DIMENSIONS, SURFACES,

AND THEIR MEASUREMENT

Manufacturing Processes
(© Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing; Materials, Processes and Systems,
by M. P. Groover)

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 DIMENSIONS
Dimensions are the linear or angular sizes of a
component specified on the part drawing.
Dimensions are important because they determine
how well the components of a product fit together
during assembly.
When fabricating a given component, it is nearly
impossible and very costly to make the part to the
exact dimension given on the drawing.
Instead a limited variation is allowed from the
dimension, and that allowable variation is called a
tolerance.

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 DIMENSIONS
American National Standards Institute
(ANSI) defines a dimension as
◦ ‘‘a numerical value expressed in appropriate
units of measure and indicated on a drawing and
in other documents along with lines, symbols,
and notes to define the size or geometric
characteristic, or both, of a part or part feature.’’
Dimensions on part drawings represent
nominal or basic sizes of the part and its
features.
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 TOLERENCES
Tolerances are used to define the limits of
the allowed variation.
Quoting the ANSI standard a tolerance is:
◦ the total amount by which a specific dimension
is permitted to vary.
◦ The tolerance is the difference between the
maximum and minimum limits.

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 TOLERENCES
Types:
 Bilateral tolerance:
◦ the variation is permitted in both positive and negative
directions from the nominal dimension
 Unilateral tolerance
◦ the variation from the specified dimension is permitted in only
one direction, either positive or negative
 Limit dimensions:
◦ An alternative method to specify the permissible variation in a
part feature size; they consist of the maximum and minimum
dimensions allowed

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 Terminology
 Accuracy: An instrument’s degree of veracity—how close
its measurement comes to the actual or reference value of
the signal being measured.

 Resolution: The smallest increment an instrument can

detect and display—hundredths, thousandths, millionths.

 Range: The upper and lower limits an instrument can

measure a value or signal such as amps, volts and ohms.

 Precision: An instrument’s degree of repeatability—how

reliably it can reproduce the same measurement over and
over.
Terminology
Terminology

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 MEASUREMENTS
 Measurement is a procedure in which an unknown
quantity is compared with a known standard, using
an accepted and consistent system of units.
 Accuracy is the degree to which the measured value
agrees with the true value of the quantity of interest
 Precision is the degree of repeatability in the
measurement process.
 Gaging (also spelled gauging) determines simply
whether the part characteristic meets or does not
meet the design specification.
◦ It is usually faster than measuring, but barely sufficient
(scant) information is provided about the actual value of
the characteristic of interest.
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EFFECT OF MANUFACTURING PROCESSES

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EFFECT OF MANUFACTURING PROCESSES

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Go-No Go Gauge
Go No-Go Gauges for internal and
external Dimensions
 Example
Design the nominal sizes of a GO/NO-GO snap gage to inspect the
diameter of a shaft that is 30.00 ± 0.18 mm. A wear allowance of 3% of
the entire tolerance band is applied to the GO side.
Determine (a) the nominal size of the GO gage including the wear
allowance and (b) the nominal size of the NO-GO gage.
 Solution:
 (a) The tolerance band is 0.36 mm. Wear allowance = 0.03(0.36) =
0.0108 mm GO gage will inspect the maximum shaft diameter = 30.00
+ 0.18 = 30.18 mm. As the gage wears, the dimension will increase
allowing unacceptable parts, so the wear allowance is subtracted from it.
Nominal GO Size = 30.18 – 0.0108 = 30.1692 mm
 (b) NO-GO gage will inspect the minimum shaft diameter = 30.00 – 0.18
= 29.82 mm.
 No wear allowance is added because this gage should not fit in the hole
and wear away.