Statistical measure of assemblability under the propagation of tolerances and clearances

The specification of tolerances is an integral part of product design since tolerances directly affect the functionality, manufacturability, part interchangeability, and cost-effectiveness of a product. Furthermore, tolerances can affect the assemblability of an assembly product due to tolerance propagations. In this paper, we present a method to measure assemblability based on the propagation of tolerances and clearances. The measure is based on the concept of clearance which can be used to compensate for tolerance. We show simulation results of clearance sweep for a serial chain and a clearance intersection for a parallel chain.