Tolerance analysis

Summary

This course gives you, the design engineer, the means to identify and prioritise the critical tolerances that govern the fit, form and function, while striking an effective balance between the use of cost and time.

The analysis of tolerance stack-ups is an essential component of good product design. Variation will always be present in any manufactured product, and the accumulation of these small variations can have a devastating effect on a company’s profitability and reputation.

While there is no official standards covering the analysis of tolerances, in this course we recommend an approach which you can adopt in a variety of scenarios.

Who should attend?

This course is suitable for design engineers and those involved in the detailed preparation of drawings and specifications.

How will I benefit?

After the course you will be able to:

• Demonstrate a clear understanding of the role and purpose of dimensioning and tolerancing in the modern manufacturing environment
• Produce a detailed analysis of any tolerance chain (stack-up)
• Define upper and lower specification limits that satisfy the requirements of fit, form and function
• Identify potential risks created by out-of-spec components
• Show which dimensions have the most significant effect and hence need the most control
• Review specifications and perform detailed checking
• Present clear options on how to optimise any tolerance chain

Key topics

• Fundamentals of dimensioning in the modern manufacturing environment
• Use of specific and general tolerances especially to express functional and non-functional dimensions
• Basic tolerance analysis, the use of stack-up/chains