Chapter 2. Limits, Tolerance and Fits - Revised

Chapter.
2 Limits, Tolerance and

Fits
Quoc-Nguyen Banh, PhD

Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology
1
Mechanical Measurement & Tolerance Q-N Banh, Dept. Manufacturing Engineering
Learning Outcomes
• Identify the different types of limits, fits,

and tolerances in design and manufacturing
fields, required for efficient and effective
performance of components.
• Understand the importance of
manufacturing components to specified
sizes
• Explain the principle of limit gauging and
its importance in inspection in industries
2
• Definitions of Tolerance, interchangeability
vs Selective assembly
• Class and grade of tolerance, Fits
• Types of Fits
• Hole & shaft base system
• Limit gauge
3
What is Tolerance and Fit?
• Exact size is difficult to achieve
• Some variation in dimension is
allowed
• Tolerances on mating parts
decides type of fit
• Functional needs of products
• Manufacturing processes and
sequences
• Cost of manufacturing
• Interchangeability – easy
replacement of part in case of
failure
4
Introduction
• No two parts can be produced with identical

measurements by any manufacturing process
• In any production process, regardless of how
well it is designed or how carefully it is
maintained, a certain amount of variation will
always exist
5
Variations in parts (5 M’s method)
• Assignable causes (can be identified and
controlled)
– Improperly adjusted machines
– Operator errors
– Tool wear
– Defective raw materials
• Random causes
– Environment causes
– Machine vibration
– Tool chattering, etc.
6
Tolerance
• It is impossible to produce a part to an exact size or

basic size, some variations, known as tolerances, need
to be allowed.
• The permissible level of tolerance depends on the
Functional Requirements, which cannot be
compromised.
• The component can only be made lie between the
two limits: upper (maximum) and lower (minimum)
suggested by the designer to meet the Functional
Requirement. The difference between the upper and
lower limits is terms Permissive Tolerance
7
Example
• Shaft has diameter of 40 ± 0.02
8
Classification of Tolerance
• Unilateral tolerance
• Bilateral tolerance
• Compound tolerance
• Geometric tolerance
9
• Unilateral: When tolerance distribution is
only on one side of the basic size (either
positive or negative)
• Bilateral: tolerance distribution lies on either
side of the basic size
10
Unilateral tolerance
11
Bilateral Tolerance
• Not necessary that Zero line will divide the

tolerance zone equally on both sides 12
Compound Tolerance
• Tolerance for the dimension R is determined

by the combined effects of other dimensions
13
Geometric tolerance
• Geometric dimensioning and tolerancing

(GD&T – ASME Y14.5) or Geometric Product
Specifications (GPS - ISO1101)
• Defining parts based on how they function,
using standard symbols
14
Interchangeability
• Manufacturing many parts, it is not economical to
produce both the mating parts by the same operator.
• Parts to be manufactured within min. possible time
without compromising on quality
• To manufacture identical parts; mass production
was the idea
• The components are manufactured in one or more
batches by different persons on different machines at
different location and are assembled at one place.
• Manufacture of parts under such condition is called
interchangeable manufacture
15
Interchangeability
• Concept: Any one component selected at random

should assemble with any other arbitrarily mating
component
• Condition: Identical components, manufactured by
different operators, using different machine tools,
under different conditions, can be assembled and
replaced without any further modification during the
assembly, without affecting the functioning of the
component
16
Selective Assembly
• In selective assembly the parts produced are

classified into groups according to their
size/dimensions by automatic gauging
• Both the mating parts are segregated
according to their sizes, and matched with the
groups of mating parts are assembled
• Ensures protection and elimination of
defective assemblies
• Cost reduced, parts are produced with wider
tolerances 17
Maximum and Minimum Material Conditions
18
Terminologies related to Limits, Fits and
Tolerances
• Shaft and Hole: these terms are used to designate all the
external and internal features of any shape and not necessarily
cylindrical shapes.
• Basic size (nominal size): it is the size with reference to
which upper or lower limits of size are defined. It is theoretical
size of part as suggested by designer.
• Actual size: It is the size actually obtained by machining. It
is found by actual measurement.
• Limits of size: There are two permissible sizes for any
particular dimension between which the actual size lies,
maximum and minimum size (maximum and minimum limits)
19
20
• Upper Deviation: The algebraic difference between the
maximum limit of size (of either hole or shaft) and the
corresponding basic size, like ES (for hole), es (for shaft)
• Lower Deviation: The algebraic difference between the
minimum limit of size (of either hole or shaft) and the
corresponding basic size, like EI (for hole), ei (for shaft)
• Fundamental Deviation: It is one of the two deviations
(which is nearest to zero line for either a hole or a shaft) which
is chosen to define the position of the tolerance zone
• Tolerance: The algebraic difference between the max and
min limits on the part
• Tolerance Interval (former Zone): a zone representing the
tolerance and its position in relating to the basis size. The
tolerance zone is also defined as a spherical zone limited by the
upper and lower limit dimensions of the part
21
Fits
• The relationship between the two mating parts that are to be
assembled.
• An ideal fit is required for proper functioning of the mating parts
• An allowance is the intentional difference between the maximum
material limits, that is, LLH and HLS (minimum clearance or maximum
interference) of the two mating parts.
22
Typical Fits
23
24
International Tolerance Grade (IT)
• IT grade is a group of tolerances. Each of the tolerances of
this system is marked “IT” with attached grade of accuracy
(IT01, IT00, IT1, IT2,…, IT18) (ISO 286). The magnitude of
the tolerance zone is the variation in part size. IT groups of
tolerances such that tolerances for a particular IT number have
the same relative level of accuracy but vary depending on the
basic size. A smaller grade of IT number provides a smaller
tolerance zone.
• Tolerance symbols: The tolerance symbol is established by
combining the IT grade number and position letter for
tolerance.
25
Tolerance Grade
3
• 𝑖 = 0.045 𝐷 + 0.001𝐷 𝜇𝑚
• Value of tolerance unit “i” is obtained for
sizes up to 500 mm.
• D is the geometric mean of the lower and
upper diameters 𝐷 = 𝐷𝑚𝑎𝑥 𝑥𝐷𝑚𝑖𝑛
26
27
28
• Hole designation: By upper case letters form A, B,
... Z, Za, Zb, Zc (excluding I, L, O, Q, W)
• Shaft designation: by lower case letters from a, b,
….z, za,zb, zc (excluding i, l, o, q, w)
29
Hole Basis and Shaft Basis Systems
• To obtain the desired class of fits, either size

of the hole or the size of the shaft must vary
• Two types of systems are used to represent
three basic type of fits
– Hole basis system
– Shaft basis system
30
Hole basis systems
• The size of the hole is kept constant, and the
shaft size is varied to give various types of fits
• Lower deviation of hole is zero, i.e., the
lower limit of the hole is same as the basic size
• Two limits of shaft and higher dimension of
the hole are varied to obtain the desired type of
fit.
31
Hole basis system
32
Shaft basis system
• The size of shaft is kept constant, and the

hole size is varied to obtain various types of
fits
• Fundamental deviation or the upper
deviation of the shaft is zero
33
Shaft basis system
34
Review
35
Tolerance
𝐼𝑇 = 𝑎. 𝑖
– a Tolerance grade coefficient (from the table)
– i standard tolerance unit (depend on D – nominal
dimension)
36
Fundamental deviation formulae for shaft
of size up to 500mm
37
Fundamental deviation formulae for hole
of size up to 500mm
38
Example
In a limit system, the following limits are specified for a hole and shaft assembly:
𝐻𝑜𝑙𝑒 = ∅300.02 𝑚𝑚 and 𝑆ℎ𝑎𝑓𝑡 = ∅30−0.05 𝑚𝑚
Determine the (a) tolerance and (b) allowance.
39
The following limits are specified in a limit system, to give a clearance fit
between a hole and a shaft:
𝐻𝑜𝑙𝑒 = ∅250.03 𝑚𝑚 and 𝑆ℎ𝑎𝑓𝑡 = ∅25−0.02 −0.06 𝑚𝑚
Determine the following:
▪ (a) Basic size
▪ (b) Tolerances on shaft and hole
▪ (c) Maximum and minimum clearances
40
Tolerances for a hole and shaft assembly having a nominal size of 50mm are as
follows:
𝐻𝑜𝑙𝑒 = ∅500.02 𝑚𝑚 and 𝑆ℎ𝑎𝑓𝑡 = ∅50−0.05 −0.08 𝑚𝑚
Determine the following:
(a) Maximum and minimum clearances
(b) Tolerances on shaft and hole
(c) Allowance
(d) MML of hole and shaft
(e) Type of fit
41
A clearance fit must be provided for a shaft and bearing
assembly having a diameter of 40mm. Tolerances on hole and
shaft are 0.006 and 0.004 mm, respectively. The tolerances are
disposed unilaterally. If an allowance of 0.002mm is provided,
find the limits of size for hole and shaft when (a) hole basis
system and (b) shaft basis system are used.
42
Calculate the limits, tolerances, and allowances on a
25 mm shaft and hole pair designated H7/g6 to get a
precision fit.
43
THANK YOU
FOR YOUR ATTENTION!
44

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Chapter.

2 Limits, Tolerance and

Quoc-Nguyen Banh, PhD

• Identify the different types of limits, fits,

• No two parts can be produced with identical

• It is impossible to produce a part to an exact size or

• Shaft has diameter of 40 ± 0.02

• Not necessary that Zero line will divide the

• Tolerance for the dimension R is determined

• Geometric dimensioning and tolerancing

• Concept: Any one component selected at random

• In selective assembly the parts produced are

• To obtain the desired class of fits, either size

• The size of shaft is kept constant, and the

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