Dimensional accuracy

KEY CONCEPTS
Precise – precis, exact
To vary – a varia
Accurate – precis
Tolerance – toleranță/deviație/abatere permisă
Range – interval
Deviation – deviație (in the context below, the meaning is that of difference in dimensions)
Inaccurate – inexact
Within tolerance – în limite acceptabile (în privința dimensiunilor)
Outside tolerance – depășind limitele acceptabile (în privința dimensiunilor).

Precision and Tolerance

It is impossible to produce components with dimensions that are absolutely precise, with sizes
exactly the same as those specified in the design. This is because all production processes are
imprecise to a certain extent. Therefore, the sizes of several components produced from the same
design will vary (differ). Although the variation may be only a few hundredths of a millimetre,
sizes will not be 100% accurate (exact) compared with the design.
Because engineers know that accuracy cannot be perfect, in designs they often specify
tolerances – that is, acceptable variations in precision. Instead of giving one precise size, a
tolerance specifies a range of acceptable sizes – an allowed amount of variation. This is often
given as a deviation (difference) from a precise size.
For example, when specifying the diameter of a shaft as being 88 mm, plus or minus 0.05 mm, it
means that the diameter of the shaft may deviate 0.05 mm either side of this size. Therefore,
diameters between 87.95 mm and 88.05 mm, which are slightly inaccurate, are still permissible
(allowed), as they are within tolerance. However, diameters of 87.94 mm or 88.06 mm are not
permissible – they are outside tolerance.
When the permissible deviation in size is very small, we say it is a tight tolerance (or a close
tolerance). A large permissible deviation is a loose tolerance.
Exercises

1. In pairs, discuss what is meant by precision and accuracy.

2. Read the technical advice web page and answer the following questions:
a. How is a super flat floor different from an ordinary floor?
b. What accuracy can be achieved with ordinary slabs, and with super flat slabs?
c. What problem is described in high-bay warehouses?
SUPERFLAT FLLORS: FAQ
What is a super flat floor?
Compacting and finishing the surface of wet concrete is an inherently imprecise process. For an
ordinary concrete slab to be laid within tolerance, engineers can only realistically expect the
surface to be finished to plus or minus 5 mm. By contrast, super flat concrete floors are finished
to meet extremely close tolerances, being accurate to within 1 mm across their upper surface.
Where are super flat floors used?
Floor surfaces with extremely tight tolerances are frequently specified in warehouses where
Automated guided vehicles operate. Uneven floors are especially problematic in high-bay
warehouses, which use automated forklifts with a vertical reach of 30 meters or more. At such
height, slight variations in floor level are amplified in the form of vertical tilt, causing inaccurate
manoeuvring at high level. If these variations are outside tolerance, they can lead to collisions with
racking elements, or cause items to be dropped from pallets.
c. In pairs, discuss what is meant by tolerance in the context of dimensions and precision.
d. Complete the following expressions from the web page, which are used to describe
tolerances:
1. …… tolerance (inside the limits of a given tolerance)
2. …………. or ………….. 5 mm (+/- 5 mm)
3. …………………….. tolerance (close tolerance)
4. …………………… tolerance (not inside the limits of tolerance)
e. Complete the following sentences using the expressions in Exercise d:
1. The frame is too big for the opening. The opening is the right size, so the frame must be ………
2. The total tolerance is 1 mm. The permissible variation either side of the ideal is…….
3. The engineer specified +/- 5 mm for the slab finish, and we got it to +/- 2 mm. So it is well
………..
4. You cannot finish concrete to +/- 0.1 mm. There is no way you can work to such a …………
f. In some situations, engineers describe tolerances using plus or minus, for example +/- 5
mm, and in other situations they use the word within, for example within 5 mm. In pairs,
discuss the differences in meaning between these two descriptions, giving examples of
situations where each description might be used.