You hear a lot about Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing (GD&T) today, but less about its practical deployment and utilization in the manufacturing and inspection process.

Referees at sporting events can fuel elation or outrage with their calls when it comes to a favorite team, but in truth, these people are needed to provide an impartial interpretation of the rules of the game.

GD&T is the only tool we have with which to manage machine part geometry perfectly. In particular, it’s the only tool we have with which to impose truly functional limits of imperfection on machine part features and actually guarantee assembly and operation prior to drawing release.

In his article for Computerworld, Paul Glen recounts that when most executives have told him that their operations require more accountability what they are really saying is that they need someone to blame.

Much has been written about the advantages of Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T), and much of it is true. 

In today’s highly specialized world of engineering it takes a village to develop and produce a component part, let alone a complete product. 

The central concept behind model-based definition (MBD) is that the digital model contains all of the detailed information necessary for all aspects of the product life cycle.

In mass-production industries, it has been realized that Product Design (PD) departments and Manufacturing Engineering (ME) departments under the same organization show quite different interests in the same product line.

While John Goodman and Arnold Schwarzenegger are both 6’2”, few would argue that they have similar body shapes. What this says, simply, is that measuring size does not necessarily say anything about shape.

Kotem announces worldwide release of SmartProfile 3 GD&T analysis software.