5-Day Application and Interpretation of GD&T

This comprehensive GD&T workshop is designed for individuals who not only read drawings, but must also create drawings using proper GD&T. The typical audience for this workshop consists of design engineers, structural engineers, designers, drafters, drawing checkers, manufacturing engineers, process engineers, planners, machine programmers, tool and gage designers, toolmakers, machinists, quality engineers, CMM inspectors, parts inspectors, managers, project leaders, procurement personnel, etc. This workshop is an ideal match for just about anyone involved in any aspect of engineering documentation.

The course objective is to teach a uniform method of specifying GD&T on design drawings and to provide a common interpretation of GD&T to drawing users. The class explores design requirements and tolerances that allow economical manufacturing and inspection methods. Students learn that creating production drawings is a team effort between design, drafting, manufacturing, and quality control. Those students presently involved in the origination of drawings are exposed to problems encountered by manufacturing, while drawing users learn of designer/drafter problems.

Class lectures are supplemented with overhead transparency presentations that explain the desired concepts. Common errors encountered by GD&T users are illustrated with viewgraphs of actual drawings. Viewgraph photographs of inspection and manufacturing processes are shown to the class to help the students understand how the drawing would be interpreted by the drawing users. Over 130 authentic parts, gages, and tools are available to students for "hands-on" experience with actual hardware.

Each student receives a textbook, GD&T Application and Interpretation, by Bruce A. Wilson, along with a matching study guide and solution manual. Students also receive a large three-ring reference binder that contains class lecture material. Reading from the text will be assigned after each lecture. In addition, lecture quizzes and homework assignments, primarily consisting of correcting actual drawings, are assigned. Students generate design concepts for functional gages on both the lecture quizzes and the homework.

This GD&T course is an intensive training program. Students are expected to read from the textbook during lunch and at night to prepare for the lecture quizzes. Homework is also assigned each evening. Those who desire to do well in this course study two to six hours each day in addition to classroom time. Students are evaluated on lecture quizzes, homework, and a comprehensive final examination. Those who correctly complete 70% of the assignment receive a satisfactory completion certificate that certifies their competency in GD&T application and interpretation. To best serve the participants, this course is limited to a maximum attendance of 22 students.

The five-day workshop is also offered as a public class held several times per year at various locations around the country. The public class is well suited for those companies that need training for limited numbers of students.