Geometric Dimensioning and

Tolerancing (GD&T)
Ed McCarthy
GD&T Advisor
Tec Ease, Inc.
ASME Senior Level GDTP S-0303

Slide 1
 GD&T Lecture Overview
• What is Geometric Dimensioning and
Tolerancing (GD&T)
• How GD&T helps Design, Production,
Inspection and the Enterprise
• Drawing Previews
• Where the technology is headed
• What Tec-Ease brings to the table

Slide 2
 Overview of GD&T
Geometric Dimensioning
and Tolerancing
(GD&T) is recognized
around the world as the
only effective way to
define product definition
and control part
geometry.

Slide 3
 What Is GD&T?
GD&T is many things including:
• A concise language used on engineering
documentation to provide one clear
definition of mechanical parts
• Symbols
• Rules
• Vocabulary
• Mathematical definition (ASME Y14.5.1)
• An internationally recognized standard
– ASME Y14.5-2018
– International Standards (ISO 1101,.....)
Slide 4
 Variation

Craftsmen do not need GD&T. If you want it to fit the first time
every time, you do need GD&T.

Interchangeability:
Making two or more parts separately and expecting them
to fit together and function – even if you are only making
one assembly.

Slide 5
 Houston, it
doesn’t fit!

The shipping cost

is $10,000 a pound.

Slide 6
Without GD&T, clear design definition
is not possible!

Desired Part

What the Supplier

Traditional Engineering Drawing Can Make and get
away with!

Engineering Drawings/3D CAD Data set

constitute a legal contract between the
customer and supplier – Clear design
definition is important, or we can “eat” bad
parts.

Slide 7
 Traditional Coordinate Dimensioning and
Tolerancing (CD&T)
• Tolerance zones do not reflect geometry.
• Form and shape are not addressed.
• Important features are not identified.
• No clear frame of reference for functional design and inspection.

Does this
drawing
satisfy
design
intent?

Slide 8
If you ignore the But, how do you line
tolerance the part up with the
accumulation and tolerance zone?
angular tolerance, the
tolerance zone would
look like this:

0.4
Buying?
Selling?
Slide 14
With this approach:

• Measurement origins are clear

• Tolerance accumulation is minimized
• Features are toleranced - not points in
space
• The tolerance zones are uniform

Slide 15
With new CAD tools we can make decisions earlier in the
design process-at the model stage before drawings are
created.
Slide 16
Caution:
Do not take this next step unless everyone
downstream has the technology necessary to
interrogate and utilize the CAD file.

Slide 17
 ASME Y14.41 establishes rules for the
embedding of tolerances on the model.

THIS DRAWING PREPARED IN ACCORDANCE

WITH ASME Y14.41-2003

Tolerances are embedded in the 3-D model.

Those downstream do not need a CAD system—they need a
computer. The drawing may be sent in a viewer that they can read
but not change.
This will enable automated analysis of parts and assemblies including
the tolerance.
Slide 18
 Future technology without GD&T
will not work. GD&T embedded in
solid models will enable:
• Automated tolerance analysis
• Finite element analysis which includes
feature variation
• Paperless
• Dimensionless
• But, toleranceless design — NO WAY!!!!!!

Slide 19
 The problem with
this dimension
and tolerance is
that it isn’t clear
what the origin is.
Is it the center of
the:
Ø30 Hole?
±0.4 Ø50 Hub?
Ø100 OD?

If you asked Engineering, they

would tell you and this is the
start of Tribal Knowledge.

Slide 20
Once again, the
problem with this
dimension and
tolerance is that it
isn’t clear what
the origin is.

Slide 21
90°

What about the

90° angles?

Slide 22
 All of the issues and more go
away where GD&T is applied.

Once the origin is established using the datum features A, B and

C, an indicator may be “zeroed” at the origin and moved 40 mm.
When the indicator is moved across the surface, the indicator
may not move more than + or - 0.1.
The meaning is now clear.
Traditional Coordinate Dimensioning and
Tolerancing
If the actual value in the ‘x’ direction for 1.000 dim is 1.005 and the ‘y’ direction is 1.007
with a hole size of Ø.495, do we have a good feature?

Note: The drawings are incomplete intentionally. Dimensions are in inches.

1.000 ± .005
± .005
square
1.000 ± .005 zone

.007
Ø.490 -
.500

Actual axis located outside of tolerance zone = reject feature!

Actual size is ignored!
Slide 25
(Previous) A 1.000

Drawing Using C

GD&T Actual Position

1.000
Tolerance:
If the actual value in
= 2 √ X 2 + Y2
the ‘x’ direction for = 2 √ .0052 + .0072
1.000 dim is 1.005 and = 2 x .0086 = Ø.0172
the ‘y’ direction is
.490 - .500
1.007 with a hole size B
.014 M A B C
of Ø.495, do we have a
good feature?
Actual axis located
outside of tolerance
Note: The drawings are
zone = But wait, what
incomplete is the hole size? .007
intentionally. Ø.495 = Ø.005 bonus
Dimensions are in tolerance (=Ø.019 Ø .014 Tolerance
inches. position)! Zone
Accept feature!

Slide 26
 Tolerance Zone Improvement with GD&T
.005 SQ .005 SQ

Ø .014
.010 SQ .010 SQ

A round tolerance zone derived from an existing square tolerance zone results
in 57% more area. The 57% increase in usable tolerance (shaded areas)
derived from geometric tolerancing, would not be acceptable in coordinate
tolerancing situations.
The small red crosses represent a few of the
infinite number of possible axis locations that
would be unacceptable, using coordinate
tolerancing, but which would be acceptable in
position tolerancing.

Consequently, geometric position tolerancing –

in appropriate applications—has provided
significant cost savings .
Slide 27
So, how did we survive all of this
time without GD&T?
• Our quality demands are greater today
• Our designs are more complex
• Manufacturing and suppliers took the time
to develop tribal knowledge
– Parts were made in spite of the drawing
– Much time was required at startup
– We relied more on gaging and inspecting out
the bad parts rather than process control
– Along the way, time and money were wasted
Slide 28
 Problems Resulting from Overly
Tight Tolerances, Unclear Geometry
and Non-producible Designs Will
Manifest

• Requests for engineering changes

• Scrap
• Rework
• “Use as is” decisions

Slide 29
Drawing Previews!

Slide 30
Design The common thread

Production

Quality
Slide 31
“It’s not like the print, but I think you will like it.”

Slide 32
 Ask the right Find a problem - then fix it -
questions up front— develop tribal knowledge
document the
answers
C
Number of engineering
Changes processed

h
a
n
g
e
s
-24 -17 -13 Launch +3
Months

Time

Slide 33
 Reduce Liability
While tribal knowledge is being developed
the customer often must accept (and pay
for) parts that are unacceptable from
suppliers. When the drawing isn’t clear,
there is no basis for rejection of these parts.

Slide 34
 Applying critical and producible tolerances
where needed
The first
prototype?

Supplier
samples?
CAD
models?

Where do
you find 0?

Slide 35
The best design in the world is worthless
if no one can produce it, or produce it
cost effectively.
Slide 36
Who is positively impacted by
GD&T?
• Design
• Production
• Quality
• The Entire Enterprise

Slide 37
 How Design is helped:

• Clearer design intent

• Shorter cycle time from concept to launch
• Fewer engineering changes
• Less troubleshooting at startup

Slide 38
 How Design is helped:
Clearer design intent

Bracket

Module

Slide 39
 Bracket

Module

0.2

Slide 40
Fewer engineering changes:

Slide 41
 How Production is helped:
• Produce parts that will function
– Reduce Scrap, Rework and “Use as is”
decisions
• Reduce the need to develop tribal
knowledge
• Make parts according to (rather than “in
spite of”) the print
• Startup time for new programs is greatly
reduced

Slide 42
How Quality is helped:
• Create clear metrics
– Provide a means to establish statistical
process control indices Cp and Cpk
• Legitimize gages and fixtures
• Meaningfully evaluate suppliers
• Make decisions based on functional
requirements

Slide 43
 Robust Means:
“Insensitive to variation in the factory and in
the hands of the customer”

• A robust design is one that has high Cp’s

and high Cpk’s
• Allowable variation in the factory is stated
on the drawing by tolerance.
• By properly applying GD&T, Design
recognizes process variation and assigns
tolerances to minimize the effect of this
variation on the product’s performance.

Slide 44
 Design

Design Spec Width

Cp= 6s
Production

Quality
Slide 45
 Responsibilities of the
Multi-discipline Team
• Define the ideal geometry on the
drawing or CAD file

• Apply critical and producible tolerances

where needed

• Maximize production tolerance without

sacrificing quality and reliability

Slide 46
In order to properly apply geometric
dimensioning and tolerancing,
several questions must be answered.
These include:
• which features are most critical
• will the effect on the part's performance be
altered as a feature’s size varies
• which feature interrelationships are critical
• which features are not critical
• what inspection methods will be used to
control the process and are they adequate

Slide 47
• are several processes used to
manufacture the part
• are the tolerances reasonable
• or is it producible
• what process or processes will be used
• is the entire feature or only a portion
critical

Slide 48
 Is the main concern:
• interchangeability
• alignment of multiple parts
• maintaining a minimum wall thickness
• providing minimum material for a
subsequent machining or forming operation
• dynamic balance
• feature location, orientation, form or size
• control of a pattern of features

Slide 49
 Involving the team in
tolerancing:
• increases their awareness of the product’s needs
• causes the right questions to be asked
• is an educational experience for all those involved
• provides two-way communication between
departments
• makes those involved feel like a part of the solution -
not the problem
• gives everyone a vested interest in making the
product work

Slide 50
 So, where do tolerances
come from?
•Past practice or carryover (legacy)
•Data found in out-dated handbooks
based on 3 Sigma quality
•Seat-of-the-pants guesses
•Individual experience of the designer
•Spec Heaven?

Slide 51
Function does not determine the
Tolerances!

• Function is what the customer wants

• There are always alternatives to a design
• Some are more robust than others

Tolerances are determined by the

design alternative selected.

Slide 52
 Consider Design Alternatives
• There are always design
alternatives
• Some designs are more
robust than others
• The selected design
should meet the Quality,
Cost and Delivery
targets
• The design must be
clearly documented
using GD&T
Slide 53
 Selection of appropriate
dimensioning and tolerancing early
in the design cycle will result in:
• A more robust design
• Higher quality
• Shorter time to market
• Better product understanding
• Fewer fit and functional problems
• Fewer engineering changes
Slide 54
 What we
GD&T bring to the
• table:

Slide 55
 Tec-Ease Products Include:
• Computer Based Training Software
Packages
• Training Texts
• Self Study Courses
• Videos
• Charts
• Pocket Guides
• Premium Membership with access to over
170 GD&T tips.
See our website for more information
Slide 56
Courses Offered by Tec-Ease, Inc. Ø 2.000 +. 005
2. 500 + . 010
. 500

. 006 M A B C

. 040 A B C
S T 5X Ø .375 ±. 015

•Fundamentals
. 030 M A B C

R 1. 000
S 4.450 .250
4X Ø 1. 000 ±.005 .020 M A B C

2.000 2X R
. 040 A B C

16°

•Applications
4.000

3.300

3. 060
2.685 3.000
2. 000

1. 060 1.000
. 500

. 004 A

•Inspection
2X . 250 . 938
T B
1.000
.004 A
.250-20 U NC 2B
2.380 . 020 M A B C
.020 M A B C
B O UND AR Y

7. 000
.010 A B
8. 000

•Tolerance
. 020 M A B C
C Ø .750 ±. 004
BO UND AR Y
. 020 M A B C
Ø .840
. 004 A
. 004

. 750
A

.010
. 950 ±.030

Stack-Ups
. 250 ±.015
.500

9. 000

• Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing

Slide 57
 Tec-Ease, Inc.
Providing Quality
GD&T Technical Coaching
and Training Materials
for the Industry.

Slide 58
 Tec-Ease, Inc.
Your source for GD&T
Training and Material
GD&T Website:
www.tec-ease.com
Call:
(716) 785-6015
Email Us:
[email protected]

Slide 59