Inventor® Tolerance Analysis Software is designed to help inventor users make informed decisions by validating manufacturing tolerances. When you design a part the CAD system is a perfect representation of the part. In fact, when you produce a part there are slight differences in each part. The purpose of tolerance design is to consider the allowable variation of each part to determine if the engineering requirements are met when the parts are assembled.
To determine how much tolerance is allowed, you must consider the summation, or summation, of individual measurement differences. The size differences of the components combine to produce a critical distance difference, usually between two different parts of the assembly. For each critical distance, you must determine what constitutes an acceptable range of values at which the system still functions as intended. Coefficient analysis of tolerances provides a way to understand the relationship between size variations and job requirements.