Skip to main content
JLY Precision Technology

CNC 公差解説:2026 年版 GD&T 実践ガイド

±0.005 mm は実際何を意味するか?CNC 公差、公差累積、GD&T 基礎、指定方法、検査方法のエンジニア実践ガイド。

13 min read
CMM probe verifying tight tolerances on a precision-machined CNC part

公差指定は CNC 部品コストに最大の影響を与えます。緩すぎれば部品は機能しません。どこでも厳しすぎれば、メリットなしで価格が 3 倍になります。本ガイドは実際の加工用語で公差の意味を説明します。

What a tolerance really is

A tolerance is the allowable variation in a dimension. If a drawing says “25.00 ±0.05 mm”, the part is acceptable when the measured dimension falls between 24.95 and 25.05 mm.

Three things determine the achievable tolerance on any given feature:

  1. Machine capability. A 20-year-old manual mill holds ±0.1 mm at best. A modern Mazak 5-axis cell holds ±0.005 mm comfortably. The machine sets the floor.
  2. Material behaviour. Aluminium machines stably; titanium springs back; thin-walled stainless deflects under cutter pressure. Material doubles or halves the achievable tolerance.
  3. Feature geometry. Tolerances on a 5 mm feature near the chuck are easy. Tolerances on a 200 mm-long thin wall are hard. Geometry can make the same nominal dimension 10× harder to hold.

What CNC can actually hold

Indicative; actual capability depends on material, geometry, machine and inspection method.
Feature typeStandard CNCPrecision CNCHigh-end (with care)
External dimensions±0.10 mm±0.025 mm±0.005 mm
Hole diameter±0.05 mm±0.013 mm±0.005 mm
Threaded holes (pitch)6H class fit5H class fitCustom
Surface finish (Ra)3.2 µm0.8 µm0.4 µm
Flatness (over 100 mm)0.05 mm0.013 mm0.005 mm
Parallelism (over 100 mm)0.05 mm0.013 mm0.005 mm
Concentricity / true position0.05 mm0.025 mm0.013 mm
Angle accuracy±0.5°±0.1°±0.05°

Tolerance stack-up — the silent cost driver

When several toleranced features have to interact, their individual tolerances add up. This is “tolerance stack-up” — and ignoring it leads to assemblies that fail QA even though every individual part is within spec.

Worked example: a stack of three identical washers, each toleranced ±0.05 mm thick:

  1. Per-washer tolerance

    Each washer can be 0.05 mm too thin or 0.05 mm too thick. Range = 0.10 mm per washer.

  2. Worst-case stack

    Three washers at the worst end: 3 × 0.05 = 0.15 mm thinner OR 0.15 mm thicker than nominal. Total range: 0.30 mm.

  3. Statistical stack (RSS)

    In practice not every washer is at the extreme. Root-Sum-Square gives more realistic ±0.087 mm at 3-sigma.

  4. Design implication

    If your assembly needs to fit in a 25 ±0.10 mm slot, 75 ±0.30 mm worst-case won’t fit. You must either tighten individual tolerances OR widen the slot OR redesign.

GD&T (Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing) in 5 minutes

GD&T is a symbolic language (ASME Y14.5 / ISO 1101) for specifying not just dimensions but the geometric relationships between features. It’s how aerospace, automotive and medical drawings communicate what really matters.

SymbolNameControls
StraightnessHow straight a line/axis is
◯ (circle)Circularity / roundnessHow round a cross-section is
Cylindricity3D roundness over the length of a cylinder
▱ (parallelogram)FlatnessHow flat a surface is
ParallelismSurface parallel to a datum
PerpendicularitySurface perpendicular to a datum
AngularitySurface at a specific angle to a datum
True positionWhere a feature is, relative to datums
ConcentricityWhether two cylinders share an axis
⌭ RRunoutCombined error during rotation
ΣProfileAllowable variation of a curved surface

Two key concepts make GD&T more powerful than “plus-minus” tolerancing:

Datums

  • A datum (A, B, C…) is a feature you reference everything else from.
  • Establishes a coordinate system on the part.
  • Without datums, “perpendicular” is ambiguous — perpendicular to what?

Bonus tolerance

  • GD&T allows extra tolerance when a feature is at maximum material condition (MMC).
  • A hole at its smallest allowed size has more “bonus” positional tolerance.
  • Lets the shop produce in-spec parts that “plus-minus” alone would reject.

How to specify tolerances on a drawing

  1. Use a title-block default

    Top right of the drawing: “General tolerance: ISO 2768-mK” (or ASME equivalent). Now most dimensions don’t need explicit tolerances.

  2. Tolerance only what matters

    Mating dimensions, sealing faces, bearing seats, datums. Leave decorative or non-functional features at the default.

  3. Use the tightest tolerance only where required

    A typical optimised drawing has 3–5 features at ±0.025 mm and the rest at ±0.1 mm default.

  4. Specify surface finish where it matters

    Use the standard finish symbol (✓ with Ra value) on the surfaces that need it. “Ra 0.8” on a sealing face; rest defaults.

  5. Add datums for GD&T-controlled features

    Pick the most-stable, most-machined surface as datum A. Usually a large flat face. Datum B and C are perpendicular to A.

How tolerances are verified

ToolBest forTolerance reach
Steel ruleRough check during machining±0.5 mm
Vernier / digital caliperGeneral-purpose checking±0.05 mm
MicrometerExternal diameters, thicknesses±0.005 mm
Bore gaugeInternal diameters±0.005 mm
Pin gauge / plug gaugeHole sizes (go / no-go)IT class fit
Height gauge with indicatorHeights, perpendicularity±0.01 mm
Surface plate + indicatorFlatness, parallelism over 100s of mm±0.005 mm
CMM (Coordinate Measuring Machine)Complex features, GD&T verification, FAI±0.002 mm
Optical comparatorProfiles, threads, sharp corners±0.005 mm
Surface roughness testerRa, Rz measurements0.01 µm
CMM probe inspecting a precision aerospace part
CMM verification of true position on a multi-feature aerospace bracket — the only practical way to verify GD&T at scale.

Cost impact of tightening tolerances

Indicative cost multiplier vs the same feature at default ±0.10 mm:

ToleranceCost multiplierWhy
±0.10 mm (default)1.0×Standard cycle, hand-held inspection.
±0.05 mm1.2×Slightly slower cuts, may need micrometer.
±0.025 mm1.5×Quality CNC machine, micrometer or bore gauge inspection.
±0.013 mmModern 5-axis or grinding machine, CMM verification.
±0.005 mm3–5×Top-tier machine, climate-controlled cell, full CMM, sometimes hand finishing.
±0.002 mm10×+Hand lapping, jig grinding, hours of inspection per part.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Tightening every dimension to ±0.005 mm. The classic rookie mistake. Triples cost for no functional benefit.
  • No general-tolerance call-out. Without ISO 2768 in the title block, every dimension becomes ambiguous and the shop will quote conservatively.
  • Toleranced angles smaller than ±0.5°. Most CNC mills handle ±0.5° easily. Tighter angles often require fixturing or grinding.
  • Demanding mirror surface (Ra 0.05) on functional surfaces. Polishing adds significant cost and lead time. Use Ra 0.8 unless optical or sealing function actually requires better.
  • Overlapping datum schemes. If A is the bottom and B is the side, don’t also reference the bottom as B somewhere else. Pick a clean A-B-C scheme and stick with it.
  • Forgetting MMC modifiers. True position with no modifier is the strictest interpretation. Adding Ⓜ (MMC) gives the shop legitimate bonus tolerance — use it where appropriate.
  • Tolerancing what can’t be measured. If the only inspection tool that can verify the spec costs $250k, expect to pay for that inspection.

よくあるご質問

±0.005 mm は実際どのような感じ?
0.005 mm は人間の髪の毛の厚さの約 1/10。目で見ることも、指で感じることも、ハンドキャリパーで測ることもできません。最低でも校正済みマイクロメーター、理想的には CMM が必要です。
常に GD&T を指定すべき?
非組付け消費者部品ではプラスマイナスで十分。機能が特徴間の関係に依存する場合、または顧客が規制産業にある場合は GD&T を使用してください。
ISO 2768 とは?
ISO 2768 は「一般公差」の国際規格 — 明示的に公差指定していない寸法の妥当なデフォルト値。クラス「m」が最も一般的です。
JLYPT は ±0.005 mm を一貫して達成できる?
正しい材料と形状であれば可能。複数の 5 軸セルと温度制御 CMM があります。航空宇宙と医療作業では、100% 検証で日常的に ±0.005 mm を達成しています。
マイクロメーターと CMM の選び方は?
手工具は個別寸法には安価で速い。CMM は真位置、多特徴の関係、自由形状面、FAI ドキュメント作成に必要です。
First Article Inspection (FAI) とは?
製造された最初の部品が CAD モデルと一致するか、すべての寸法と特徴を検証する文書化された検査。AS9102 準拠 FAI は航空宇宙注文に必要です。
±0.005 mm より厳しい公差は可能?
特定の特徴では可能 — 研削された軸受座、ラッピング処理された密封面は ±0.002 mm に到達可能。これは大きなコストとリードタイムを加える特殊作業です。

著者について

JLYPT Engineering Team

Senior CNC Application Engineers

Our application engineering team brings 15+ years of combined experience producing precision components for aerospace, medical, robotics and industrial automation customers.

類似プロジェクトのお見積りが必要ですか?

CAD ファイルをアップロードしていただければ、エンジニアが 24 時間以内に返信します。

無料見積りを依頼