What are specification limits used for in engineering?

Specification limits are essential in engineering as they establish the criteria that a product must meet to be deemed acceptable in performance. These limits define the acceptable range for various parameters such as dimensions, tolerances, and functional characteristics that a product must adhere to. By setting these boundaries, engineers can ensure that the product will function correctly in real-world applications, align with user requirements, and meet safety and regulatory standards. This process is crucial in guiding the design, production, and quality control phases, ultimately leading to a product that satisfies both the manufacturer’s and the customer’s performance expectations.

In contrast, while assessing material properties serves an important function in understanding the capabilities of a material, it does not directly link to the overall performance criteria for a product. Measuring customer satisfaction and evaluating workforce efficiency are also valuable metrics, but they are not focused on the performance specifications of a product itself. Thus, defining product performance criteria through specification limits is fundamental to the engineering design process.