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DIMENSIONING

Lecture Outline
 Introduction
 Dimension Guidelines
 Basic Terms
 Basic Concepts
 Standard Practices

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DIMENSIONING

Is the process of adding size information

to a drawing

DIMENSIONING
Before any object can be produced or manufactured

 Complete information about (size & shape) of the

object must be known

 The exact shape of the object is communicated

through orthographic drawings

 The drawings are then developed by following

standard drawing practices

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DIMENSIONING

 Geometrics is the science of specifying and

tolerancing the shapes and locations of features on
objects.

 Once the shape of a part is defined with an

orthographic drawings, the size information is added
also in the form of dimensions.

 Dimensioning a drawing also identifies the tolerance

(or accuracy) required for each dimension.

DIMENSIONING

 If a part is dimensioned properly, then the intent of

the designer is clear to both the person producing
the part and the inspector checking the part.

 A fully defined part has three elements: graphics,

dimensions, and words (notes).

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TERMS
 Dimension is the numerical value that defines the
size or geometric characteristic of a feature

 Basic dimension is the numerical value defining the

theoretically exact size of a feature

 Reference dimension is the numerical value

enclosed in parentheses provided for information
only and is not used in the fabrication of the part

TERMS
 Dimension line is the thin solid line which shows the extent &
direction of a dimension
 Arrows are placed at the ends of dimension lines to show the
limits of the dimension
 Extension line is the thin solid line perpendicular to a
dimension line indicating which feature is associated with the
dimension
 Leader line is the thin solid line used to indicate the feature
with which a dimension, note, or symbol is associated.
 Tolerance is the amount a particular dimension is allowed to
vary
 Plus and minus dimensioning is the allowable positive &
negative variance from the dimension specified

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TERMS
 Limits of size is the largest acceptable size & the
minimum acceptable size of a feature.

The largest acceptable size is expressed as the

maximum material condition (MMC)

The smallest acceptable size is expressed as the least

material condition (LMC).

TERMS
 Diameter symbol is the symbol which is placed preceding a
numerical value indicating that the associated dimension
shows the diameter of a circle. The symbol used is the Greek
letter phi (π)

 Radius symbol is the symbol which is placed preceding a

numerical value indicating that the associated dimension
shows the radius of a circle. The radius symbol used is the
capital letter R

 Datum is the theoretically exact point used as a reference for

tabular dimensioning

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DIMENSION GUIDELINES
 The primary guideline is that of clarity and whenever two
guidelines appear to conflict, the method which most
clearly communicates the size information shall prevail

 Every dimension must have an associated tolerance, and

that tolerance must be clearly shown on the drawing

 Avoid over-dimensioning a part. Double dimensioning of a

feature is not permitted

 Dimensions should be placed in the view which most

clearly describes the feature being dimensioned

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DIMENSION GUIDELINES
 A minimum spacing between the object and
dimensions and between dimensions must be
maintained

 A visible gap shall be placed between the end of

extension lines and the feature to which they refer

 Manufacturing methods should not be specified as

part of the dimension unless no other method of
manufacturing is acceptable

 Placing dimensions within the boundaries of a view

should be avoided whenever practicable

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DIMENSION GUIDELINES
 Dimensions for materials typically manufactured to gages
or code numbers shall be specified by numerical values

 Unless otherwise specified, angles shown on drawings

are assumed to be 90 degrees

 Dimensioning to hidden lines should be avoided

whenever possible. Hidden lines are less clear than
visible lines

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DIMENSION GUIDELINES

 Diameters, radii, squares, counterbores, spotfaces,

countersinks, and depth should be specified with the
appropriate symbol preceding the numerical value

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SIZE & LOCATION DIMENSIONS

 A well dimensioned part will communicate the size
and location requirements for each feature.

Communications is the fundamental purpose of

dimensions

Parts are dimensioned based on two criteria

 Basic size and locations of the features
 Details of a part's construction and for
manufacturing.

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UNIT OF MEASURE
 On drawings used in American industries, all
dimensions are in inches, unless otherwise stated.

 Most countries outside United States use the metric

system of measure, or the international system of
units (SI), based on the meter

 The SI system is being used more in the United

States because of global trade and multinational
company affiliations

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UNIT OF MEASURE
 Occasionally, company may use dual dimensioning,
that is, both metric & English measurements on a
drawing

 Angular dimensions are shown either in decimal

degrees or in degrees, minutes, and seconds

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Decimal dimensioning Millimeter dimensioning

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BASIC CONCEPTS
 Dimensions are used to describe the size and
location of features on parts for manufacture.

The basic criterion is

What information is necessary to produce the
object?

Dimensions should not be excessive

 Either through duplication or
 dimensioning a feature more than one way

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BASIC CONCEPTS
 Size dimension might
be the overall width of
the part or the diameter
of a drilled hole

 Location dimension
might be length from
the edge of the object
to the center of the
drilled hole

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BASIC CONCEPTS

Size dimensions
 Horizontal
 Vertical
 Diameter
 Radius

Location & Orientation

 Horizontal
 Vertical
 Angle

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BASIC CONCEPTS

Rectangular coordinate
dimensioning
 A base line (datum) is
established for each
coordinate direction, and
all dimensions specified
with respect to these
baselines. Also known as
datum dimensioning, or
baseline dimensioning

 All dimensions are

calculated as X and Y
distances from origin,
usually placed at the lower
left corner of the part.

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STANDARD PRACTICES (Placement)

Decimal
dimensioning

Dimension placement
 Depends on the space
available between
extension lines

 When space permits

dimensions & arrows are
placed between the
extension lines

Millimeter
dimensioning

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STANDARD PRACTICES (Spacing)

 The minimum distance from the

object to the first dimension is
10mm

 The minimum spacing between

dimensions is 6mm

 There should be a visible gap

between an extension line and
the feature to which it refers

 Extension lines should extend

about 1mm beyond the last
dimension line

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STANDARD PRACTICES (Grouping)

 Dimensions should be
grouped for uniform
appearance Not OK

OK

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STANDARD PRACTICES (Staggering)

 Where there are

several parallel
dimensions, the values
should be staggered

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STANDARD PRACTICES (Extension lines)

 Extension lines are

used to refer a
dimension to a
particular feature

 Usually drawn
perpendicular to the
associated dimension
line

 Where space is
limited, extension lines
may be drawn at an
angle

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STANDARD PRACTICES (Extension lines)

Extension lines
 should not cross
dimension lines

 Should avoid crossing

other extension lines
whenever possible

 When extension lines

cross object lines or
other extension lines,
they are not broken

 When extension lines

cross or are close to
arrowheads, they are
broken for the
arrowhead

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STANDARD PRACTICES (Extension lines)

Extension lines
 When the location of
the center of a feature
is being dimensioned,
the center line of the
feature is used as an
extension line

 When a point is being

located by extension
lines only, the
extensions lines must
pass through the point.

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Standard Practices(Reading Direction)

 All dimension and note text
must be oriented to be read
Unidirectional
from the bottom of the
(Current standard)
drawing (relative to the
drawing format)

 Placement of all text to be

read from the bottom of the
drawing is called
unidirectional dimensioning

 Aligned dimensions have

text placed parallel to the
dimension line with vertical
dimensions read from the
right of the drawing sheet

Aligned
(Old standard)

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Standard Practices(View Dimensioning)

 Dimensions are to be kept

outside the boundaries of Not ok
views of objects wherever
practical

 Dimensions may be place

within the boundaries of
objects in cases where
extension or leader lines
ok
would be too long

 Or where clarity would be

improved.

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Standard Practices(Out-of-Scale Dimensions)

 If it is necessary to include a dimension which is out of

scale,
 the out of scale dimension text must be underlined

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Standard Practices(Repetitive Features)

 The symbol X is used to indicate the number of times
a feature is to be repeated
 The number of repetitions, followed by the symbol X
and a space precedes the dimension text

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