The ASME Y14.43 Standard and Its Root in the American Pragmatism

Abstract

ASME Y14.5 and Y14.43 standards share the task to define a coherent context in which geometric tolerances may find a rational approach. Even ASME Y14.5 defines the rules, meanings, and descriptions of geometric tolerances, ASME Y14.43 applies them aiming to design and build functional gages able to check if the geometric characteristics, assigned on a drawing, have been reached in a physical component. Many of the assumptions given in the ASME Y14.5 may be understood only when the design of a functional gage is approached. The need to build such kind of device is strictly connected with the need of industry that requires best-practices able to check geometric characteristics of products in a short time. The basic elements of ASME Y14.43 are summarized in the paper and a functional gage, taken from the edition of 2011, is elaborated and discussed. The root of the American standards has been associated with the philosophical school of pragmatism in which more attention is paid to practical examples and how every theoretical conceivement must be verified by scientific experimentation.