ASME Y14.5-2018
Tolerances are decisions. Most drawings make theirs by habit. We make them from how the part works.
GD&T analysis and drafting for automotive and machinery — so parts assemble, fit, and perform on the first pass. Not drawings the shop has to guess at.
Why It Matters
The Cost of a Guessing Shop
A drawing without real GD&T leaves the decision to the person with the calipers. Over-tolerance and the part is expensive. Under-tolerance and the part doesn’t fit. Either way, the bill arrives as scrap, rework, or a line that stops.
GD&T is the language that carries design intent to the shop floor. Applied from function — not from habit — it tells the shop exactly what matters, and exactly what doesn’t have to.
What’s Included
The Full Scope of the Discipline
Every project starts with how the part functions — then we bring the tools that match:
01
Datum Scheme
A datum scheme built from how the part mates and functions — so tolerances are measured the way the part actually works.
02
Tolerance Strategy
The right control for each feature — profile, position, form, orientation — chosen for function, not copied from a template.
03
ASME Y14.5-2018 Application
The full standard, applied correctly: modifiers, MMB, and the rest — used where they help, nowhere they don’t.
04
Tolerance Stack-Up
Worst-case and statistical stack-up across the assembly — so the parts fit together, not just individually.
05
Drawing Review
Existing drawings checked for GD&T errors and omissions — before the part is made, not after it’s bad.
06
Tolerance Rationalization
Tight tolerances that don’t buy function are pure cost. We find them and relax them — where it’s safe to do so.
Who It’s For
Where Fit and Function Can’t Be Guesses
Automotive Suppliers
Mounts, brackets, chassis and body components that have to fit — every time, on volume production.
Machinery Builders
Parts that mate, rotate, and carry loads — where a loose tolerance shows up as vibration, wear, and downtime.
Manufacturing Teams
Shops and SMEs without an in-house GD&T specialist — who need drawings their floor and their suppliers can both execute.
Design Teams
Engineers who know what the part needs to do — and need it translated into controls a shop can build to.
How It Works
Function First, Then the Drawing
01
Send the Part
The model or drawing, how it fits, and what it has to do. We reply with a scoped quote within 48 hours.
02
We Build the Control Plan
Datum scheme and the controls each feature needs — reviewed and confirmed by you before drafting starts.
03
We Draft
GD&T applied from the control plan, stack-up where the assembly needs it, to ASME Y14.5-2018 or your company standard.
04
You Get a Drawing
A drawing the shop can execute without guessing — plus a plain-English explanation of why each control is there.
The Deliverable
Drawings That Mean What They Say
What you get back:
- A complete drawing with datum scheme and full GD&T frame
- Tolerance stack-up report where the assembly requires one
- Notes, finishes, and callouts the machinist can execute
- A written explanation of the controls we chose, and why
- All files, in your format — yours to keep
- A drawing that holds up when your customer, your supplier, or your own shop questions it
If someone questions the drawing later, we’ll be the ones answering.
FAQ
Common Questions
What’s the difference between GD&T and “normal” tolerancing?
Ordinary tolerancing limits the size of individual features. GD&T controls how features relate to each other — position, profile, orientation — measured from a datum scheme built around function. That’s the difference between a part that’s “close enough” and a part that assembles and performs.
We already have drawings. Can you review them?
Yes — drawing review is a core part of what we do. We check the GD&T against ASME Y14.5-2018, find the errors and omissions, and tell you what to fix before the part is made, not after.
What do you need from us?
The model or drawing, how the part mates, and what it has to do in service. Mated parts help if you have them. That’s enough to scope the work.
Can you work to our company drafting standard?
Yes. Send us your template and standard and the drawing will come back looking like it was drafted in-house. Our GD&T work fits inside your workflow — not instead of it.
Y14.5-2009 or 2018?
We work to ASME Y14.5-2018 and align with whichever revision your customer or standard requires.
What about pricing and turnaround?
A fixed, scoped quote within 48 hours — before any work begins. Typical single-part drawing turnaround is a few days to two weeks, depending on complexity.
Your Part’s Tolerances Deserve Better Than a Guess
Send the part and tell us how it has to work. Scoped quote within 48 hours — no commitment, no pressure.
GD&T to ASME Y14.5-2018 — Serving the US & Mexico, in English & Spanish
Related Services
FEA Analysis
Validate the design before you tighten it — analysis finds the limits, drafting states them.
3D CAD Modeling
No model yet? We build parametric SolidWorks and Inventor models ready for GD&T.
Machine Drawings from Existing CAD
From model to shop floor, with the tolerances to build it right.