On the role of form defects in assemblies subject to local deformations and mechanical loads

Tolerancing activity is usually based on the traditional assumptions that surfaces have no form defects and are rigid under external loads. These assumptions tend to simplify the tolerance analysis of mechanical assemblies and hence the allocation of geometrical specifications. The present paper proposes an original procedure to systematically analyze and quantify the assembly of parts with form and position defects and deformable contact surfaces. Based on this procedure, stochastic simulations are performed by modifying the ratio between the position defects and form defects of surfaces. Even if the form defects are limited, they can lead to a non-compliant assembly. Clearly, the engineer's traditional approach, where form defects are assumed to have no influence, is generally not appropriate if we are to ensure that the expected performance is to be achieved on assembly.