Why is Tolerance Important in Product Engineering & Manufacturing?

Key Takeaways

• Manufacturing tolerances directly affect product fit, function, reliability, and safety.
• Tolerance requirements can change significantly between machined and welded components.
• Incorrect or outdated tolerance drawings can lead to rework, delays, and increased inspection costs.
• Early collaboration between engineering and manufacturing teams helps prevent costly production issues.
• In-house manufacturing and testing reduce handoff errors and improve consistency throughout production.
• Axenics supports customers from concept development through production and testing to improve efficiency and product quality.

Working with clients for more than 40 years means we have pretty much seen it all. It’s not unusual to get what we call a “napkin drawing” for a potential product, one that lacks detail, measurements, etc. Our talented team is often able to take a simple drawing and work closely with the client to create a finished product that everyone can be proud of.

After all, the best solutions are built on strong foundations.

Manufacturing Tolerances

Tolerance is the acceptable range for a physical dimension, which is determined by the product designer based on form, fit and function of a part. At Axenics, we have tight tolerance expectations in order to deliver high-quality, safe products to our customers. Manufacturing tolerances are pivotal in the process because they will determine how well a part will fit in the final piece and how reliable the final product will be.

We are often able to tackle vague concepts for our customers, but a challenge arises when we see differences in tolerance drawings. When working with engineers outside of Axenics, we sometimes experience the engineer not changing the tolerance when going from a machined part to a welded part, and there will be a difference in tolerance there that is not reflected in the computer-aided-design (CAD) drawing provided.

Fittings for a part that is welded have their own tolerance, whereas parts that are machined by a CNC machine, for example, will not have the same manufacturing tolerances, because the fittings are not necessary with a bent part.

Axenics product engineering services staff is highly trained on AutoCAD and SolidWorks 3D product design software. Our team can work with your designers and engineers to ensure the proper tolerances are updated. This will save time and money by reducing inspection time and manufacturing do-overs.

When considering a contract metal fabricator, tolerances should be at the top of your selection criteria. Axenics’ team is meticulous in achieving perfection when it comes to manufacturing tolerances. Plus, by handing every aspect of your product manufacturing in-house, there is less opportunity for mistakes. Fewer hands, fewer mistakes.

By working with Axenics from the start of your project, easy mistakes in manufacturing tolerances can be avoided. A cross-trained, always-advancing team will take on multiple manufacturing tasks for you, from testing to completed components to shipping end products.

Our process is simple:

• Developing the Concept: You should be involved in every stage of production. We will meet as many times as necessary to get your concept on the correct path.
• Establishing a Process: With your input, we will create a working manufacturing process to build your product in an efficient manner. We ensure our process solves your challenges, and that our solutions will exceed your expectations.
• Validating the Design: Once the design process is confirmed, we work with you to get the final product to your exact specifications, going over the components and materials to be used to build it, as well as how it will be manufactured.
• Production and Testing: We develop a prototype. Then, the completed design is produced and assembled at our facility according to your specifications.

To reiterate, a simple, but potentially expensive, mistake, like differences in tolerance drawings, can be circumvented by working with a skilled product team from start to finish. Something else to keep in mind is that we also have great relationships with our vendors, which helps us to solve problems like a difference in tolerances in a timely and economical way.

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