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2009 GD&T, Tolerance Analysis and Dimensional Management News

GD&T Takes a Giant Leap Forward: ASME Y14.5-2009 is finally here!

After 15 years of development, the new revision of ASME Y14.5 Dimensioning and Tolerancing is available. ASME Y14.5-2009 includes many new tools and techniques, for +/- and for GD&T, all with the goal of providing better ways to more clearly define part and assembly geometry requirements. During development of ASME Y14.5-2009, our main goal was to address gaps in the 1994 standard, and to provide more precise methods to dimension, tolerance, and define the ever-more-complex parts and assemblies being designed today. The ability to design complex products with complex shapes is commonplace with today's feature-rich CAD software. It was clear that we needed equally powerful Dimensioning and Tolerancing tools and techniques for modern products, and ASME Y14.5-2009 provides those tools. With these new tools comes additional complexity, as having more tools means having more to learn. We can help you understand the meaning and implications of the new standard, and help you make sound design and business decisions about its application and implementation.

ASME Y14.5-2009 Update Training Courses Available:

In addition to our standard 2- and 3-day courses, we now offer a 1-day ASME Y14.5-2009 Update Course. Please contact us for more information. We can help you understand this new GD&T standard and help you get up to speed as quickly as possible.

New!  Training Using 3D PMI, MBD, and Digital Data as Design Deliverables and Annotating Solid Models.

This is our newest Seminar; 3D PMI, MBD, and Advanced Applications of Solid Modeling, which includes 3D-GD&T™ and 3D Data as Design Deliverables. This seminar presents the methods, concepts, rules, and techniques for using PMI, MBD, and digital data, including traditional solid models, partially- and fully-annotated solid models as deliverables. This seminar is based on the ASME Y14.41-2003 and ISO 16792: 2006 standards, and on Bryan’s new material, Section 26 in the 11th Edition of the Drawing Requirements Manual entitled "Digital Data Sets & 3D Solid Modeling (ASME Y14.41)."

This course discusses the pros and cons, techniques, requirements, and additional tools needed to use PMI, MBD and Digital Data as part of the design, manufacturing, inspection, and assembly processes. In particular, we discuss using PMI and MBD (3D Solid Model data and Digital Drawing data) as design deliverables, and what is needed to use and integrate the data into downstream processes. This is an excellent follow-up to our GD&T and Tolerance Analysis course sequence.

Updated and Expanded Tolerance Analysis Courses.

We’ve updated our Level 1 Tolerance Analysis course to make it even more useful and more pertinent to commonly encountered design problems.  Let us help you take your designs and processes to the next level of quality.

We’ve updated and expanded our Level 2 Tolerance Analysis course, with new material and examples.  This 1- or 2-day course is a continuation of our Level 1 course.  Step up and add new tools to your design and quality toolbox.

Announcing Our Latest Book Project...

Drawing Requirements Manual
11th Edition © 2008 IHS Global, Inc.

Bryan R. Fischer and Advanced Dimensional Management LLC were selected by IHS Global, Inc. to revise the next edition of the "Drawing Requirements Manual" (or DRM.) We spent over a year updating this classic and exhaustive reference on engineering standards and engineering drawing practices. We painstakingly reviewed the many standards that have been revised and replaced since the 10th Edition, and updated the DRM to reflect the current requirements. Many changes have taken place in industry since the 10th Edition, so our goal was to update the DRM to reflect how business is being done today and to follow current trends toward the future.

The biggest change was to address the prevalence of CAD data and automated processes as part of the design, inspection, manufacturing, and assembly processes, and updating the material to reflect the prevalence and many uses of 3D solid models in the modern workplace.

Bryan wrote a completely new chapter based on the ASME Y14.41-2003 standard (and its derivative ISO 16792:2006), which deal with 3D Solid Modeling and Using Digital Data and Annotated Solid Models as Design Deliverables. The latest revision of MIL-DTL-31000 (Revision C) also addresses digital data and using Annotated 3D Solid Models in product development, and the specific requirements from MIL-DTL-31000C are also addressed in this new chapter on 3D Solid Modeling. The new chapter includes new material developed specifically for the DRM, including an exclusive interpretation and expansion of ASME Y14.41-2003, and contains additional definitions, techniques, and real-world application guidelines not addressed in ASME Y14.41-2003 or anywhere else.

Another major change in the 11th Edition of the DRM was to address changes in the U.S. Government's Acquisition Reform Policies. A major reversal in Government Acquisition Policy was implemented in 2005. This reversal has the potential to affect acquisition contracts issued by all branches of the DoD, other Government Agencies, and all contractors working to or providing materiel for these contracts. Extensive material has been added to the DRM to address these changes and the current way business is done in these environments. This is a must-read for everyone involved.

Order the DRM from IHS:

The DRM 11th Edition is sold by IHS Global, Inc. It is available as a bound and printed book, as an e-book on DVD, as an online subscription, and in conjunction with the applicable ASME Y14 series standards. Follow this link or contact IHS at the number below for more information. Please mentioned Salesman Code 127 and make sure to let them know you were referred by Bryan Fischer.

Section/Chapter List

• Section 1      Specifications and Standards Data
• Section 2      Drawing/Data Elements & Management
• Section 3      Drafting Practices
• Section 4      Types of Engineering Drawings
• Section 5      Dimensions and Tolerances (including GD&T, ASME Y14.5)
• Section 6      Engineering Drawing Format
• Section 7      Drawing & Part Number System
• Section 8      Drawing Titles
• Section 9      Drawing Notes
• Section 10    Parts List Preparation
• Section 11    Identification Marking
• Section 12    Thread Representation
• Section 13    Surface Texture
• Section 14    Welding Symbology
• Section 15    Protective Coatings
• Section 16    Casting Drawings
• Section 17    Forging Drawings
• Section 18    Facility Drawings
• Section 19    Tooling Drawings
• Section 20    Packaging Drawings
• Section 21    Sheet Metal Drawings
• Section 22    Electrical and Electronic Drawings
• Section 23    Drawing Change Procedures
• Section 24    Abbreviations
• Section 25    Definitions
• Section 26    Digital Data Sets & 3D Solid Modeling (ASME Y14.41)
• Appendix M1   International System of Units (SI)
• Appendix M2   Metric Conversion of Units
• Appendix M3   Writing SI
• Appendix M4   Conversion of Dwg - Inch to Metric
• Appendix M5   Misc Metric Information
• Appendix M6   Metric Glossary
• Appendix A1   Past Practices - Manual Drafting Techniques

Searchable Indexes for our Books

As a value-added service to our readers, we’ve posted searchable online indexes for our books "The Journeyman's Guide to Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing", "Mechanical Tolerance Stackup & Analysis", and "Tolerance Stackup, Tolerance Analysis and Tolerancing Manual: Plus and Minus Edition."

PDF and HTML versions of each index are now available online. Although a printed copy of the index is included in each book, you may find it easier and more convenient to search for topics and terms electronically. Feel free to bookmark this page or download the PDF version of the index to allow dynamic keyword searching of the text. Remember, as will all of our books, materials, and software, this material is copyrighted and protected by US Copyright Law.

Index Page

2009 brings many challenges to industry, and Advanced Dimensional Management LLC is ready to help you succeed.

The world's business climate is shifting as more and more design and manufacturing jobs are outsourced. For most industries, the supplier base has become an international collection of firms exhibiting a wide range of skill-sets.

The ever-increasing challenges of lowering cost, decreasing time to market, and making the most of collaboration increases the need for every piece in the puzzle to have the right skills and capabilities right now. Unfortunately, that isn't always the case, as many new firms find themselves in the early stages of a long learning curve. It's the nature of business. Outsourcing and off-shoring only serve to heighten the need for training and coordination.

The recent economic downturn has presented industry with unforeseen challenges and shrinking budgets.  Managers are often tempted to cut training and consulting when times are tough – training is seen as a privilege reserved for not-so-lean times.  This is a mistake.  The best time to improve your staff is when times are tough.  This is the best time to improve how you do business, to design more effectively, to inspect, manufacture, and assembly more effectively, and to eliminate waste.  This could be the difference that keeps your firm profitable.

The number one way you can increase your bottom line is to improve quality in your processes, and the number one way to do that is to implement Dimensional Management.  It’s time to improve your product specifications and processes by correcting and coordinating your tolerancing specifications with all of your downstream processes and suppliers.

That's where we come in.

Advanced Dimensional Management LLC specializes in bringing together disparate pieces of the puzzle, bringing all up to a common level of understanding, and helping to optimize the implementation of Dimensional Management principles across your supply chain.

In the world of design and manufacturing, it is critical that everyone speaks the same language. In the world of design and manufacturing the most critical language is geometric, and it is found on the engineering drawing or in the 3D model. Although Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) is the best way to convey this geometric information, we can help you and your suppliers get on the same page regardless of the techniques you use. We can help you to implement GD&T throughout your system, to optimize your current GD&T implementation, or to merely improve the methods you currently use.

Several of the most critical aspects in the cycle of design and manufacturing include:

• Dimensioning and Tolerancing specifications must convey the design requirements.
• Tolerance Analysis is the only way to ensure your Dimensioning and Tolerancing specifications meet this need.
• Design requirements must be clearly and unambiguously conveyed by the specifications.
• The specifications must be understood by everyone.
• The specifications must be properly implemented by everyone.

We can help you achieve these goals, both internally and externally, both at your factory and abroad. It's what we do.

Now that your supply chain is global, it's time to bring your Dimensional Management skills to a World-Class level.

Contact us today to find out how we can help.