Introduction
Tolerances are a seemingly small element within a project that is often taken for granted and goes unnoticed. One element that is not understood by UK/US engineers is how tolerance issues are deeply intertwined with communication, especially when teams and stakeholders hail from diverse backgrounds and communication is relayed through several people from sub-suppliers. In this blog, we explore the significance of tolerance in product design and how communication plays a crucial role in managing it effectively.
What is Tolerance in Product Design?
Tolerance refers to the permissible limit of variation in the physical dimension of a product. It’s the degree to which a product can deviate from its intended design without compromising its functionality, reliability, or appearance. In simpler terms, it's the wiggle room that designers and engineers plan for in their creations.
Why taking communication into account is important for tolerances?
Defining and Understanding Tolerances: The first step in managing tolerances is defining them accurately. This requires clear communication between designers, engineers, and manufacturers. Misinterpretations or assumptions can lead to products that don’t fit together or function as intended.
Cultural Interpretations of Precision: Different cultures have varying perceptions of precision and quality. What is considered ‘highly precise’ in one country might be 'standard' in another. Effective communication can bridge these gaps, ensuring that all parties have a unified understanding of tolerance levels.
Communicating Through Documentation: Technical documentation, including blueprints and CAD drawings, should have all defined measurements alongside DXFs. Ensuring these documents communicate tolerance specifications is crucial. Any ambiguity can lead to costly errors and redesigns. Any part that is not defined will result in guesswork on behalf of the factory.
CAD software: US/EU engineers prefer to use ‘Solid Works’ for their designs whereas Chinese engineers prefer ‘CREO’. It’s important to consider this when creating a CAD design as some measurements and curvature vary when they are transferred across. DXFs are great for standardised communication - if they have the correct measurements on board. Remember to ask what CAD software they are using and how they will translate it to the manufacturer
Other factors to consider within Tolerance Communication
Variations in Measurement Systems: The use of different measurement systems (metric vs imperial) can lead to significant errors. Standardizing the measurement system across all communication channels can mitigate this risk. Chinese factories can appear flexible but asking what their primary measurement system is will help to understand if they will translate measurements from inches to mm. Usually, this is done based on the machines they use as some are optimised for inches whereas others are optimised for millimetres.
Technological Solutions: Utilizing advanced CAD software and simulation tools can help in visualizing how different tolerance levels affect the final product. Simulating to find the maximum and minimum and explaining it to the factory, will help them when testing production batches and can come up with alternative solutions if a problem arises.
Training and Workshops: Regular training sessions as part of their annual training and machine awareness workshops can help in aligning different teams’ understanding of tolerance and its implications, fostering a culture of clear and consistent communication. Great suppliers in China will have this as part of their training programme as they understand the importance of clear communication - it’s also quite widespread within Lean Six Sigma and Japanese Quality principles. If a factory is not doing this, then it’s a red flag for other training aspects that they are not treating seriously.
Feedback Loops: Establishing strong feedback loops between design, manufacturing, and quality assurance teams ensures that any tolerance-related issues are communicated and addressed promptly. Consider trying to talk to the engineering time directly or having a bi-lingual engineer as part of your team. We cover the importance of this in a previous blog post
Conclusion
Tolerance in product design is a complex yet critical aspect that demands meticulous attention and clear communication. The intricacies of tolerance cannot be overstated, nor can the importance of effective communication in ensuring that these tolerances are correctly understood and applied. As the world becomes increasingly connected and manufacturing becomes more globalized, the ability to communicate across cultural, linguistic, and technical boundaries will become even more important for engineers.
Hopefully, this article opens up the importance of considering tolerances when manufacturing a design. Another surefire win is to carry out a pilot run and slow ramp-up production to bigger batches - there are always unknowns when production occurs as thousands of pieces of work need to be done correctly for you to get a well-built product.
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