Chapter 22

Maximum material and least

material principles

Maximum material The symbol for maximum material condition is the

condition (MMC)
BuyMMC
this file from http://www.download-it.org/learning-resources.php?promoCode=&partnerID=&content=story&storyID=1046
is that condition of a part or feature which
contains the maximum amount of material, e.g.
minimum size hole, or a maximum size shaft. In certain
cases its use allows an increase in the specified tolerance
if it is indicated that the tolerance applies to the feature
at its maximum material condition.
The maximum material principle takes into account
the mutual dependence of tolerances of size, form,
orientation and/or location and permits additional
tolerance as the considered feature departs from its
maximum material condition.
The free assembly of components depends on the
combined effect of the actual finished sizes and the
errors of form or position of the parts.
Any errors of form or position between two mating
parts have the effect of virtually altering their respective
sizes. The tightest condition of assembly between two
mating parts occurs when each feature is at the MMC,
plus the maximum errors permitted by any required
geometrical tolerance.
Assembly clearance is increased if the actual sizes
of the mating features are finished away from their
MMC, and if any errors of form or position are less
than that called for by any geometrical control. Also,
if either part is finished away from its MMC, the
clearance gained could allow for an increased error of
form or position to be accepted. Any increase of
tolerance gained this way, provided it is functionally
acceptable for the design, is advantageous during the
process of manufacture.
Straightness
error
Actual
diameter
Virtual size being
Actual
diameter the effective
assembly diameter
Fig. 22.1
Buy this file from http://www.download-it.org/learning-resources.php?promoCode=&partnerID=&content=story&storyID=1046
letter M enclosed by a circle, M . The symbol is
positioned in the tolerance frame as follows:
(a) Ø 0.05 M X Refers to the tolerance only.
(b) Ø 0.05 X M Refers to the datum only.
(c) Ø 0.05 M X M Refers to both tolerance and datum.
Least material condition
(LMC)
LMC is that condition of a part or feature which contains
the minimum amount of material, e.g. maximum size
hole or a minimum size shaft.
Circumstances do arise where, for example, a
designer would require to limit the minimum wall
thickness between a hole and the side of a component.
In such a case we need to control the least material
condition where a part contains the minimum amount
of material.
The appropriate tolerance would then be quoted,
followed by the letter L inside a circle L .
Generally such examples are very few. The
applications which follow cover the more widely found
conditions of MMC.
Maximum material
condition related to
geometrical form
The limit of size, together with geometrical form or
position of a feature, are factors of the maximum
material principle, and its application is restricted to
those features whose size is specified by toleranced
dimensions incorporating an axis or median plane. It
can never be applied to a plane, surface, or line on a
surface.
 180 Manual of Engineering Drawing

The characteristics to which it can be applied are as Ø 20 Ø 0.7 Tolerance zone

follows: Ø 20.7
straightness, Effective
parallelism, assembly
diameter
squareness,
angularity, Straightness error contained within
the cylindrical tolerance zone
position,
concentricity, Fig. 22.4
symmetry
The characteristics to which the maximum material
condition concept cannot be applied are as follows: Maximum material
flatness, condition applied to
roundness,
cylindricity, squareness
profile of a line,
profile of a surface, Figure 22.5 shows a typical drawing instruction where
run-out. limits of size are applied to a pin, and in addition a
squareness tolerance of 0.3 is applicable at the maximum
Buy this file from http://www.download-it.org/learning-resources.php?promoCode=&partnerID=&content=story&storyID=1046
material condition.
Maximum material 30.6
condition applied to Ø 30.0
Ø 0.3 M X

straightness X

Figure 22.2 shows a typical drawing instruction where

limits of size are applied to a pin, and in addition a
straightness tolerance of 0.2 is applicable at the
maximum material condition. Fig. 22.5

Figure 22.6 shows the condition where the pin is

Ø 0.2 M
finished at the maximum material condition with the
maximum squareness error of 0.3. The effective assembly
diameter will be the sum of the upper limit of size and
Ø 20.0
20.5

the squareness error. The squareness error will be

Fig. 22.2
contained within a cylindrical tolerance zone of ∅ 0.3.
Effective
Ø 30.9
Figure 22.3 shows the condition where the pin is assembly
Squareness error contained diameter
finished at the maximum material condition with the within the cylindrical Ø 0.3
maximum straightness error. The effective assembly tolerance zone
diameter will be equal to the sum of the upper limit of Ø 30.6
Datum face X
size and the straightness tolerance.
Ø 20.5 Ø 0.2 Tolerance zone
Ø 20.7 Fig. 22.6
Effective
assembly To provide the same assembly diameter of 30.9, as
diameter
shown in Fig. 22.7, when the pin is finished at its low
Straightness error contained within limit of size of 30.0, it follows that the squareness
the cylindrical tolerance zone error could increase from 0.3 to 0.9. This permitted
Fig. 22.3 increase should be checked for acceptability.
∅ 30.9 Effective
The straightness error is contained within a assembly
cylindrical tolerance zone of ∅ 0.2. Squareness error contained
within the cylindrical
diameter
∅ 0.9
To provide the same assembly diameter of 20.7 as tolerance zone
shown in Fig. 22.4 when the pin is finished at its low ∅ 30
limit of size of 20.0, it follows that a straightness error Datum face X

of 0.7 could be acceptable. This increase may in some

cases have no serious effect on the function of the
component, and can be permitted. Fig. 22.7

Buy this file from http://www.download-it.org/learning-resources.php?promoCode=&partnerID=&content=story&storyID=1046

 Maximum material and least material principles 181

Maximum material when the holes are finished away from the maximum
material condition.
condition applied to Note that the total tolerance zone is 0.2 + 0.1 = 0.3, and
therefore the positional tolerance can be increased where
position the two holes have a finished size away from the maximum
material condition.
A typical drawing instruction is given in Fig. 22.8, 70.3
and the following illustrations show the various extreme 58.2
dimensions which can possibly arise.
12.1
70 2 Holes Ø 12.0
Ø 0.2 M
Ø 12.1
Fig. 22.12

Maximum material
Fig. 22.8 condition applied to
Buy this file from http://www.download-it.org/learning-resources.php?promoCode=&partnerID=&content=story&storyID=1046
Condition A (Fig. 22.9)
Minimum distance between hole centres and the
coaxiality
maximum material condition of holes.
In the previous examples, the geometrical tolerance
81.8 has been related to a feature at its maximum material
69.8 condition, and, provided the design function permits,
the tolerance has increased when the feature has been
finished away from the maximum material condition.
Now the geometrical tolerance can also be specified
Ø 12 in relation to a datum feature, and Fig. 22.13 shows a
Fig. 22.9
typical application and drawing instruction of a shoulder
on a shaft. The shoulder is required to be coaxial with
Condition B (Fig. 22.10) the shaft, which acts as the datum. Again, provided the
Maximum distance between hole centres and maximum design function permits, further relaxation of the quoted
material condition of holes geometrical control can be achieved by applying the
maximum material condition to the datum itself.
70.2
Ø 0.2 M X M
58.2

Ø 12
Ø 29.8
30.0

Ø 14.98
15.00

Fig. 22.10

Condition C (Fig. 22.11)

To give the same assembly condition as in A, the
minimum distance between hole centres is reduced
when the holes are finished away from the maximum
material condition.
81.8 Fig. 22.13
69.8 Various extreme combinations of size for the shoulder
and shaft can arise, and these are given in the drawings
below. Note that the increase in coaxiality error which
could be permitted in these circumstances is equal to
the total amount that the part is finished away from its
Ø 12.1 maximum material condition, i.e. the shoulder tolerance
Fig. 22.11 plus the shaft tolerance.
Condition D (Fig. 22.12) Condition A (Fig. 22.14). Shoulder and shaft at
To give the same assembly condition as in B, the maximum material condition; shoulder at maximum
maximum distance between hole centres is increased permissible eccentricity to the shaft datum axis X.
Buy this file from http://www.download-it.org/learning-resources.php?promoCode=&partnerID=&content=story&storyID=1046
 Chapter extract

To buy the full chapter, and for copyright

information, click here
http://www.download-it.org/learning-resources.php?promoCode=&partnerID=&content=story&storyID=1046

The publisher detailed in the title page holds the copyright for this document

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted,
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recorded or otherwise, without the written
permission of Spenford IT Ltd who are licensed to reproduce this document by the
publisher

All requests should by sent in the first instance to

rights@download-it.org

Please ensure you have book-marked our website.

www.download-it.org