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EDWartens UK

Free course · CAD

GD&T to ASME Y14.5: Read, Apply and Inspect Drawings

Geometric dimensioning and tolerancing for engineers who design, make or inspect parts: why plus/minus tolerancing fails, Rule #1, ASME Y14.5-2018 and the ISO GPS equivalents, the feature control frame, datums, form, orientation, position with bonus tolerance and virtual condition, profile, runout, worst-case and RSS stack-ups, surface plate, gauge and CMM inspection, and GD&T in Fusion, Onshape and FreeCAD drawings.

See the modules

Free to learn. Verifiable certificate £19 when you pass the final exam (optional, VAT included).

Level
Intermediate
Modules
13
Video
17 hours
Price
Free

Outcome

What you will be able to do

Explain why plus/minus location tolerancing fails and what Rule #1 does; read any feature control frame in ASME Y14.5-2018 and recognise its ISO 1101 equivalent; choose datum features from function and build the datum reference frame; apply and inspect flatness, straightness, circularity, cylindricity, perpendicularity, parallelism and angularity; calculate position with bonus tolerance, virtual and resultant condition and fastener tolerances; read profile and composite frames; specify runout on a shaft; run worst-case and RSS stack-ups by hand and in a spreadsheet; plan inspection on a surface plate, with gauges and on a CMM; and annotate a drawing with GD&T in Fusion, Onshape or FreeCAD.

  • Explain why plus/minus location tolerancing fails and what Rule #1 controls
  • Read any feature control frame to ASME Y14.5-2018 and recognise its ISO GPS equivalent
  • Choose datum features from function and build a datum reference frame
  • Calculate bonus tolerance, virtual and resultant condition, and position from CMM coordinates
  • Size position tolerances for floating and fixed fastener joints and functional gauges
  • Interpret profile, composite position and runout frames on real parts
  • Run worst-case and RSS tolerance stack-ups by hand and in a spreadsheet
  • Plan inspection on a surface plate, with gauges and on a CMM, and annotate a drawing in Fusion, Onshape or FreeCAD

Software

A calculator and a spreadsheet (LibreOffice Calc is free) for the calculations and stack-ups. For the drawing module, any one of Autodesk Fusion (free personal-use licence), Onshape Free or FreeCAD 1.1 (free and open source).

Hardware

None. A dial indicator, a granite or thick glass plate and a vernier caliper make the inspection practice more real, but they are optional.

Syllabus

13 modules

Each module has video lessons, notes and a short quiz. The final exam closes the course.

  1. 1Why GD&T: the limits of plus and minus, Rule #1, ASME and ISO4 lessons
  2. 2The language: features of size, MMC, LMC, virtual condition and basic dimensions3 lessons
  3. 3Reading the feature control frame and its modifiers3 lessons
  4. 4Datums and the datum reference frame3 lessons
  5. 5Form: flatness, straightness, circularity and cylindricity3 lessons
  6. 6Orientation: perpendicularity, parallelism and angularity2 lessons
  7. 7Position: true position, bonus tolerance, virtual condition and fasteners4 lessons
  8. 8Profile, composite tolerancing and position patterns4 lessons
  9. 9Runout, coaxiality and what changed in 20183 lessons
  10. 10Tolerance stack-ups: worst case and RSS4 lessons
  11. 11Inspection: surface plates, gauges and the CMM5 lessons
  12. 12GD&T in CAD drawings, a drawing review and the road to GDTP4 lessons
  13. 13Final assessment1 lesson

How it works

How this course works

  1. Watch the video lessonsOne module at a time, at your own pace.
  2. Take the module quizA short quiz at the end of each module shows what stuck.
  3. Keep your notesWrite in My notes beside each module and ask the trainer if you are stuck.
  4. Sit the final examPass it once you have been through the modules.
  5. Certificate, if you want oneOptionalPaid, and only after you pass. Anyone can check it online.

Certificate

An optional certificate when you pass

Learning is free. Pass the final exam and you can have a certificate for £19, including VAT, with a number employers can check online. It records that you completed a free online course; it is not a regulated qualification or a CPD certificate.

  • Your name, the course, its study time and your final exam score
  • A unique certificate number and a QR code to its verification page
  • Issued by Wartens Ltd; add it to your LinkedIn profile in one click
  • Pay now or after you pass: it is issued the moment you pass the final

How the certificate works

Sample certificate for GD&T to ASME Y14.5: Read, Apply and Inspect Drawings

Credits

Who made the lessons

The video lessons belong to their creators. EDWartens wrote the study plan, notes, quizzes and the final exam.

  • R. Dean Odell

    the backbone of the course: GD&T Lessons 1 to 8 (key concepts, form, orientation, datums, runout, profile, position and advanced position), Rule #1, reading frames, MMC, LMC and RFS, bonus tolerance, the projected zone, choosing datums, profile zone disposition, composite frames, coaxial controls, fixed fasteners, stack-ups, inspection, the GDTP Senior exam and the interview recap in the final

  • GD&T Basics - Engineer Essentials

    true position against coordinate dimensions, the MMC formula, datums and degrees of freedom, flatness, circularity, virtual condition, the removal of concentricity, chain and baseline dimensioning, go and no-go gauging, CMM part set-up and functional gauging

  • Straight To The Point Engineering

    the ten-minute introduction to GD&T that opens the course

  • GeoTolPro

    the comparison of the ASME envelope principle with ISO independency

  • The Efficient Engineer

    the animated overview of GD&T, tolerance zones and material conditions

  • Dimensional Control Systems

    the lesson on statistical, RSS and worst-case tolerance analysis

  • Joko Engineeringhelp

    GD&T tools in FreeCAD TechDraw

  • Brian Acquesta

    GD&T on Onshape drawings

  • Orzel Technologies

    placing feature control frames in Autodesk Fusion drawings

Questions

About this course

What is the UK drawing standard?
UK engineering drawings follow BS 8888, the technical product documentation standard, which points to the ISO GPS standards (ISO 1101 for geometrical tolerancing). This course teaches ASME Y14.5-2018 and shows the ISO GPS equivalent for each idea, so you can read both. Many UK manufacturers that supply the US or work for US-owned firms need Y14.5 as well.
Who is this GD&T course for?
Mechanical design, manufacturing and quality engineers, draughtspersons, CMM programmers, inspectors and final-year mechanical students who need to read, apply or inspect geometric tolerances on drawings. You should be able to read an orthographic drawing; no GD&T experience is needed.
Is the course free to learn?
Yes. Every module, the notes, the worked problems, the project and the final assessment are free, and the software it uses has free versions. The certificate is optional.
Does it follow ASME Y14.5 or ISO GPS?
It teaches ASME Y14.5-2018, the current edition, and compares each topic with the ISO GPS standards used in Europe and much of Asia: ISO 1101, ISO 5459, ISO 8015 and ISO 14405-1. The most important difference, the envelope principle against independency, is taught in the first module.
Does this course give me ASME GDTP certification?
No. ASME's Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing Professional certification is awarded only by ASME, at Technologist and Senior levels. This course covers much of the knowledge the Technologist exam tests and explains how to prepare, but its certificate is an EDWartens certificate of completion.
Do I need CAD software?
Only for the drawing module and the optional project. Any one of Autodesk Fusion for personal use, Onshape Free or FreeCAD 1.1 is enough, and the notes show the GD&T tools in each. Every calculation can be done with a calculator and a spreadsheet.
Does it cover inspection and CMMs?
Yes. A full module covers surface plate inspection, gauge blocks and the sine bar, go and no-go gauges and Taylor's principle, functional gauges, CMM alignment and fitting, reading a CMM report, measurement uncertainty and first article inspection.
How long does the course take?
About 16.6 hours at your own pace, of which about 10 hours is video and the rest is notes, worked problems and practice. The optional project takes about 8 hours more.
What is the project?
You re-issue the drawing of a servo motor adapter plate with GD&T for a gearbox maker in the Czech Republic and its supplier in Mexico: datums from function, every feature control frame, a fastener and coupling gap stack-up, an inspection plan, a first-article CMM evaluation and a drawing change notice.

The Professional Module is five live days of Siemens PLC, HMI and SCADA with an instructor, then a resume session and a CPD certificate.

See the Professional Module