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Dimension control of Plastic parts

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rknair73

Mechanical
May 17, 2010
1
Hi,
We have a plastic housing design in which both the halves when assembled together, the max, mismatch( shift) on the mating edges should ne .01 inches. Please help me how to specify this on the part drawings of each parts?
Thanks in advance for your suggestions
 
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The GD&T system is probably best for this. Use the symbol for either "profile of a line" or "profile of a surface" to call out the appropriate tolerance value.

And profile often references datums -- that is the tricky part on plastics. Are you merely interested in controlling shape and size, such that they fit together? Or might the outline of the mating edge need to be tied back to other features?

John-Paul Belanger
Certified Sr. GD&T Professional
Geometric Learning Systems
 
As Belanger says, this may be a good application for the use of surface profile. Simplistically if the surfaces that have to align are both given a .010 surface profile this will get what you need.

However, for some plastics processes, especially larger parts, .010 is pretty tight, so are you sure it's possible with your process?

Posting guidelines faq731-376 (probably not aimed specifically at you)
What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484
 
I thought the mismatch note was in regards to (single part) mold components, not matching resultant parts (i.e. two mold halves).
The only way I know of maintaining your requirements is to either use a .010 profile tolerance or a +/-.005 dimensional tolerance. The profile tolerance would probably be the better choice.

"Good to know you got shoes to wear when you find the floor." - [small]Robert Hunter[/small]
 
Agree with ewh.

The mismatch is for two halves of a mold as I recal - not for mating parts in an assy.

Posting guidelines faq731-376 (probably not aimed specifically at you)
What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484
 
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