INTRODUCTION

The ISO System of Limits and Fits (referred to as the

ISO system) is covered in national standards
throughout the world, as shown by the following
list:
• Global ISO 286
• USA ANSI B4.2
• Japan JIS B0401
• Germany DIN 7160//61
• France NF E 02-100-122
• UK BSI 4500
• Italy UNI 6388
• Australia AS 1654
 HISTORY OF THE ISO SYSTEM
The present ISO system is based on the ISA System
of Limits and Fits published in ISA Bulletin 25
(1940), and on comments included in the Draft Final
Report of ISA Committee 3, December 1935. The
unification of the various national systems of limits
and fits was one of the essential tasks discussed at
the initial conference of the ISA in New York, in
April, 1926. The same year the Secretariat of ISA
Committee 3, Limits and Fits, was entrusted to the
Germany Standardizing Association, and needless
to say, the system was all metric from the start.
 Tolerancing

∙ Tolerances are used to control the variation that exists

on all manufactured parts.
∙ Toleranced dimensions control the amount of variation
on each part of an assembly.
∙ The amount each part is allowed to vary depends on the
function of the part and of the assembly. For example:
the tolerances placed on a swing set is not as stringent
as those placed on jet engine parts.
∙ The more accuracy needed in the machined part –
the higher the manufacturing cost.
 Representing Tolerance Values

∙ Tolerance is the total amount a

dimension may vary and is the
difference between the maximum
and minimum limits.

(A) Tolerance = .04

(B) Tolerance = .006

∙ Tolerances are represented

as Direct Limits (A) or as
Tolerance Values (B).

Which part costs more to manufacture?

 Tolerances can also be expressed as:

1. Geometric Tolerances.
“GDT”

2. Notes Referring to Specific Conditions.

3. A General Tolerance Note in the Title Block.

Example: ALL DECIMAL DIMENSIONS TO BE HELD TO ± .002”
 Plus and Minus Dimensions

With this approach, the basic size is given,

followed by a plus/minus sign and the tolerance value.

Notice that a Unilateral Tolerance varies in only one direction,

while Bilateral Tolerances varies in both directions from the basic size.
 Important Terms of Toleranced Parts

A System is two or more mating parts.

Nominal Size is used to describe the general size (usually in fractions).

The parts above have a nominal size of 1/2”
Basic Size – theoretical size used as a starting point for the application of
Tolerances. The parts above have a basic size of .500”
 Important Terms of Toleranced Parts

Actual Size is the measured size of the finished part after machining.
The Actual Size of the machined part above is .501”
Limits – the maximum and minimum sizes shown by the tolerance dimension.
The slot has limits of .502 & .498, and the mating part has limits of .495 & .497.
The large value on each part is the Upper Limit, the small value = Lower Limit.
 Important Terms of Toleranced Parts

Allowance – the tightest fit

between two mating parts.
(The minimum clearance or maximum interference).

For these two parts, the allowance is .001,

meaning that the tightest fit occurs when the
slot is machined to it’s smallest allowable size
of .498 and the mating part is machined to its
largest allowable size of .497. The difference
between .498 and .497, or .001, is the allowance.
Important Terms of Toleranced Parts

Tolerance – the total allowable variance in a dimension;

the difference between the upper and lower limits.

The tolerance of the mating part is .002”

(.497 - .495 = .002)

The tolerance of the slot is .004”

(.502 - .498 = .004)
 Important Terms of Toleranced Parts

Maximum Material Condition (MMC)

The condition of a part when it contains
the greatest amount of material. The MMC
of an external feature, such as a shaft,
is the upper limit. The MMC of an internal
feature, such as a hole, is the lower limit.

Least Material Condition (LMC)

The condition of a part when it contains
the least amount of material possible.
The LMC of an external feature is the
lower limit. The LMC of an internal
feature is the upper limit.
 Important Terms of Toleranced Parts

Piece tolerance
The difference between the upper and lower limits of a single part
(.002 on the insert in this example, .004 on the slot.).

System tolerance
The sum of all the piece tolerances.
For this example (.006)
 Clearance & Interference fits
Fit Types: between two shafts and a hole

Shaft A is a Clearance fit, shaft B is an Interference fit

 Fit Types: Transition Fit

A Clearance Fit occurs when two toleranced mating parts will

always leave a space or clearance when assembled.
An Interference Fit occurs when two toleranced mating parts will
always interfere when assembled.
A Transition Fit occurs when two toleranced mating parts are sometimes
an interference fit and sometimes a clearance fit when assembled.
 Functional Dimensioning

Functional Dimensioning begins with tolerancing the most important features.

Then, the material around the holes is

dimensioned (at a much looser tolerance).

Functional features are those that come in contact with other parts,
especially moving parts. Holes are usually functional features.
 Occurs when dimensions are taken
Tolerance Stack-up from opposite directions of separate
parts to the same point of an assembly.

Dimensioned Dimensioned
from the from the
left. right.
AVOID THIS!!!
 Avoiding
Tolerance
Stack-up
Tolerance stack-up can
be eliminated by careful
consideration and
placement of dimensions.
(Dimension from same side).

Better still, relate the two

holes directly to each other,
not to either side of the part.
The result will be the best
tolerance possible of ±0.005.
Basic Hole System

The basic hole system is used to

apply tolerances to a hole and shaft
assembly.

The smallest hole is assigned the

basic diameter from which the
tolerance and allowance is applied.
 Creating a Clearance Fit
Using The Basic Hole System
Check the work by
determining the piece
tolerances for the shaft and
the hole. To do so, first find
the difference between the
upper and lower limits for the
The difference between the hole. Subtract .500” from
largest hole (.503” upper limit).503” to get .003” as a piece
and the smallest shaft (.493” tolerance. This value matches
lower limit) equals a positive Using the assigned values
the tolerance applied
Using the basic hole system,The allowance of .004”in
results in a clearance
Step lower limit for the shaft is
fitis The
.010”. Because both the The system tolerance is the
4. For the shaft,
assign a value of .500” to thesubtracted from subtract
the diameter determined by subtracting the
tightest and loosest fits are between
.493” from
the shaft and the sum of all the
.496hole
to get .003”part
piece
as tolerance from .496”. If
smallest diameter of the hole, of the smallest to
positive, there will always be hole. This is determined bytolerances. T o determine the
the piece tolerance. Theofvalue
which is the lower limit. determine thethe diameter the
the tolerance of the part is
clearance between the shaft finding
matches
difference
the tolerance
betweensystem tolerances for the
applied
largest shaft, .496”, which is
.003”, the lower limit of the
and the hole, no matter whichthe smallest hole (.500” lower
in Step 3. limit.
shaft and the hole, add the
the upper
limit) and the largest shaft shaft is .493”
manufactured parts are piece tolerances of .003” and
assembled. (.496” upper limit), which is.003” a to get .006”
The upper limit of the hole isThe parts.004”.
positive are dimensioned
As a check,on
determined by adding the the thisdrawing.
value should equal the
tolerance of the part to .500”.allowance used in step 2
If the tolerance of the part is
.003”, the upper limit of the
hole is .503”
Creating an Interference Fit Using The Basic Hole System

Follow the same sequence of steps as you did for a Clearance Fit,
except that you ADD the allowance in Step 2, instead of subtract.
 Cylindrical Fits – Metric Units
• ANSI B4.2 standard • basic size – the diameter
from which limits are
calculated
• upper and lower deviation –
the difference between the
hole or shaft size and the
basic size
• tolerance - the difference
between the maximum and
minimum sizes
Cylindrical Fits – Metric Units
Cylindrical Fits – Metric Units
• fundamental deviation – a
letter grade that describes
the deviation closest to the
basic size
• International Tolerance (IT)
grade – a series of
tolerances that vary with the
basic size to provide a
uniform level of accuracy
within a given grade
• there are 18 IT grades:
IT01, IT0, IT1, …, IT16
 Cylindrical Fits – Metric Units
• Hole basis
– a system of fits based on the minimum hole size as the basic diameter
– the fundamental deviation for a hole-basis system is “H”
– Appendices 35 and 36 give hole-basis data for tolerances
• Shaft basis
– a system of fits based on the maximum shaft size as the basic
diameter
– the fundamental deviation for a hole-basis system is “h”
– Appendices 37 and 38 give shaft-basis data for tolerances
Cylindrical Fits – Metric Units
Cylindrical Fits – Metric Units
 Example 1
• determine the shaft and hole limits for:
– hole-basis system
– a close running fit
– a basic diameter of 49 mm
– use a preferred size
 Example 1
• use a preferred basic
diameter of 50 mm

• use a fit of H8/f7

 Example 2
• determine the shaft and hole limits for:
– hole-basis system
– a location transition fit
– a basic diameter of 57 mm
– use a preferred size
 Example 2
• use a preferred basic
diameter of 60 mm

• use a fit of H7/k6

 Example 3
• determine the shaft and hole limits for:
– hole-basis system
– a medium drive fit
– a basic diameter of 96 mm
– use a preferred size
 Example 3
• use a preferred basic
diameter of 100 mm

• use a fit of H7/s6

 Nonstandard Fits, Nonpreferred
•
Sizes
determine the shaft and hole limits for:
– hole-basis system
– a close running fit
– a basic diameter of 45 mm
(do not change to a preferred size)
 Nonstandard Fits, Nonpreferred
• use a fit of H8/f7 Sizes
Measurement is used to tell us:

* How tall?

* How heavy?

* How many?

* How much?
Standards of Measurement:

1. Inch System
2. Metric (ISO)
3. Military (diverse)
4. Associations (also diverse)
Dimensions are applied to objects in a variety of
styles:

1. Chain
i. Aligned
ii. Unidirectional

2. Tabular

3. Coordinate/Baseline

4. Ordinate
Dimension elements….
 Dimensions are
used to show an object’s:

1. Overall:
Width

Depth

Height

2. The actual
size of features (rounds,
fillets, holes, arcs,
etc.)
 3. And where features are located
such as centers, angles, etc.
The proper placement of dimensions is critical to
ensure that the part can be read and
manufactured to specifications.

Here are some practices that need to be followed

when applying dimensions to an object:
 1.

Dimensions should be
stacked in a “broken
chain” format to aid in
the readability of the
plate.

“Breaking the Chain” refers to leaving out one dimension as shown

above so that manufacturing tolerances are maintained.
Stacked dimensions
that show position
and size.
2.

Do not place dimensions directly on the object unless it is

unavoidable.
As a general rule…Stay off the object as much as possible.
3.

Extension lines can

be shared and even
broken to clarify
crowded dimensions.
 4.

Some features are dimensioned

from their center lines.
The center line may also be
used as an extension line.
 5.

Dimensions may be
laid out in different
configurations.

Unidirectional
dimensioning is the
current standard in
most industrial
applications today.
6.

Leaders with dimensions are used to

show negative cylinders (holes).

The leader should always be

placed to penetrate the center
of all round features.
Features such as counterbores,
countersinks and spot faces are
all dimensioned using a leader.

Note: Each of these features has a

special dimensioning symbol that
can be used to show:

a. Diameter
b. Shape
c. Depth
Here we see several examples where
notes are used instead of symbols to
dimension features.
Notes that describe a specific feature
are known as “local notes”.
“General notes” are used to describe
a characteristic that effects the entire
part, i. e. materials, production
instructions, etc.
7.

Arcs are always

dimensioned as a
radius. Full circles
are dimensioned
showing their
diameter value.
 8.

When dimensioning a part,

always start with the inner-
most dimensions and work
to the outer-most values.

Remember:

Dimensions are used to

show both the size and
location of features.
9.

Always dimension features and not

lines…..and remember….

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER dimension

to hidden lines!
Here are some rules (See Table. 15.1) on
how to dimension properly:

1. The overall Width, Height, and Depth must be

shown on the object.
2. Each feature should be dimensioned in
the view where it appears true shape
and size. Never dimension a feature where it
appears only as a line.
3. NEVER dimension to hidden lines!!!
4. The measurement standards must be
maintained and clearly noted on the print.
5. Dimension lines should never cross.
6. Leaders must point at an angle that allows
them to penetrate the centre of the object
which they are describing.
7. Chains MUST be broken to allow for
tolerance variation in the part.
8. Dimensions should be placed to allow
order to the print and promote ease of
reading.
9. Negative cylinders (holes) must always be
measured by their diameter.
10. Arcs are always shown by specifying a
radius value.
11. When laying out centres, specify one common
reference point for the X and Y axes.
12. Dual dimensions may be used, but they must
be consistent and clearly noted.
13. Angles may be dimensioned by showing their
degree(s), or their 3 point location.
14. Only dimension each feature once!!!