How to Perform Assembly Tolerance Stack
Up Analysis by Worst Case Method
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Article by Suvo (13,285 pts )
Edited & published by Lamar Stonecypher (78,388 pts
) on Aug 24, 2010
This GD&T tutorial will talk about assembly tolerance chain stack up analysis and will describe
the procedure of calculating the tolerance chain stack up analysis in a practical manner.
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All the machining process produces the components within certain amount of tolerance to its
desired dimensions. As the precision of the machining process increases, the tolerance gets
reduced, but no practical machine can produce components with zero tolerance. Due to this
tolerance only, the concept of MMS, LMS and bonus tolerance is developed.
The situation become even more complicated when multiple components with different
tolerances form an assembly. For such an assembly, what will be the tolerance? How to calculate
the whole assembly tolerance? Assembly tolerance chain analysis or tolerance stack up analysis
is the answer.
What is Assembly Tolerance Stack up Analysis?
In short, assembly tolerance stack up analysis will tell you the tolerance value of the whole
assembly or a specific gap of the assembly when you know the tolerance values of all its
components.
Assembly tolerance chain stack up analysis can be performed in many ways. The simplest
method is the worst case method, which we are going to discuss here.
Worst Case Method of Assembly Tolerance Stack Up
Say, we have an assembly of four thick plates like below:
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image=32181http://www.brighthub.com/engineering/mechanical/articles/56320.aspx?
image=32181
The thickness and tolerance of the four plates are shown in the above figure. We have to find out
the dimension “X” and its tolerance value. Proceed as below:
Calculate the lower specification limit (LSL)size for each of the plates like below:
For PLATE-1:
LSL= 27-0.4 = 26.6
For PLATE-2:
LSL= 15-0.3 = 14.7
For PLATE-3:
LSL= 15-0.3 = 14.7
For PLATE-4:
LSL= 15-0.5 = 14.5
Sum up the LSL thickness values of all the plates, and you will get the LSL thickness of the
whole assembly as below:
TL = 26.6 +14.7 + 14.7 + 14.5 = 70.5
Calculate the upper specification limit (USL)size for each of the plates like below:
For PLATE-1:
USL= 27+0.4 = 27.4
For PLATE-2:
USL= 15+0.3 = 15.3
For PLATE-3:
USL= 15+0.3 = 15.3
For PLATE-4:
USL= 15+0.5 = 15.5
Sum up the USL thickness values of all the plates, you will get the USL of the whole
assembly as below:
TU = 27.4 + 15.3 + 15.3 + 15.5 = 73.5
Tolerance of the whole assembly can obtained as:
± (TU – TL) / 2 = ± (73.5-70.5)/2 = ± 1.5
Sum up the nominal thickness dimensions of all the plates to get the nominal thickness value
of the whole assembly, like below:
TN = 27 + 15 + 15 + 15 = 72
So, by the worst case method we got the overall dimension (X) of the assembly as:
X = 72 ± 1.5
Conclusion
Assembly tolerance chain stack up analysis is used for calculating the tolerance value of the
overall assembly (or a gap in the assembly) from the tolerance values of the individual
components. The worst case method of the stack up analysis is the simplest among all the
methods used in industry.
Related Readings
GD&T Tutorial on Projected Tolerance:This geometric dimensioning and tolerancing or
GD&T tutorial will discuss projected tolerance and its application and benefits for preparing
engineering drawings.
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