Din 16742 - Tg5 Jun 2026

TG5 assumes dimensional stability at 23°C / 50% RH. If your part operates at 80°C in PA66, the tolerance must be loosened by 25% due to creep—or switch to glass-filled material.

You cannot achieve TG5 tolerances through design choice alone. Success relies on controlling three core manufacturing variables. Material Selection (Shrinkage Behavior)

Tolerances scale progressively from

DIN 16742 TG5 strikes an ideal balance between high-end dimensional precision and manufacturing viability. It challenges manufacturers to optimize their processes but rewards them with highly functional, reliable, and perfectly matching components. By understanding the interplay between polymer behavior, tool construction, and the nominal dimension scaling of TG5, engineering teams can confidently design next-generation plastic products.

DIN 16742 - TG5 is not a single number. It distinguishes between three tolerance categories: din 16742 - tg5

: For high-accuracy fittings, designers can use the "steel off" approach, designing features slightly smaller so they can be precisely adjusted by removing steel from the mold after initial testing.

DIN 16742 is closely linked to the international standard (or ISO 20457), which covers the same subject — tolerances for plastic moulded parts — at an ISO level. In practice, the two standards are used interchangeably; many companies and software tools support both. The primary difference is that DIN 16742 retains some German‑specific details and references, while ISO 20457 is intended for global application. For most practical engineering purposes, TG5 values in DIN 16742 align with the corresponding tolerance class in ISO 20457.

Wear on the mold over time will eventually push parts out of the TG5 threshold if maintenance is neglected. 3. Process Control and Environment

The practical limit for high-precision industrial plastic manufacturing. TG5 assumes dimensional stability at 23°C / 50% RH

If you want to apply this standard to a specific project, let me know: What you plan to use The nominal dimensions of your most critical features If these features cross a mold parting line or slide Share public link

To hit TG5, the injection mold tool must be constructed to high accuracy standards.

Establishes rigorous quality control thresholds that minimize field failures. Challenges and Cost Drivers

These have tighter tolerances because they are controlled entirely by the steel cavity. For most practical engineering purposes

Even for very small dimensions, a tolerance smaller than ±0.1 mm is generally not economically feasible for most injection moulding processes.

: Pressures within the mold tool fluctuate depending on gating location and process settings.

Materials with very high shrinkage or strong anisotropic behaviour (e.g., unfilled PP, unfilled PA6) may still be processed to TG5, but often require more careful process optimisation or moving to Series 2 production.

of TG5 values against other tolerance groups for specific dimension ranges? Design Guide Spuitgieten - Pekago Covering Technology