Tolerances affect product design, manufacturing, and quality control, making them critical to the successful performance of an end product. So determining tolerances and the amount of acceptable variation in cut parts is a critical component of the cost of quality.
The goal is to strike a balance between excessively cutting costs and implementing unnecessary requirements. A tighter tolerance than needed can add costs in inspections, specialized equipment, higher scrap, or lower yields.
Undoubtedly there are times when a tight fit tolerance is absolutely mandatory. The good news is that there are many instances where looser tolerances can be acceptable.
Before you commit to a tight tolerance, answer these questions:
- How does the part function in its end use?
- What tolerances are important for the environment in which the part will be used?
- Does the part interact with any other part or parts?
- If the same part has different attributes requiring tolerances (such as a diameter and a radius) which is the more critical dimension?
Making an informed decision about how tight a tolerance really needs to be can help you ensure product quality, optimized manufacturability, and time to market.
By carefully considering the end use, placement and function of a part, you can:
- Distinguish between critical and non-critical tolerances,
- avoid unnecessarily tight tolerances,
- and minimize your cost of quality.
How tight a tolerance do you really need?
If you’re unsure about what tolerances are right for your application, don’t worry. We are here to help identify the mission-critical tolerances for your parts.
Metal Cutting Corporation. Providing custom precision metal components for over 50 years.
