GD&T basics

GD&T Symbols List

Flatness

Flatness GD&T Flatness is a common symbol that references how flat a surface is regardless of any other datum’s or features. It comes in useful if a feature is to be defined on a drawing that needs to be uniformly flat without tightening any other dimensions on the drawing. The flatness tolerance references two parallel planes (parallel to the surface that it is called out on) that define a zone where the entire reference surface must lie.

Straightness

Straightness actually has two very different functions in GD&T depending how it is called out. In its normal form or Surface Straightness, is a tolerance that controls the form of a line somewhere on the surface or the feature. Axis Straightness is a tolerance that controls how much curve is allowed in the part’s axis. This is usually called out with an included call to maximum material condition. Both callouts are very different from each other

Cylindricity

The Cylindricity symbol is used to describe how close an object conforms to a true cylinder. Cylindricity is a 3-Dimensional tolerance that controls the overall form of a cylindrical feature to ensure that it is round enough and straight enough along its axis. Cylindricity is independent of any datum feature the tolerance needs to be less than the diameter dimensional tolerance of the part. Cylindricity essentially forms a perfect cylindrical boundary around the object that the entire 3-Dimensional part must lie in.