Alan Fleming

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

Alan Fleming’s research confronts a fundamental challenge in mechanical design and manufacturing: the gap between perfect digital models and imperfect physical parts. His key contributions lie in the analysis of uncertainties and geometric tolerances in assemblies, where he developed rigorous methods to predict how real-world surface irregularities—bumps, undulations, and manufacturing variations—propagate through a structure of parts. In his seminal 1987 paper, "Analysis of uncertainties and geometric tolerances in assemblies of parts" (30 citations), Fleming demonstrated that computer models assuming exact shapes and positions are inadequate; instead, engineers must account for the inevitable deviations of real surfaces. His earlier 1985 work, "Analysis of uncertainties in a structure of parts" (14 citations), provided a foundational framework for predicting positional uncertainty in assemblies by analyzing the dimensions and tolerances of mated features at each contact point. Though his citation counts are modest, Fleming’s insights are highly practical, directly informing tolerance analysis in precision engineering and assembly design. His work remains a quiet but essential reference for researchers and practitioners striving to bridge the gap between idealized CAD models and the messy reality of manufactured components.