Tolerancing Overview

Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) offers many benefits:

• The design language is standardized.

• Design intent is clear and precise to the customers, suppliers, and production teams.

• You can calculate the worst-case mating limits.

• Through the use of datums, the production and inspection processes are repeatable.

• Assembly is assured from qualified production parts.

Two GD&T-based applications are available:

DimXpert for Parts

DimXpert for parts places dimensions and tolerances on parts.

TolAnalyst

TolAnalyst is a tolerance analysis application that determines the effects that dimensions and tolerances have on parts and assemblies. Use the TolAnalyst tools to perform “worst-case” tolerance stack-up analysis on assemblies.

First you use the DimXpert tools to apply dimensions and tolerances to the parts or components in an assembly, then you use the TolAnalyst tools to leverage that data for stack-up analysis.

TolAnalyst is available only in SolidWorks Premium.

To ensure you have valid tolerance data, TolAnalyst uses a wizard interface with a four-step procedure:

1. Create a measurement, defined as the distance between two DimXpert features.

2. Create an assembly sequence, which is the ordered selection of the assembly parts that establish a tolerance chain between the measurement features. This "sub-assembly" is called the "simplified assembly."

3. Apply constraints to each part. Constraints define how each part is placed or mated into the simplified assembly.

4. Evaluate the measurement.