Alex Krulikowski

A few months ago, I created a survey asking whether companies plan to adopt the new Y14.5-2009 standard, stay with the 1994 standard, or change to ISO standards. Using statistics elicited from the survey responses, I have developed a white paper addressing these issues.

“Deliberations on Dimensioning and Tolerancing Standards” is a 12-page paper that will help organizations decide what path may be the best for them. It includes a summary of the major changes to the ASME Y14.5 standard and insight into what other companies are planning. It also includes my deliberations and recommendations on changing dimensioning standards.

It’s available for $25 on our website.

I am working on a new geometric tolerancing book that explains the use of ISO standards on technical drawings. This comprehensive book can be used for multiple purposes: the topics are organized in a format conducive to learning the topic, plus it contains many features that make it a great reference guide. The book is based on ISO 1101-2004 and companion standards.

This is an exciting project, and I’m anxious to complete the final draft. The book is very close to the expert review stage. The process of having a team of technical experts proofread a new book is an important part of writing a technically sound book. I have learned from previous projects that it always results in a better product.

I have most of the proofreading team in place, but I would like to have three or four additional technical experts who are experienced in ISO GPS. Proofreading requires a commitment of your time. I am estimating the draft will be ready for review by mid to late June, and the technical review must be completed by about 30 days after that.

There is no pay for proofreading, but there are rewards. First, you will enjoy reading and dissecting each section of the book. You may even find some new information on some aspect of the ISO standards. Also, your name will be listed in the credits, and you will receive a free copy of the book when it is published.

If you are experienced in ISO GPS standards and would like to be part of the proofreading team, send me an email describing your expertise level, and I’ll add your name to the list of prospective technical experts for proofreading.

Sincere thanks,

Alex

I’ve had many clients ask me what’s new in the ASME Y14.5-2009 Standard. As you can imagine, a standard that has been 15 years in the making contains numerous changes. There are over 20 new or revised symbols and over 40 new or revised terms. In fact, almost every paragraph of the standard has some revision.

In order to provide a quick reference illustrating many of the standard changes and additions, I’ve created a set of charts comparing the features of ASME Y14.5M-1994 and ASME Y14.5-2009.

The New Features Comparison Chart Set is a comprehensive set of two, 2-sided, 11×17 charts that itemize changes in the standard. It highlights additions, revisions, and modifications to symbols, terms, and modifiers, including changes to the MMC modifier, feature of size and “irregular” feature of size, the new datum translation modifier, and numerous other new features.

Because it provides the 2009 standard references, you can quickly look up additional information as you need to on the job. The charts fits neatly in a 3-ring binder.

The two-chart set is only $12.

We’ve been pretty busy this spring, preparing courses, books, workbooks, and charts to keep pace with the new ASME Y14.5-2009 Standard.

Aside from that focus, we also finished developing our latest web-based training course on engineering drawing requirements. The course contains four lessons that cover:

• The definition and uses of engineering drawings
• Types of engineering drawings
• Appropriate standards and documents specified on engineering drawings
• Basic part definition required on engineering drawings

The web-based course is geared to people who work with and interpret engineering drawings. It’s based on Y14.100-2004 and Y14.24-1999 standards, takes about 4-6 hours to complete and can be purchased for 30-, 60-, or 90-day access. It includes practice problems, quizzes, and a drawing packet containing 12 engineering drawings in printable PDF format.

With many companies undergoing budget cuts, this online workshop is perfect for those who need training but can’t travel to our public workshops. You can read more about the course and the complete list of drawings that are covered at our ETI Learning Center website.

We also have a tutorial that you can view to get a preview of the course. View the tutorial.

By now, many of you have heard that ASME Y14.5-2009 has been released. The new version of the dimensioning and tolerancing standard for GD&T incorporates many significant changes, including:

• New symbols and terms
• Revisions to concepts, symbols, and terms
• Clarification to existing concepts

Many companies are in the midst of cost-reduction programs and are under intense pressure to increase productivity. As a result, the timing of this new standard’s release has caused an unexpected challenge for industry. Changing dimensioning and tolerancing standards is a major effort, and the decision should be made with as much information as possible.

Here at ETI, companies have been requesting information about what is going on in industry relative to dimensioning and tolerancing standards. With that in mind, I have created a short survey to collect statistics regarding companies’ plans for either adopting the new standard or adopting ISO standards.

When the survey is complete, I will share the results with all the survey participants. I will also provide a white paper of my personal insights on the benefits and risks of early adoption. It will discuss points to consider when deciding to adopt the new ASME standard or change to ISO standards.

I hope you will take a few minutes to complete this short, 10-question survey. The individual results will be confidential; only group data will be published.

Best regards,
Alex

I recently co-authored an article with my colleague James R. Roll about the importance of using GD&T for detecting bad design before production. The article, “Avoiding Design Problems With Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing,” was published a few weeks ago in Machine Design magazine.

Here’s a short excerpt:

Datum selection is the best place to start when managing variation during the PDP. A robust datum scheme uses datums that best prevent the parts from moving out of position, minimizes the number of items in a tolerance stack, is well controlled within the part (location tolerances and rigid features) and is shared by as many manufacturing processes as possible.

The datum scheme is largely driven by the product-build strategy and system requirements, thus it is important to consider the effect of datum selection early in a PDP (requirements and system design phases). The design-and-build strategy defined at this stage will have the largest effect on product quality with the least cost. Mistakes made at this stage will be expensive to fix at later stages, if they can be corrected at all.

Please read the full article at the magazine’s website here and let me know what you think. I look forward to your feedback.

I’ve just returned from the ISO TC213 meetings in Berlin. There are many interesting new changes in the works for upcoming ISO dimensioning and tolerancing standards.

I’ll give more detailed information regarding the workings of the ISO standards development in future blog entries.

As the globalization of manufacturing continues, I believe the ISO standards will play a more significant role in the U.S. The next ISO TC213 meeting is scheduled for September 2009 and is tentatively set to take place in San Antonio, Texas, USA.

An article on the reliableplant.com website about the current economic issues in industry caught my attention. The title says it all: “Economics Drive Need for Change [in] Management Expertise and Outcome.”

In the article, ESI International revealed the top 10 project management trends that will impact both private and public sector organizations this year.

Two of the trends listed were:

1. People Will Come Before Technology
   Organizations will increase their demands for smart third-party guidance that ensures technology investments deliver enhanced performance. This will result in greater recognition of the critical role people play, leading to increased recognition that employees need the right skills and knowledge before applying processes for consistency and adding technology to deliver increased efficiencies.
2. Right-sizing Staff with Demand Driven Resource Management
   The adoption of demand-driven resource management will increase significantly in 2009. Its ability to right-size internal staff and draw on outside contractors when demand requires will be viewed as an essential cost containment approach leading to greater organizational performance and efficiency.

The first point mentions the importance of employees having the “right skills and knowledge before applying processes.” In this economic slowdown, some companies are wisely taking advantage of more time to train their employees, and ETI is meeting those needs with our excellent GD&T training options.

However, many companies are also striving to finish products quickly, and their workforces may be overloaded. As the second point mentions, they may need to “draw on outside contractors when demand requires.”

ETI Adding Engineering Services
In line with meeting our customer needs, we now are offering engineering services. Our engineering services include design checking, adding GD&T to customer designs, and tolerance analysis. These services are competitively priced and will be performed by industry experts. Call our sales team for a quote on your specific need, or request a quote online.

Link to article: http://www.reliableplant.com/Article.aspx?articleid=15207

ETI is celebrating the new year with the largest company-wide sale in our 24-year history.

From January 5th to March 31st, 2009, we’re offering discounts on all of our training (onsite, public, traditional web-based, and live web training). When you book your training, you’ll also receive discounts on the workshop materials.

Contact a GD&T representative today to build the perfect training package for your organization. We will create a package customized to your specific company training needs, at special discounted pricing.

Your company can receive exceptional discounts on:

• Onsite workshops and training materials
• Public workshops
• Web-based training
• Live web training

Call a representative at 1-800-886-0909 to discuss the best training option for your organization, and to discover how much your company can save during our first quarter sale.

Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to receive ETI’s expert GD&T training and materials at these low, low prices!

I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday season. This may help you with your home decorations…