Interchangeability

Interchangeable parts are

components of any device
designed to specifications which
insure that they will fit within any
device of the same type. This
streamlines the manufacturing
process, since all pieces are
guaranteed to fit with all others,
and it similarly creates the
opportunity for replacement parts.
In the U.S., Eli Whitney saw the
potential benefit of developing
"interchangeable parts" for the
firearms of the United States
military, and thus, around 1798, he
built ten guns, all containing the
same exact parts and mechanisms,
and disassembled them before the
United States Congress. He placed
the parts in a large mixed pile and,
with help, reassembled all of the
weapons right in front of Congress
And Engineers started to use
Geometric Dimensioning and
Tolerancing in the Engineering
Drawing to tell the Machinist. Hey
look this is the actual dimension
and you are allowed to attain the
finished component dimension plus
or minus tolerance value.

This makes job easy for Machinist

to work with machines and make
cost effective products.

Interchangeability of manufactured
parts is a critical element of
present day production. The
production of closely mating parts,
although theoretically possible, is
economically unfeasible. For this
reason, the engineer, designer or
drafter specifies an allowable
deviation (tolerance) between
decimal limits.

The definition of a Tolerance, per

ASME Y14.5.5M-1994, is the total
amount a specific dimension is
permitted to vary. For instance, a
dimension shown as 1.498” to
1.502” means that it may be
1.498” or 1.502” or anywhere
between these dimensions. Since
greater accuracy costs money, you
would not callout the tightest
possible tolerance, but instead
would callout as generous a
tolerance as possible.

Important Terms Definition:

Maximum Material Condition (MMC)
– Is the condition where a feature
of a finished part contains the
maximum amount of material. That
is, the largest shaft or smallest
hole. See Example 1.

Least Material Condition (LMC) - Is

the condition where a feature of a
finished part contains the least
amount of material. That is, the
smallest shaft or the largest hole.
See Example 1.
Nominal Size – Approximate size
used for the purpose of
identification such as stock
material.

Basic Size – Is the theoretical exact

size from which limits of size are
determined by the application of
allowances and tolerances.

Tolerance – The total amount by

which a given dimension may vary
or the difference between the
limits.
Limits – The extreme maximum
and minimum sizes specified by a
toleranced dimension.