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Tolerance Design

Department of Mechanical Engineering, The Ohio State University

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Design Specifications and Tolerance

Develop from quest for production quality and

efficiency

Early tolerances support designs basic

function

Mass production brought interchangeability

Integrate design and mfg tolerances

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Definition

The total amount by which a given

dimension may vary, or the difference
between the limits
- ANSI Y14.5M-1982(R1988) Standard [R1.4]

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Sl. #3 Source: Tolerance Design, p 10
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Affected Areas

Engineering
Tolerance

Product Design Quality Control

Manufacturing

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Questions

Can customer tolerances be

accommodated by product?

Can product tolerances be

accommodated by the process?

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Tolerance vs. Manufacturing Process

Nominal tolerances for

steel
Tighter tolerances =>
increase cost $

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Geometric Dimensions

Accurately communicates the function of part

Provides uniform clarity in drawing delineation

and interpretation

Provides maximum production tolerance

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Tolerance Types

Size
Form
Location
Orientation

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Size Tolerances

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Form Tolerances

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Location Tolerances

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Orientation Tolerances

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Tolerance Buildup

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Statistical Principles
Measurement of central tendency
Mean
Median
mode
Measurement of variations
Range LSL X USL
Variance
Standard deviation
3s
tolerance
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Probability

Probability
Likelihood of occurrence

Capability
Relate the mean and variability of the
process or machine to the permissible
range of dimensions allowed by the
specification or tolerance.

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Tolerance SPC Charting

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Figure Source: Tolerance Design, p 125
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Tolerance Analysis Methods

Worst-Case analysis
Root Sum of Squares
Taguchi tolerance design

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Initial Tolerance Design

Initial
Tolerance
Design

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Figure Source: Tolerance Design, p 93
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References
Handbook of Product Design for Manufacturing: A Practical Guide to
Low-Cost Production, James C. Bralla, Ed. in Chief; McGraw-Hill, 1986
Manufacturing Processes Reference Guide, R.H. Todd, D.K. Allen & L.
Alting; Industrial Press Inc., 1994

Standard tolerances for mfg processes

Machinerys Handbook; Industrial Press
Standard Handbook of Machine Design; McGraw-Hill
Standard Handbook of Mechanical Engineers; McGraw-Hill
Design of Machine Elements; Spotts, Prentic Hall

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Figure Source: Tolerance Design, p 92-93
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Worst-Case Methodology

Extreme or most liberal condition of tolerance

buildup

tolerances must be assigned to the

component parts of the mechanism in such a
manner that the probability that a mechanism
will not function is zero
- Evans (1974)

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Worst-Case Analysis
m
WCmax N p i Tp i
i1

m
WCmin N p i Tp i
i1

Ne + Te => Maximum assembly envelope

Ne - Te => Minimum assembly envelope

Department of Mechanical Engineering, The Ohio State University
Sl. #21 Source: Six sigma mechanical design tolerancing, p 13-14.
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Assembly gaps
m
Gmax N e Te N p i Tp i
i1

m
Gmin N e Te N p i Tp i
i1

m
Gnom N e N p i
i1

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Worst Case Scenario Example

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Sl. #23 Source: Tolerance Design, pp 109-111
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Worst Case Scenario Example

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Sl. #24 Source: Tolerance Design, pp 109-111
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Worst Case Scenario Example

Largest => 0.05 + 0.093 = 0.143

Smallest => 0.05 - 0.093 = -0.043

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Sl. #25 Source: Tolerance Design, pp 109-111
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Non-Linear Tolerances

y f (x1, x2, x3,...xn )

f f f f
Toly tol1 tol2 tol3 ... toln
x1 x 2 x 3 x n

f f f f
Nomy x1 x2 x 3 ... xn
x1 x 2 x 3 x n

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Sl. #26 Wource: Six sigma mechanical design tolerancing, p 104
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Root Sum-of-Square

RSS
Assumes normal distribution behavior

1 (1/ 2)[ x )/s ]2

f (x) e
s 2

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Sl. #27 Wource: Six sigma mechanical design tolerancing, p 16
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RSS method

Assembly tolerance stack equation

f (x) T T T ...T
1
2
2
2
3
2
n
2

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Sl. #28 Wource: Six sigma mechanical design tolerancing, p 128
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Pool Variance in RSS

Tol
s adjusted
3Cp

2
Te Tpi
2 m
s
gap
3Cp i1 3Cpi

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Sl. #29 Wource: Six sigma mechanical design tolerancing, p 128
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Probability
Q Gnom
ZQ
s gap

m
Q N e N pi

ZQ i1
2
Te 2
m
Tpi

3Cp i1 3Cpi

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Sl. #30 Wource: Six sigma mechanical design tolerancing, p 128
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Probability for Limits

Gmin Gnom
ZG min
2
Te 2 m Tpi

3Cp i1 3Cpi

Gmax Gnom
ZG max
2
Te 2 m Tpi

3Cp i1 3Cpi

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Sl. #31 Wource: Six sigma mechanical design tolerancing, p 128
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Dynamic RSS
Gmin Gnom
ZG min
2
Te 2 m Tpi

3Cpk i1 3Cpki

Gmax Gnom
ZG max
2
Te 2 m Tpi

3Cpk i1 3Cpki

Department of Mechanical Engineering, The Ohio State University

Sl. #32 Wource: Six sigma mechanical design tolerancing, p 128
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Nonlinear RSS

2 2 2 2
f 2 f 2 f 2 f
Toly tol1 tol2 tol3 ... toln
x1 x 2 x 3 x n

Toli
s adjusted
3Cpki

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Sl. #33 Wource: Six sigma mechanical design tolerancing, p 128
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RSS Example

Largest => 0.05 + 0.051 = 0.101

Smallest => 0.05 - 0.051 = -0.001

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Sl. #34 Wource: Six sigma mechanical design tolerancing, p 128
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Taguchi Method
Input from the voice of the customer and QFD processes

Select proper quality-loss function for the design

Determine customer tolerance values for terms

in Quality Loss Function

Determine cost to business to adjust

Calculate Manufacturing Tolerance

Proceed to tolerance design

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Sl. #35 Wource: Six sigma mechanical design tolerancing, p 21
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Taguchi

Voice of customer
Quality function deployment
Inputs from parameter design
Optimum control-factor set points
Tolerance estimates
Initial material grades

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Sl. #36 Wource: Six sigma mechanical design tolerancing, p 22
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Quality Loss Function

Identify customer costs for intolerable performance

Quadratic quality loss function

Ao
L(y) k(y m) (y m) 2
2

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Sl. #37 Wource: Six sigma mechanical design tolerancing, p 208
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Cost of Off Target and Sensitivity

Cost to business to adjust off target

performance
Sensitivity, b

Ao Ao
A [b (x m)]2
A

Department of Mechanical Engineering, The Ohio State University
Sl. #38 Wource: Six sigma mechanical design tolerancing, p 226-227
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Manufacturing Tolerance

Ao o

A b

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Summary

Importance of effective tolerances

Tolerance Design Approaches
Worst-Case analysis
Root Sum of Squares
Taguchi tolerance method
Continual process
Involvement of multi-disciplines

Department of Mechanical Engineering, The Ohio State University

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Credits
This module is intended as a supplement to design classes in
mechanical engineering. It was developed at The Ohio State
University under the NSF sponsored Gateway Coalition (grant
EEC-9109794). Contributing members include:

Gary Kinzel. Project supervisor

Phuong Pham.. ... Primary author

Reference:
Six Sigma Mechanical Design Tolerancing, Harry, Mikel J. and Reigle
Stewart, Motorola Inc. , 1988.
Creveling, C.M., Tolerance Design, Addison-Wesley, Reading, 1997.
Wade, Oliver R., Tolerance Control in Design and Manufacturing,
Industrial Press Inc., New York, 1967.

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Disclaimer
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