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16 Engineering inspection
Inspection of finished components is an essential part of all engineering
production. If we consider the vast number of components produced by
manufacturing industry today, it is easy to see that it is not possible to inspect
all of them for dimensional accuracy. With modem production methods, it is
possible to maintain a high degree of accuracy, but there are always small
variations in dimensions, which must be kept within strict limits, to ensure the
interchangeability of components.
Limits and tolerances
When a component is designed, it is given certain dimensions on the drawing
of the component which are called nominal dimensions. In the manufacturing
process however, it is impossible to produce components that have precisely
the dimensions stated in the drawing. For this reason, a certain amount of
deviation from the nominal dimensions must be allowed, and this deviation is
called a tolerance. When the component is manufactured, the dimension
considered must lie between two values called the high limit and the low limit.
Clearance fits
The essential conditions for a clearance fit are shown in Fig 16.1. In this kind
of fit, a shaft must be able to move freely in a hole without being too loose in
it. It will be seen from the figure that both the shaft and the hole have high and
low limits. If a clearance fit is to be ensured, then it is necessary that the high
limit for the shaft, be smaller than the low limit for the hole. The tolerance for
the shaft will be seen to be above and below the nominal diameter. Such a
tolerance is called a bilateral tolerance. The tolerance for the hole however,
will be seen to be above the nominal diameter. Such a tolerance is called a
unilateral tolerance, and can be above or below the nominal diameter.
The engineering allowance
It has been mentioned before, that there is a small gap between the high limit
of the shaft and the low limit of the hole. This quantity is known as an
allowance. The size of the allowance determines the quality o/thefit, where a
A. Jayendran, Englisch für Maschinenbauer
© Friedr. Vieweg & Sohn Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, Braunschweig/Wiesbaden 1997
16 Engineering inspection 95
high quality fit corresponds to a small allowance, and a low quality fit to a
large allowance. In general, allowances and tolerances must be kept as large as
possible. Small tolerances increase the cost of manufacture, and also the
number of rejected components.
Interference fits
Sometimes the shaft is made slightly larger than the hole. In this case,
considerable pressure is required to force the shaft into the hole, and such a fit
is called a force fit or an interference fit. This is a cheap way of joining two
components together permanently without using fasteners.
Transition or push fits
If a shaft can be pushed into a hole by the use of hand pressure only, then this
type of fit is called a push fit or a transition fit. A push fit should not be used
if the shaft is to rotate. Slip bushes and dowels are good examples of push fits.
Vocabulary
allowance Spiel n, Toleranzj inspect prUfen v
bilateral zweiseitig adj interchangeable auswechselbar adj
bush Lagerbuchse j measurement Messungj
clearance Spielraum m, Spiel n mention erwiihnen v
consider iiberlegen, betrachten v nominal dimension NennmaBn
deviation Abweichungj quantity GroBej
dimension MaBn reject ausscheiden v
drawing technische Zeichnungj strict streng adj
ensure sichern v tolerance Toleranzj
fit Passungj transition fit Ubergangspassungj
freely zwanglos adv unilateral einseitig adj
impossible unmoglich adj variation Veriinderungj
interfere iiberlagern v