Limits, Fits & Tolerances

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Chapter 9
Limits, Fits and Tolerances
Intro
With the advancement of machine tool technology, the need for interchangeability was felt
increasingly. Interchangeability plays a vital role in mass production where the work has to be
completed in a set competitive time. The system of manufacturing in which the dimensions of a
part lie within some specified limits is known as the interchangeability system. Interchangeable
manufacture means that the parts/components that go into the assembly shop may be selected at
random from a large number of parts and all these fit perfectly to form an assembly. The
components produced with all their dimensions within specified limits need not be made in the
same workshop, company or even in the same city. They fit perfectly in the assembly due to the
specified standards laid down for a particular job.
The correct and prolonged functioning of most manufactured articles depends on the correct size
relationships between the various components of the assembly. This means that the parts must fit
together in a certain way, e.g. if a shaft is to rotate in a hole there must be enough clearance
between the shaft and the hole to allow an oil film to be maintained, but not so much clearance
that excessive radial float is allowed. Similarly if the shaft is to be held tightly in the hole there
must be enough interference between the shaft and the hole to ensure that the forces of elastic
compression grip tightly and do not allow movement. However, the interference must be not
excessive or the member containing the hole may split.
If one is to deal with gauge blocks it is found that grade 00 gauge blocks of up to 25 mm in
length are accurate to within 0.05 um, but they are not exact. Further, it should be noted that as
the required degree of precision for a component increases so does its cost. This is not a linear
relationship as it costs little, if any, more to make a part to within 0.25mm of its nominal size,
than to make it within 0.50mm. However, it costs much more to make a part to within 0.002mm
than to within 0.01 mm of nominal size.

Terminology Used in Limits & Fits and Tolerances

Shaft: The term shaft not only applies to the diameter of a circular shaft but also to the external
dimension of components.
Hole: It is not only applicable to the internal diameters of the shaft but also to all internal
dimensions of a component.
In an assembly shop, when two parts are made, the male or enveloped surface is called a shaft
and the female or enveloping surface is called the hole.
Basic size: It is also called nominal size. It is the standard size for the part and is the same for
both shaft and hole.
Limits of size: These are the maximum permissible sizes of the components.
Upper limit: Maximum limit, high limit or upper limit is the maximum size permitted for the
part.
Lower limit: Minimum limit, lower limit is the minimum size permitted for the part.

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Allowance: The intentional difference between the maximum materials limits of mating parts.
Tolerance: It is the difference between the maximum and minimum limits of size. The tolerance
is equal to the algebraic difference between the upper and lower deviations.
Tolerance zone: It is the zone bound by two limits of size of the part to be manufactured.

Figure Basic size, limit/deviation, and tolerance on a shaft.

System of Limits and Fits

Repetitive production of components and assemblies is based almost entirely on interchangeable
manufacture. Again considering shafts and holes, the component sizes are specified and the
allowable deviations from these sizes are stated, the allowable deviations being such that any
shaft will mate with any hole and function correctly for the designed life of the assembly.
Here are three basic types of fit obtainable using this method. These are:
a) Interference fit. The minimum permitted diameter of the shaft is larger than the maximum
allowable diameter of the hole.
b) Transition fit. The diameter of the largest allowable hole is greater than that of the smallest
shaft, but the smallest hole is smaller than the largest shaft.
c) Clearance fit. The largest permitted shaft diameter is smaller than the diameter of the
smallest holes.

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These conditions are shown below.

Figure Various methods of assigning tolerances on a shaft. Source: L. E. Doyle.

The diagram in above also illustrates the terms used in this type of work definitions for
specifying of tolerances.

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A given manufacturing organization will require a number of different types of fit, ranging from
tight drive fits requiring shrinkage or hydraulic pressure for assembly, through keying fits for
locations which can be assembled with light mechanical pressure, to running fits and clearance
fits. Such a series of fits can be obtained using two distinct policies or basic methods.
a) Hole-basis system. It is a system of fits each of which has a basic hole. For a given nominal
size the limits on the hole are kept constant and a series of fits are obtained by varying the
limits on the shafts.
Thus assuming a hole of dimension 25mm +0.02mm / -0.00, a shaft of
i)
25mm +0.08mm/+0.04mm diameter gives an interference fit;
ii)
25mm +0.02mm/0.000mm diameter gives a transition fit;
iii)
25mm -0.02mm/-0.05mm diameter gives a clearance fit;
And all of these fits are obtained with a common diameter hole.
b) Shaft-basis system. It is a system of fits each of which has a basic shaft. In the same way a
series of fits can be arranged for a given nominal size using a standard shaft and varying the
limits on the holes.
For most work, a hole basis system is used because many holes are produced by standard tooling,
e.g. reamer, drills, etc. whose size is not adjustable. Thus, for a nominal 25mm size, a 25mm
reamer is used to produce a standard hole, the shaft sizes being more readily variable about the
nominal size by machine adjustments, e. g. roller box, centre less grinder, etc.
It must be realized that a single class of hole accuracy is not normally sufficient to meet the
requirements of all classes of work. There is no point in reaming a hole just to utilize one set of
limits when the accuracy of a drilled hole will do. Thus a given system would have possible four
classes of hole, the tolerances on which allow for four different production methods. It might
also require, say, nine different classes of shafts to give nine different types of fit when
associated with a given class of hole.
Further it must be realized that larger sizes require greater tolerances, and consideration must be
given to this. A working system of limits and fits is therefore fairly complex if a manufacturing
organization is setting up from first principles. Fortunately there are standard systems already
available.

The Newall System of Limits and Fits

This system is very popular because of its simplicity. It is a hole-basis system providing two
classes of holes for different degrees of precision of production. Limits are also given for six
classes of shaft; two interference, one transition, and three running fits. These limits are specified
for a wide range of sizes of work; the whole system being set out in the form of a table which
makes it very convenient to use.

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Standard for Limits and Fits

The British Standard System (B.S. 4500 : 1969)
B.S. 4500 : 1969 is a comprehensive system designed to cater for all classes of work from
instruments and gauges to large heavy engineering. At first it appears to be an extremely
complex system until it is realized that no one organization should attempt to use all of it. Instead
a company selects from within the standard system a sub-system to suit its own requirements
and manufacturing techniques.
The system provides 28 types of hole designated by a capital letter A,B,C,D.etc. and 28 types
of shaft designated by a lower case letter, a,b,c,d.etc. These letters define the position of the
tolerance zone relative to the nominal size. For instance, all class H holes have limits of +x/-0.
Similarly class h shafts have limits of -0/-x and so on. To each of these types of hole or shaft
may be applied 18 grades of tolerance designated by numbers, so that a hole may be designated
H7, a shaft j4, and a fit between the two is specified H7/j4.
Thus an organization requiring a hole basis system would select from B.S 4500 a series of grades
of hole all of one type to suit its work. Then a series of shaft to give the required number and
types of fit would be selected. A typical hole basis system would be:
Holes :
H4 H7
H9 H11
Shafts: u6, s6, p6
m6, k6
h7, g6, f6, e7 (used in association with H7 hole)
(Interference)
(Transition)
(Clearance)
The requirements of many organizations can be covered by a very small range of fits and to meet
these requirements the British Standards Institution publishes data sheets 4500A and 4500B,
being selected fits of hole basis and shaft basis respectively; each provides for six clearance fits,
three transition fits and four interference fits.
Example 1: Calculate the values of allowances hole tolerance and shaft tolerances for the
following dimensions of matted part on the standard hole-basis system. Given:
Hole limits: 38.500 -0.025+0.000
Shaft limits: 38.400 0.045 +0.075
Example 2: A 60.000 mm shaft is rotating in a hollow bearing. The tolerance for both shaft and
bearing is 0.0625 mm and the required allowance is 0.100 mm with shaft-basis system. Calculate
the dimensions of the shaft and the bearing.

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Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing

Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) is an internationally accepted, symbol-based
system of tolerance controls. GD&T consists of a well-defined set of symbols, rules, definitions,
and conventions that can be used to control not only the size, but also the form, location,
orientation, profile, and runout of part features. The system is fully documented in ASME
Y14.5M-1994, Dimensioning and Tolerancing.
Material Condition
We have already seen that maximum material condition (MMC) indicates that the feature
contains the maximum amount of material permitted for that feature. External features (e.g.,
shafts, pads, and bosses) are at MMC when at maximum size, while internal features (e.g., holes,
slots, pockets) are at MMC when at minimum size.
A less common term related to feature size is least material condition (LMC). A feature at LMC
contains the least amount of material permitted by the toleranced dimensions; LMC for a shaft is
minimum size; for a hole LMC indicates the largest size that is still within tolerance.
Additionally, the term regardless of feature size (RFS), indicates that the tolerances apply to a
geometric feature regardless of its size, ranging between MMC and LMC.

REFERENCES:
1. S. Kalpakjian and S R. Schmid, Manufacturing Engineering & Technology, 4th Edn.,
Prentice Hall, 2001.
2. CV Collett & AD Hope, Engineering Measurements, 2nd edition, Pitman Pubr., 1987.
3. FET ONLINE Archive, 2002/2003.