3-Day GD&T for Gage and Fixture Design

This GD&T workshop is intended mainly for two groups; 1) Those personnel that are required to design and fabricate gages, fixtures, and jigs; and, 2) Design personnel who design the parts that will be gaged. (It is imperative that design personnel be included in this training; gages and fixtures CANNOT be fabricated for ANY part unless the drawing contains the proper geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) callouts).

Successful completion of the 5-day Application and Interpretation of GD&T workshop or permission from the instructor is a prerequisite for this workshop.

The course objective is to educate students in the design, manufacture and use of gages to inspect parts established by the ASME Y14.43-2011 Dimensioning and Tolerancing Principles for Gages and Fixtures standard. This includes fixtures and jigs that are used to hold and locate parts properly while they are being machined, inspected, or assembled. Topics include: design of gages used to inspect size (GO-NOGO gages), types of gages, optical gages (overlay templates used with optical comparators), and Graphical Inspection Analysis (GIA) also known as “paper gaging”. Students will also be introduced to the gage tolerancing policies outlined in the ASME Y14.43 standard and how they are used. Students will also be able to employ the knowledge they have learned by numerous classroom exercises using actual drawings and gages.

The role of the designer in the design and use of gages cannot be overemphasized; if the proper GD&T callouts are not specified on part drawings or models, gages cannot be produced to inspect parts. Designers learn that proper GD&T use is crucial when specifying the design intent for parts so that they can be inspected using a functional gage.

Class lectures are supplemented with viewgraph presentations that explain the desired concepts. In addition, hundreds of hands-on parts, gages, fixtures, and jigs are available for students to examine to help absorb gage and fixture fundamental concepts.

A copy of the ASME Y14.43-2011 standard entitled Dimensioning and Tolerancing Principles for Gages and Fixtures will be made available to each student during the workshop. Students receive a three-ring reference binder that contains class lecture material. Reading from the standard is assigned after each lecture. Lecture quizzes and homework assignments, primarily consisting of actual drawings, gages, and fixtures are assigned each day. Students will also participate in class exercises as a group during class time.

This GD&T course is an extremely intensive training program. Students are expected to read from the standard at night to prepare for the lecture quizzes. Homework is also assigned each evening. Students that 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. Students who correctly complete 70% of the assignment receive a satisfactory completion certificate that certifies their competency in the design and use of gages and fixtures. To best serve the participants, this course is limited to a maximum attendance of 22 students.

This 3-day workshop is offered as a public class at various locations around the country. The public class is well suited for companies that need training for a limited number of employees.