KimBellingrath,
...You guys can analyze this to death but for as many years as I have been doing this, I have always counted ALL of the gaps in a pattern like this not how many 'moves' it takes to make the part. As a former machinist, I can tell you that nobody ever drills the first hole twice!
Just for the hell of it, let's punch in some actual numbers.
[ul]
[li]1/4 inch bolts with nuts[/li]
[li]9/32 inch clearance holes[/li]
[li]8 inch pitch circle[/li]
[/ul]
What are the required tolerances?
Clearance
C = Hole-Bolt = 9/32in - 1/4in = 1/32in = .031in.
Assume that the bolt is located precisely at the nominal position. If either (any?) holes shift
C/2, the bolt will interfere with the side of the hole.
Assume that the maximum error occurs at 45[°] from the normal or from the tangent to the pitch circle.
At 45[°], the maximum error in the normal or tangential direction is
C/2sqrt(2), or .031in/2.828 = 0.011in.
Double this to get your pitch circle tolerance of 2[×]0.011in = 0.022in.
So far, so good.
My angular error is approximately linear error divided by half the pitch circle.
It is exactly arctan(2[×]0.011in/8in) = 0.16[°] (to two decimal accuracy
I do not know how accurately you can rotate a part on a fixture in a drill press, but I think this is getting pretty accurate. It reinforces your point that you cannot accumulate tolerances as you go around. The fifth angle imposes another tolerance control on the fifth hole. I am not so sure about the third hole.
The real point here is that it is not very practical to control holes using angular tolerances around a pitch circle. Either you must slot the holes, or you should plan on an
X/
Y positioning system such as a milling machine. For quite some time, I did not specify pitch circles on machined plates. I worked out the Cartesian coordinates, and I relied on [±] tolerances.
Today, I assume that part will be fabricated on a CNC machine, programmed from some sort of CAD. I specify pitch circles again, and I use GD&T positional tolerances.
You might as well follow the ASME standard and say 5[×]72[°].
JHG