2002-12-25 >From my experience, dimensions need not be smaller than 1 mm. Except in some extreme precision work, most inch applications are accurate to no more than 1/16 inch (ca 1.5 mm). Thus, rounding all former inch dimensions to whole millimetres does not add any error. In fact if all you are looking for something not as accurate as 1 mm, 1 mm can still be used. That extra bit of accuracy then guarantees you what you really want.
Example: If you want to sell 1000 widgets and want to earn at least a 100 $ profit, you price those widgets to bring in 150 $ profit if all 1000 sell. This way you are guaranteed the 100 $ You originally wanted to make. If you are only able to sell a portion of the widgets at the price asked, you can lower your price a few percentage points and still make the profit. In other words, you have the extra precision as a buffer. If the actual measurement falls between the dimension and tolerance stated and what is actually needed, you are still guaranteed a perfect fit. If you ask for exactly what you want with no buffer room you may find yourself in a predicament that can not be rectified. Better to be safe then sorry. > 3 All measurements are precise (perhaps too precise in some cases) John
