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GD&T Design Course: Tolerance Stackup Analysis & Functional, Manufacturable Design

GD&T Design

Bridge the gap between understanding GD&T and using it effectively.

The GD&T Design course bridges the gap between knowing GD&T and using it to design real parts. You’ll learn a structured approach to designing parts that assemble correctly, perform consistently, and clearly communicate intent across design, manufacturing, and inspection.

GD&T Design teaches you how to run tolerance stack-up calculations and assign tolerances that reflect how your part actually functions. You'll learn to select datums, dimensions, and tolerances based on real manufacturing and assembly conditions, including the stack-up math needed to keep mating parts fitting together every time.

Flexible Learning Options

Learn however is most convenient for you

Online GD&T Training

Online Course

Self-paced learning with quizzes and on-demand videos – great for individuals or teams

Take the Course Online
Live Virtual GD&T Training

Public Training

Live instructor-led public learning – in-person or virtually through live video conferencing

Join a Public Class
Public GD&T Training

Custom Live Training

Customized training for your company – on-site at your facility or virtually through live video

Train Your Team
Screenshot from the GD&T Design course explaining the purpose of the tolerance value.

Course Objectives

After completing this course, you will be able to:

  1. Apply GD&T tools to both new and existing designs.
  2. Select appropriate datums and tolerance values with confidence.
  3. Perform tolerance calculations and stack up analysis.
  4. Defend and communicate your design decisions effectively.
  5. Reduce costly design errors and rework through better GD&T application.
  6. Design for manufacturability without compromising function.
Screenshot from the GD&T Design course showing how to control the location and orientation of features of size with respect to the necessary datums using GD&T tolerances.

Who it is for

Primary Audience:

  • Design engineers
  • Product designers
  • Drafters
  • Drawing checkers

Also beneficial for:

  • Manufacturing engineers
  • Tooling and quoting engineers
  • Inspectors and machinists who review or check drawings
  • Professionals involved in design validation

Not ideal for:
Anyone who has not completed GD&T Fundamentals + GD&T Advanced (or equivalent experience).
This course assumes you already know the symbols. We teach you how to use them to design.

Screenshot from the GD&T Design course illustrating tolerance stack up analysis for an assembly

Pre-Requisites

Why?
Fundamentals and Advanced teach you what the GD&T symbols mean. Design teaches you how to use it.

Think of it this way: Fundamentals and Advanced teach you how to use the tools in your toolbox. Design teaches you how to build a house with them.

Explore the GD&T Design Course Content

Discover a practical approach to applying GD&T to develop fully defined, functional engineering drawings

Section 1: Course Introduction

  • Introduction to functional tolerancing
  • Review controls for Size, Location, Orientation, and Form (SLOF)
  • Develop a game plan to define and control all functional elements of a part

Section 2: Control: Establishing Functional Control

  • Detailed process on how to fully control SLOF
  • Fastener design with projection control
  • Explicit surface controls for machine parts
  • Axial and dual datums with controls on rotating parts

Section 3: Tolerance: Quantitative Design and Analysis

  • Introduction to tolerance values
  • Qualifying Datums with appropriate tolerances
  • Fixed Fastener Formula (Threaded/Clearance Hole Pattern Tolerance Calcs)
  • Introduction to worse case boundaries
  • Using Boundaries to Calculate Tolerance Values (MMC/LMC & MMB/LMB)
  • Calculations using Surface Control Boundaries
  • Use of "per unit" tolerance cases
  • Floating Fastener Formula (Clearance Hole Pattern Tolerance Calcs)
  • Designing for assembly tolerances
  • Introduction to linear tolerance stack up (Vector analysis)
  • Keyways and keyseats, Types of Fits, Cylindrical Slips and Fits
  • Rotational datum tolerancing for assembly criteria
  • Surface boundaries for rotating parts

Section 4: Refine: Functional Optimization

  • Defining function from a real world perspective
  • Zero Tolerance at MMC
  • Mating Part Design Considerations
  • Radial Tolerance calculations using boundaries
  • Real world stack up design decisions based on probability of deviations
  • Assembly Tolerance Calculations
  • Redefining Datum Reference Frames to gain functional tolerance
  • Benefits of Sep/Sim requirements
  • Review design functionality and fully defined drawings
  • Inspection process considerations for designers

Section 5: Recap & Miscellaneous Integrations

  • Review full design process on one full example
  • Effect of form tolerances on stack ups
  • Best practices for Redlining a drawing
  • Sheet metal design considerations
  • Miscellaneous Tools (Tangent Plane and Unilateral Modifiers)

Why GD&T Design Is the Missing Link in Your GD&T Training

Creators Behind the Course

Together, this team represents more than 70 years of design experience — and a shared passion for making GD&T practical, understandable, and useful in real-world design.

Tom Geiss, Founder of GD&T Basics

Tom Geiss

Automotive Mechanical Design & Tolerance Strategy

Mechanical design engineer with a background in automotive powertrain systems at BMW and ZF Transmissions, and multiple U.S. patents in transmission design. Known for turning complex GD&T requirements into clear, functional design decisions that hold up in manufacturing and inspection.

Jason Richter, GD&T Basics Technical Director

Jason Richter

CAD, Sheet Metal, & Design Communication

Mechanical engineer with deep experience in sheet metal, weldments, structural components, and complex CAD workflows. Known for making GD&T understandable and showing engineers how to express design intent clearly in their drawings.

Brandon John, GD&T Basics Engineering Training Manager

Brandon John

Machining, Inspection, and Design for Manufacturability 

Journeyman machinist and design engineer with nearly 30 years in manufacturing, including hands-on experience at Caterpillar (CAT). Expert in CNC programming, fixture and gage design, and complex mechanisms. Ensures your drawing works not just in CAD, but on the machine and at inspection.

Our GD&T Course Lineup

Whether you’re starting with the basics or diving deeper, choose the mix of courses that fits your goals.

GD&T training course options and the topics each course covers

Advanced GD&T, GD&T Inspection, and GD&T Design: Participants should have a basic understanding of print reading and must have completed GD&T Fundamentals (or equivalent) as a prerequisite.
It is also highly recommended to take Advanced GD&T prior to GD&T Design, but it is not required.

GD&T Design Course - FAQs

  • Why do I need Fundamentals and Advanced before taking Design?

    Fundamentals and Advanced teach you what GD&T means. Design teaches you how to use it.

    This course builds on GD&T Fundamentals and Advanced GD&T courses. Participants must have completed GD&T Fundamentals as a prerequisite, and prior completion of Advanced GD&T is highly recommended.

    You must understand the tools before you can apply them.

    Without that foundation, the design decisions in this course would feel like guesswork.
    Think of it this way:
    Fundamentals = the language
    Advanced = the nuance
    Design = how to speak it clearly and intentionally in your drawings.

  • How is this course different from the Fundamentals & Advanced courses?

    • Fundamentals teaches what the symbols mean and how to interpret drawings.
    • Advanced dives deeper into specific controls and nuances.
    • Design teaches how to actually make the drawing—what to tolerance, how much, and why.

    This course answers the question:
    “Okay, I understand GD&T… now how do I use it to create a drawing that works?”

    Fundamentals and Advanced teach you what GD&T means and how to read it.
    The Design course teaches you how to use GD&T to define a part from scratch — including how to pick datums, assign tolerances, and decide how much tolerance is appropriate for function and manufacturability.

    It shifts from interpretation → decision-making.

  • What will I be able to do after taking this course?

    You’ll walk away with a step-by-step workflow for designing parts that assemble correctly, perform consistently, and communicate intent clearly. 
    You’ll know how to select datums, choose meaningful tolerance values, run worst-case boundary calculations, and evaluate part + assembly fit conditions — without relying on tribal knowledge or trial-and-error. 

  • Is this course only for design engineers?

    No. While it’s especially valuable for those who create drawings, the course also benefits anyone who influences design decisions, including: 

    • Manufacturing engineers 
    • Tooling and gage designers 
    • Quality and inspection professionals 
    • Machinists and setup personnel 
    • Engineering leads and managers 

    If your job involves understanding why things were toleranced a certain way — this course will make your life easier. 

  • Will I learn how to do tolerance stack ups?

    Yes. You’ll learn practical tolerance stack up analysis techniques using worst-case and boundary-based methods to evaluate part-to-part and assembly-level variation. 
    More importantly, you’ll learn when each method is appropriate — and how to avoid over-tightening tolerances that drive up cost without improving function. 

  • Does this course follow industry standards?

    Yes — the course aligns with the ASME Y14.5 framework.
    But instead of focusing on textbook theory, we emphasize the real-world decision-making required to define parts that function and can actually be manufactured and inspected.

    This is not “how the standard says to think.”
    This is how real engineers successfully design parts in industry.

  • Are there real examples and workflows I can use at work?

    Yes. Every lesson uses real engineering drawings, realistic tolerance choices, and practical design trade-offs.
    The workflows are designed to be copied directly into your own design process the next day.

    This course is meant to be immediately usable — not something that sits in a notebook.

  • Will I get a certificate?

    Yes — all students receive a certificate of completion that can be used for training records, resumes, or professional development documentation.

  • What kind of support is available beyond course completion?

    We’re here to help you apply what you’ve learned — not just finish the course.

    • If you enroll in the online course, you’ll have full access to the learning platform for 1 year after enrollment. Even after you complete the training, you can revisit the lessons anytime for review or as a reference on the job.
    • If you complete custom live training, you’ll receive 90 days of platform access after the training wraps up — including everything available in the online version.

    Included with both formats:

    • Access to previously recorded webinars and bonus video content
    • Extra practice examples and tips
    • Direct email support from ASME certified GD&T instructors for real-world questions

    Whether you're reviewing a concept for a project or facing a tricky drawing at work, we’re here to help long after the course ends.

  • Why GD&T Basics Course?

    • Created by designers with 70+ years real-world experience
    • Built on practical application, not academic theory
    • Includes real drawings, real trade-offs, real tolerance decisions
    • Focuses on communication between design, manufacturing, and inspection
    • Helps engineers defend their drawings — not just make them

Still not sure which GD&T training option is best for your team?

Download our free guide to choosing the right GD&T team training to compare your options.

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