Axym,
My current application is on mixed flow fans. The shroud and impeller are shaped like 2 tapered ice cream cones, one inserted inside the other. The fans are designed to cool military stuff, these are ITAR applications so no pictures.
The impeller is the part that has the fan blades and spins at a high rate of speed. Balance is a consideration, here. The shroud is just the shell around, no spinning. The datum axis on both parts is established on the associated bearing mounting features.
I am maintaining the shroud inner conical wall can benefit from MMC, I will assume the benefits of MMC are known, here? I want to create a VC boundary which no element will violate. Tolerances are tight and manufacturing complains. I am trying to give every benefit I can. Larger taper on the shroud means it can be off location more, simple as that.
I can really relate to your comment from another thread: “The way I like to think of it is that we don't really choose the functional datum features, we have to discover them.”
You don’t have to like the way things work and may not be able to redesign them, it just is what it is. My feeling is it IS our job to document it.
The dimensioning scheme we use currently is at 2 opposing points (really, circles) on the taper and either the depth or diameter is basic.
2009 seems to be heading to profile-position combination for these applications, we are on 1982. I am 53 now, I love what I have seen in 2009, maybe before I retire I will be able to work at a place that actually uses it.