Engineering H191 - Drafting / CAD

Fits and Tolerances

Lecture 20

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 Engineering H191 - Drafting / CAD

Tolerancing – Control of Variability

• Goals
– Understand the description and control of
variability through tolerancing.
– Use standard tables for tolerancing and
control of fit
• Reference (BTG)
– P. 312-317 – Dimensioning for Interchangeable
Parts
– P. 349-354 – Standard Tables for Fits
– P. 358-369 – Geometric Tolerancing

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 Engineering H191 - Drafting / CAD

Definition of Tolerance

• Tolerance is the total amount a dimension may

vary. It is the difference between the maximum
and minimum limits.
• There is no such thing as an "exact size".
• Tolerance is key to interchangeable parts.

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 Engineering H191 - Drafting / CAD

Ways to Express Tolerance

• Direct limits or as tolerance limits applied to a

dimension
• Geometric tolerances
• Notes referring to specific conditions
• A general tolerance note in title block

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 Engineering H191 - Drafting / CAD

Direct Limits and Tolerance Values

Can be:
Limits: Upper limit – 3.53
Lower limit – 3.49
Unilateral – vary in only one
direction +.04
0
3.49
0 -.0X
+.0X - 0
Bilateral – vary larger or smaller
(may or may not be+.03
same amount)
-.01
3.50
Autumn Quarter +.05 -.01, +.10 -.20
Gateway Engineering Education Coalition +/- 0.05
Lect 20 P. 5
 Engineering H191 - Drafting / CAD

Geometric Tolerance System

• Geometric dimensioning
and tolerancing (GDT) is a Feature Control Frame
method of defining parts
Concentricity Symbol
based on how they
function, using standard
ANSI symbols.
• (More about this in a
couple of weeks.)

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 Engineering H191 - Drafting / CAD

Notes and Title Block

ALL DECIMAL
DIMENSIONS THAT
ARE THREE PLACE
ACCUARCY (.XXX)
TO BE HELD TO
+/-.005"

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 Engineering H191 - Drafting / CAD

Important Terms – Single Part

• Nominal Size – a general size, usually expressed

as a common fraction (1/2”)
• Basic Size – theoretical size used as starting
point (.500”)
• Actual Size – measured size (.501”)
• Limits – maximum and minimum sizes shown by
tolerances
• Tolerance – total allowable variance in
dimensions (upper limit – lower limit)

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 Engineering H191 - Drafting / CAD

Important Terms – Multiple Parts

• Allowance – the minimum clearance or maximum
interference between parts
• Fit – degree of tightness between two parts
– Clearance Fit – tolerance of mating parts
always leave a space
– Interference Fit – tolerance of mating parts
always interfere
– Transition Fit – sometimes interfere,
sometimes clear
• Tolerance – total allowable variance in
dimensions (upper limit – lower limit)
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 Engineering H191 - Drafting / CAD

Fitting Two Parts

Tolerance of B Tolerance: Clearance

or Interference

Part B
Tolerance of A
Part A

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 Engineering H191 - Drafting / CAD

Shaft and Hole Fits

Clearance Interference

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 Engineering H191 - Drafting / CAD

Shaft and Hole Fits

Transition

CLEARANCE
FIT
+ .003

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 Engineering H191 - Drafting / CAD

Standard Precision Fits: English Units

• Running and sliding fits (RC)

• Clearance locational fits (LC)
• Transition locational fits (LT)
• Interference locational fits (LN)
• Force and shrink fits (FN)

See Tables in the Appendix (pp. A11-A23)

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 Engineering H191 - Drafting / CAD

Basic Hole System or Hole Basis

• Definition of the "Basic Hole System":

– The "minimum size" of the hole is equal to the
"basic size" of the fit

• Example: If the nominal size of a fit is 1/2", then

the minimum size of the hole in the system will be
0.500"

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 Engineering H191 - Drafting / CAD

Fit Calculations

• Clearance = Hole – Shaft

• Cmax = Hmax – Smin
• Cmin = Hmin – Smax
Both Cmax and Cmin >0 – Clearance fit
Both Cmax and Cmin <0 – Interference fit
Cmax > 0, Cmin < 0 – Transition fit
• Allowance = Hmin - Smax (i.e., Cmin)

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 Engineering H191 - Drafting / CAD

Fit Calculations

• System Tolerance = Cmax - Cmin (Sometimes

called Clearance Tolerance)
• Also, System Tolerance = Σ Ti
• So, System Tolerance, or Ts , can be written as:
Ts = Cmax - Cmin = Σ Ti
• Thus, you always have a check value

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 Engineering H191 - Drafting / CAD
Example

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 Engineering H191 - Drafting / CAD

Metric Limits and Fits

• Based on Standard Basic Sizes – ISO Standard,

see the Appendix material (Appendices 8 - 12)
• Note that in the Metric system:
Nominal Size = Basic Size
• Example: If the nominal size is 8, then the basic
size is 8

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 Engineering H191 - Drafting / CAD

Metric Preferred Hole Basis System of Fits

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 Engineering H191 - Drafting / CAD

Metric Tolerance Homework

– Example TOL-1B

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 Engineering H191 - Drafting / CAD

Good Review Material

• BTG Chapter 7
– Dimensions and Tolerances
– Pages 290-335

• BTG Chapter 8
– Dimensions For Production
– Pages 340-375

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 Engineering H191 - Drafting / CAD

Assignments

• Dwg 39 – G27 – Tolerances – Single Fits

– Calculate the missing values for each
situation.
– Use the tables for preferred limits and fits for
cylindrical parts.

• Dwg 40 – TOL–1A – Metric Tolerances

– Using the given nominal sizes and fit
specifications, calculate remaining values.

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