A numerical study on effect of temperature and inertia on tolerance design of mechanical assembly

Abstract

PurposeDue to technological and financial limitations, nominal dimension may not be able achievable during manufacturing process. Therefore, tolerance allocation is of significant importance for assembly. Conventional tolerance analysis methods are limited by the assumption of the part rigidity. Every mechanical assembly consists of at least one or more flexible parts which undergo significant deformation due to gravity, temperature change, etc. The deformation has to be considered during tolerance design of the mechanical assembly, in order to ensure that the product can function as intended under a wide range of operating conditions for the duration of its life. The purpose of this paper is to determine the deformation of components under inertia effect and temperature effect.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper, finite element analysis of the assembly is carried out to determine the deformation of the components under inertia effect and temperature effect. Then the deformations are suitably incorporated in the assembly functions generated from vector loop models. Finally, the tolerance design problem is optimized with an evolutionary technique.FindingsWith the presented approach, the component tolerance values found are the most robust to with stand temperature variation during the product's application. Due to this, the tolerance requirements of the given assembly are relaxed to certain extent for critical components, resulting in reduced manufacturing cost and high product reliability. These benefits make it possible to create a high‐quality and cost‐effective tolerance design, commencing at the earliest stages of product development.Originality/valueWith the approach presented in the paper, the component tolerance values found were the most robust to withstand temperature variation during the product's application. Due to this, the tolerance requirements of the given assembly are relaxed to a certain extent for critical components, resulting in reduced manufacturing cost and high product reliability. These benefits make it possible to create a high‐quality and cost‐effective tolerance design, commencing at the earliest stages of product development.