MAE 5210

Dimensional Tolerancing in Mechanical Design

Course Description

Course information provided by the 2026-2027 Catalog.

Designers use dimensional tolerances to limit spatial variations in mechanical parts and assemblies; the goals are interchangeability in assembly, performance, and cost. This course covers traditional limit tolerances briefly, but focuses mainly on modern geometric tolerances and their role in assembly control. Students learn how to represent assemblies in terms of mating and relational constraints, and how to design tolerances for relatively simple parts and assemblies.

Prerequisites background equivalent to: MAE 2250; MAE 2250 or ENGRD 2700 or MATH 2930 or PHYS 2214 or MSE 4020 or MSE 2610.

Enrollment Information Enrollment limited to: Master of Engineering (MEng) and Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) graduate students; others by permission of instructor.

Last 4 Terms Offered 2026SP, 2025SP, 2024SP, 2023SP

Learning Outcomes

• The student will be able to identify limitations of traditional limit tolerancing.
• The student will be able to read and interpret the symbols, dimensions, and tolerances on mechanical drawings.
• The student will be able to understand design intent based on mechanical design.
• The student will be able to understand the basics of tolerance stack-up analyses.

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