Free state
Tolerance applies to a non-rigid part measured without clamping or restraint.
Symptom: a thin or flexible part passes while clamped but changes shape after it is released. Likely cause: residual stress releasing, or the part flexing under its own weight or under the clamps. First check: see how the drawing states the condition: free state means only gravity acts on the part (the direction of gravity is stated), and a restrained condition is called out separately for particular features. If the drawing asks for free state, measure unclamped in the stated orientation; if it asks for restrained, restrain the part as the drawing describes, and compare the clamped and free readings before you adjust the process.
General shop guidance in our own words. The drawing and the standard it cites decide; verify on a sample part.
Tell the advisor the feature, the tolerance on the drawing and the material. It answers with machining choices, brand-neutral.
Definition written in our own words and checked against keyence.com. Symbol and term names follow the cited ISO standards; we do not reproduce standard text. See the full index.
Shop note reviewed by our tooling specialist (carbide cutting-tool production and tool measurement background) on 12 October 2026.