply measure each basic dimension, as if they were directly toleranced dimensions.  This means that each dimension is examined DMIS Corner
individually, without any use of datum reference frames.  This simplistic approach has the following disadvantages:
General

The benefits of geometric tolerancing are lost GD&T

Unlikely that the measured values will correlate with the measured value of the geometric tolerance
MCOSMOS
Direction of measurement will be different for each dimension
Dimensions can often be measured in several different ways, leading to different results PC-DMIS

Repeatability and reproducibility of dimensional measurements is often very poor when form error is present Mark Boucher Consulting
The meaning of the dimension on the actual part will be ambiguous in many cases
Today I Learned
Some basic dimensions may apply to several features or several feature control frames
Basic dimensions may involve imaginary centerlines or center points that cannot be uniquely defined on the actual part CMMQ Publications
This strategy inherits all of the problems of directly toleranced dimensions, that geometric tolerancing is intended to address.

Strategy 2 – Measurement of Location Components for Position Tolerances in a Datum Reference Frame
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Basic dimensions can be involved in the reporting of additional information for geometric tolerance inspection.  The components of the feature’s true
position in the datum reference frame are reported, and in some cases these components directly correspond to basic dimensions on the drawing.  In this
context, measured values corresponding to basic dimensions can provide useful information:

The Datum Reference Frame (DRF) is a coordinate system derived from the datum feature simulators and datum features.
The tolerance zone is located at true position (theoretically exact location in the DRF).
The controlled component is the axis, center plane, or center point of the feature.
The measured value is the size of a zone that is located at true position, that just envelops the controlled feature component.

The actual coordinates of the controlled feature component can be measured, and reported relative to the basic coordinates.
The DRF provides the coordinate system (axis directions and origin) for the components
The basic coordinates are defined by basic dimensions on the drawing or model-based definition.

In some cases, a basic dimension on the drawing directly represents one of the basic feature coordinates in the DRF.  This is the situation in which a
measured value corresponding to a basic dimension can provide useful information.

Other Strategies

Strategies 1 and 2 described above represent two extremes.  Strategy 1 focuses solely on the dimensions, and Strategy 2 is fully based on the geometric
tolerance definition.  Other strategies are possible, that use the geometric tolerance information to a limited degree by directly measuring the dimensions
in a particular coordinate system.

Summary

Several different strategies for obtaining measured values for basic dimensions are possible.  In some cases this can provide useful information and in
other cases many problems arise.  Part 3 will analyze the specific basic dimension, feature, and tolerance configurations in which useful information can
be extracted and those in which it cannot.

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