Worst Case Tolerance Analysis with Nonlinear Problems

When designers assign tolerances on engineering drawings, they have a significant influence on the resulting cost and producibility of manufactured products. A rational basis for assigning tolerances involves constructing mathematical models of tolerance accumulation in assemblies of parts. However, tolerance stacks in two or three-dimensional problems or other nonlinear assembly functions may distort the resultant assembly tolerances, altering the range and symmetry. An iterative method is described for adjusting the nominal dimensions of the component parts such that the specified assembly limits are not violated.