Tolerance

In manufacturing and production, there is no absolute accuracy. This means that it is practically impossible to achieve a specified size exactly, whether it is a dimension, a quantity or another specific property. Every manufactured product therefore inevitably exhibits deviations from the ideal or desired values.

However, these deviations are not arbitrary; they must lie within defined limits in order to ensure the quality of production. These limits define the range within which the deviations are considered acceptable. This means that the actual dimensions (actual sizes) of a product must remain within these permissible deviations in quality-compliant production.

The difference between the upper limit dimension and the lower limit dimension is referred to as the tolerance. This tolerance indicates how much scope for deviations exists in the manufacture of a product without impairing its quality or functionality. By defining tolerances, manufacturers can ensure that their products meet the quality requirements and function reliably despite unavoidable deviations.