Tolerance Stack-Up Guides

Free engineering guides covering tolerance analysis methods, GD&T, statistical techniques, and real-world examples. Written for mechanical engineers.

New to tolerance stack-ups?

Start with the basics: what they are, when you need one, and how to build your first analysis.

Getting Started

Fundamentals of tolerance analysis

What is a Tolerance Stack-Up?1D Tolerance Stack-Up: Practical How-To Loop Diagrams: Drawing the Vector Loop Worked Example: Clevis Gap Analysis

Analysis Methods

WC, RSS, Monte Carlo, and statistical methods

Worst-Case vs. RSS: When to Use Each Statistical Tolerance Analysis Monte Carlo Simulation Modified RSS (MRSS) Method Sensitivity Analysis: Finding Critical Dims

GD&T & Special Cases

Bonus tolerances, fits, and geometric tolerancing

GD&T in Tolerance Stack-Ups MMC Bonus Tolerance LMC & Virtual Condition Unilateral & Asymmetric Tolerances ISO 286 Fits Calculator

Process Capability

Cpk, PPM, yield, and quality metrics

Cpk, PPM, and Yield in Stack-Ups Tolerance Allocation & Synthesis

Application Examples

Real-world stack-up scenarios

Clevis/Actuator Gap Stack-Up Pin-Bushing Clearance Bearing Endplay & Preload Gasket Compression Thermal Expansion Effects

Reports & Documentation

Writing professional tolerance reports

What is a Tolerance Report?Tolerance Report Template How to Write a Stack-Up Report Preparing for Design Review Design Review Checklist

Tools & Comparisons

Calculators and software options

Tolerance Stack-Up Calculator Excel Template for Stack-Ups TolReport vs. Excel Software Comparison Guide

Ready to build your own tolerance stack-up?