Tolerances and Inspection

by joseph oswald
(chicago il)

I am the inspector in a 100+ year old "tape & square fab shop.

I was flagged by the ISO auditor on my inspection form. We were checking a plasma cut shape with a tolerance of 1/16". On the inspection form I had +/-.062" in the tol. column.

He stated to me that the process and inspection tools were not conducive to be able to check to three places. I agreed. This is what management dictated that I use on our forms.

I have jobs that are checked to three places using mics & calipers and they recorded as such. I believe that the tol. should be written as +/-.06". Our customer is o.k. with the tol. He does not care how it is written.

My company's management is adamant that I go to three and even four places on the tolerance column for the forms. Their basis for this idea is that is what a fraction is when converted to a decimal (Ex. 1/16" = .0625") per the charts on the walls.

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