To expand on Don's posts, ISO guides you to use use a mathematical equivalent of the feature (plane, cylinder, cone, etc.) established by an algorithm processing the limited number of data points. This inevitably results in a "CMM surface" or "generated surface" which is within the material of the workpiece.
So, for a cylindrical hole, you select a probing strategy and generate your points which are fed into an algorithm; the result is a generated surface which is larger than the maximum inscribed cylinder that would fit within the hole. The mating boss would be similarly probed to establish an equivalent generated surface, which would be smaller than the diameter of the minimum circumscribed cylinder. To simplify, the hole acts larger than it actually is, and the pin acts smaller than it actually is ... the actual pin which is supposed to be able to fit according to the inspection results may not fit into the actual hole.
ASME considers a mechanical mating situation where the high points of mating parts will interact. So for our example you find the largest perfect cylinder (gage pin) that will fit within a cylindrical hole (specified at RFS), and use that cylinder's axis and size as representing the hole. The mating boss will be considered as equivalent to the smallest circumscribed perfect cylinder's axis and diameter. The ASME method, by considering the worst case, ensures that actual parts will fit together when the inspection data says they should.
Now those that have spent too much time thinking this over, recognize the reality that the ASME model isn't completely accurate either. Have you ever had the three highest points on a plate actually meet the three highest points on another plate? Theoretically, but not practically. Inevitably some of the high points on one plate will slip into the low points on the mating part ... so the mating planes for each is actually going to be within the material surface anyway. So what's the difference? The ASME model introduces a comparatively minor error and still makes sure that parts will fit. ISO introduces potentially significant errors in the datuming and individual feature inspections, which accumulate with the potential that accepted parts don't fit.
Jim Sykes, P.Eng, GDTP-S
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