Hi Everyone,
I contacted a GD & T specialist & here is what I am told:
I am not aware of any that limits using the same letter for datum feature identification, section labeling, etc. The applications are different enough that there should be no confusion. I did do a search of the applicable standards and didn't find any such rule.
Letters not allowed according to the ASME Y14.5 standard for datum feature identification are I, O and Q. From ASME Y14.5-2009: 3.3.2
Datum Feature Symbol .......Letters of the alphabet (except I, O, and Q) shall be used as datum identifying
letters. Each datum feature of a part requiring identification shall be assigned a different letter. When datum
features requiring identification on a drawing are so numerous as to exhaust the single alpha series, the double
alpha series (AA through AZ, BA through BZ, etc.) shall be used and enclosed in a rectangular frame. Where
the same datum feature symbol is repeated to identify the same feature in other locations of a drawing, it need
not be identified as reference.
The Y14.3-2003 MULTIVIEW AND SECTIONAL VIEW DRAWINGS standard does not allow I, O, Q, S, X and Z for view identification. Here is the section from that standard.
1.7.3 Identifying Removed Views. To relate the viewing plane or cutting plane to its removed view, capital
letters such as A, B, C, etc., are placed near each arrowhead.
The corresponding removed views are identified as VIEW A-A, VIEW B-B, VIEW C-C, etc. View letters
should be used in alphabetical order excluding I, O, Q, S, X, and Z. When the alphabet is exhausted, additional
removed views shall be identified by double letters in alphabetical order, as in AA-AA, AB-AB, AC-AC, etc
There was not a revision of the Y14.5 standard in 2003. The Standard came out in 1966 and has had revisions in 1973, 1982, 1994 and 2009.