Tolerance is a crucial aspect of metal fabrication projects— and it remains one of the most examined factors for establishing manufacturing quality. Over the years, as tolerance expectations have increasingly more stringent, the more challenging the manufacturing process becomes for a given part. Even though technologies involved in water jet cutting, welding, and machining have continued to develop, especially tight tolerances are still not universally achievable by any given shop.
Tolerances are important to the manufacturing process as they determine how well a part will fit in final production and, as a result, how stable the final product will be. Essentially, tolerances can refer to mechanical fit, fit up, deviations from perfect straightness or accuracy of assembly. This post will provide a brief overview of how tolerance affects custom metal fabrication projects.
