Feature Control Frame
Example Frame:
Definition:
In GD&T, a feature control frame is required to describe the conditions and
tolerances of a geometric control on a part’s feature. The feature control
frame consists of four pieces of information:
GD&T symbol or control symbol
Tolerance zone type and dimensions
Tolerance zone modifiers: features of size, projections…
Datum references (if required by the GD&T symbol)
This information provides everything you need to determine what geometrical
tolerance needs to be on the part and how to measure or determine if the part
is in specification.
Parts of the Feature Control Frame
1. Leader Arrow – This arrow points to the feature that the geometric
control is placed on. If the arrow points to a surface than the surface is
controlled by the GD&T. If it points to a diametric dimension, then the
axis is controlled by GD&T. The arrow is optional but helps clarify the
feature being controlled.
2. Geometric Symbol – This is where your geometric control is specified.
See our page on GD&T symbols or the sidebar for a description of each
symbol.
3. Diameter Symbol (if required) – If the geometric control is a diametrical
tolerance then the diameter symbol (Ø) will be in front of the tolerance
value.
4. Tolerance Value – If the tolerance is a diameter you will see the Ø
symbol next to the dimension signifying a diametric tolerance zone. The
tolerance of the GD&T is in whatever unit of measure that the drawing is
written in. All of our examples on GD&T basics are metric units.
5. Feature of Size or Tolerance Modifiers (if required) – This is where you
call out max material condition or a projected tolerance in the feature
control frame. See the Modifiers section of the GD&T Symbols page for
further clarification on these features.
6. Primary Datum (if required) – If a datum is required, this is the main
datum used for the GD&T control. The letter corresponds to a feature
somewhere on the part which will be marked with the same letter. This
is the datum that must be constrained first when measuring the part.
Note: The order of the datum is important for measurement of the part.
The primary datum is usually held in three places to fix 3 degrees of
freedom
7. Secondary Datum (if required) – If a secondary datum is required, it will
be to the right of the primary datum. This letter corresponds to a feature
somewhere on the part which will be marked with the same letter.
During measurement, this is the datum is fixated after the primary
datum.
8. Tertiary Datum (if required) – If a third datum is required, it will be to
the right of the secondary datum. This letter corresponds to a feature
somewhere on the part which will be marked with the same letter.
During measurement, this is the datum is fixated last.
Special Condition: Size Dimension – the diameter or size of the feature that the
geometric control is being called on. (See example below). It is optional to
place the feature control frame next to the size dimension of the feature
called. However, when a feature of size callout like max material condition is
used the leader arrow will point to the dimension and the feature control
frame must be right underneath.
Special Condition: Datum Control – If the feature being referred to by the
feature control frame is also a datum, the datum symbol will show up off of
the frame. This is not mandatory as the datum control can also be placed
directly on the feature in the drawing as well.
Reading the Feature Control Frame
The feature control frame forms a kind of sentence when you read it. Below is
how you would read the frame in order to describe the feature.
This feature control frame would be read in the following way:
Be sure to check out our individual pages for each GD&T symbol for examples
and specific uses of the feature control frame
