What is the tolerance for a 6 mm p6 shaft?

A 6 mm p6 shaft runs 6.012 to 6.020 mm — deviations of +12 to +20 µm, a band 8 µm wide.

What is the maximum and minimum size of a 6 mm p6 shaft?

Maximum 6.020 mm, minimum 6.012 mm. Anything outside that band is a reject at 20 °C, not a judgement call.

Why is the IT6 band 8 µm at 6 mm?

Because 6 mm falls in the ISO 286 size band over 3 up to 6 mm, and IT6 is defined per band rather than per size. Every nominal size in that band carries the same 8 µm width for IT6.

What shaft goes in a 6 mm p6 hole?

At 6 mm the standard pairs run from H7/h6 (0 to +20 µm clearance) through transition to interference fits — the full list with clearances is on this page.

What does the p in p6 mean?

Light interference. It fixes the fundamental deviation — the limit nearest the nominal size — while IT6 fixes the width of the band, which at 6 mm is 8 µm.

ISO 286 · p6 shaft · Ø6 mm

6 mm p6 Tolerance — Shaft Limits in mm and µm

https://shopmath.org/fits/p6/6mm · data verified August 1, 2026

A 6 mm p6 shaft is 6.012 to 6.020 mm — deviations of +12 to +20 µm on an IT6 band 8 µm wide. Light interference shaft for locational press fits in steel. Values apply at the ISO 286 reference temperature of 20 °C.

Nominal: 6 mm
Designation: p6
Feature: shaft
Grade: IT6
Band: 8 µm

6 mm p6 shaft · limits, mm

6.012 … 6.020

Upper dev: +20µm
Lower dev: +12µm
Band: 8µm

Measured at 20 °C on a plain cylindrical feature. The IT6 grade sets the 8 µm width; the p sets where the band sits.

Limits for a 6 mm p6 Shaft

Deviations in micrometres, finished limits in millimetres. Both describe the same band — the deviation is what a drawing carries, the limit is what a gauge reads.

6 mm p6 shaft tolerance — deviations and limits
Limit	µm	mm
Upper deviation	+20	0.020
Lower deviation	+12	0.012
Maximum diameter	+20	6.020
Minimum diameter	+12	6.012
Tolerance band (IT6)	8	0.008

Deviations are relative to the 6 mm nominal size. Values apply at the ISO 286 reference temperature of 20 °C; a part measured warm is not at these limits.

ISO 286 Tolerance Grades at 6 mm

6 mm falls in the ISO 286 size band over 3 to 6 mm, so every tolerance in that band has the same width regardless of which letter it carries.

ISO 286 standard tolerance grades at 6 mm nominal size
Grade	Tolerance, µm	Tolerance, mm
IT5	5	0.005
IT6	8	0.008
IT7	12	0.012
IT8	18	0.018
IT9	30	0.030
IT10	48	0.048
IT11	75	0.075
IT12	120	0.120

The grade sets the width of the band; the letter sets where that band sits relative to the nominal size.

Every Other ISO 286 Tolerance at 6 mm

The same nominal size under every other designation in this reference — the comparison that decides whether a feature is called out p6 or something looser.

ISO 286 hole and shaft tolerances at 6 mm nominal size
Property	Property	Deviation, µm		Limits, mm
Designation	Applies to	Upper	Lower	Min	Max
c11	shaft	-70	-145	5.855	5.930
d9	shaft	-30	-60	5.940	5.970
e8	shaft	-20	-38	5.962	5.980
f7	shaft	-10	-22	5.978	5.990
g6	shaft	-4	-12	5.988	5.996
h11	shaft	0	-75	5.925	6.000
h6	shaft	0	-8	5.992	6.000
h7	shaft	0	-12	5.988	6.000
h9	shaft	0	-30	5.970	6.000
k6	shaft	+9	+1	6.001	6.009
m6	shaft	+12	+4	6.004	6.012
n6	shaft	+16	+8	6.008	6.016
p6	shaft	+20	+12	6.012	6.020
r6	shaft	+23	+15	6.015	6.023
F8	hole	+28	+10	6.010	6.028
G7	hole	+16	+4	6.004	6.016
H11	hole	+75	0	6.000	6.075
H6	hole	+8	0	6.000	6.008
H7	hole	+12	0	6.000	6.012
H8	hole	+18	0	6.000	6.018
H9	hole	+30	0	6.000	6.030
K7	hole	+3	-9	5.991	6.003
N7	hole	-4	-16	5.984	5.996
P7	hole	-8	-20	5.980	5.992

Links go to that designation's page for this size where one exists, and to its full size table otherwise.

Standard Fits Available at 6 mm

What each standard hole/shaft pair gives at 6 mm, loosest first. Negative clearance is interference.

ISO 286 fits and their clearance at 6 mm nominal size
Property	Property	Clearance, µm		Property
Fit	Type	Min	Max	What it is for
H7/h6	clearance	0	+20	Locational clearance. Assembles by hand, no free movement intended.
H11/c11	clearance	+70	+220	Loose running. Wide commercial tolerances, large clearance for dirt, paint and thermal growth.
H9/d9	clearance	+30	+90	Free running. Good where accuracy is not essential and clearance can be generous.
H8/e8	clearance	+20	+56	Running fit with room for a lubricant film at speed.
H8/f7	clearance	+10	+40	Close running. The general-purpose lubricated journal fit.
H7/g6	clearance	+4	+24	Sliding. Locates accurately, still moves and turns freely.
H7/k6	transition	-9	+11	Locational transition. Accurate location, assembles with light force.
H7/m6	transition	-12	+8	Locational transition, tighter than k6.
H7/n6	transition	-16	+4	Tight transition. Usually a press job.
H7/p6	interference	-20	0	Locational interference. Rigid location in steel without the load capacity of a drive fit.
H7/r6	interference	-23	-3	Medium drive. The joint itself carries load.
F8/h7	clearance	+10	+40	Close running, shaft basis.
G7/h6	clearance	+4	+24	Sliding, shaft basis. The h6 shaft is the reference and the hole carries the clearance.
K7/h6	transition	-9	+11	Locational transition, shaft basis.
N7/h6	transition	-16	+4	Tight transition, shaft basis.
P7/h6	interference	-20	0	Locational interference, shaft basis.

Minimum clearance is the largest shaft in the smallest hole; maximum clearance is the smallest shaft in the largest hole.

Sources and Method for the 6 mm p6 Tolerance

6 mm p6 limitscomputed

limits computed from the compiled ISO 286 tables: ISO 286-1 IT grades and ISO 286-2 fundamental deviations, compiled from saucecode/ISO286 (LGPL-2.1) and parkergreene/isofits (MIT), cross-checked cell-for-cell

Verified against parkergreene/isofits ISO 286-2 limit tables (MIT); ISO 286-1 formula harness — 2067 checks passed

Computed from the standard's formulas, then checked against published tables.

IT tolerance gradescompiled

ISO 286-1 IT grades and ISO 286-2 fundamental deviations, compiled from saucecode/ISO286 (LGPL-2.1) and parkergreene/isofits (MIT), cross-checked cell-for-cell

Verified against parkergreene/isofits ISO 286-2 limit tables (MIT); ISO 286-1 formula harness — 2067 checks passed. Formula per ISO 286-1 standard tolerance factor and fundamental deviation formulas, used as a validation harness only per docs/research/data-sourcing.md §3.6

Compiled from independent public sources that agree cell-for-cell.

Formula

Limits from the deviations at 6 mm

max Ø  =  6 mm + (+20 µm)  =  6.020 mm
min Ø  =  6 mm + (+12 µm)  =  6.012 mm

The deviations are compiled from the ISO 286-2 tables; the limits are those deviations applied to the nominal size.

Assumptions

Values apply at the ISO 286 reference temperature of 20 °C.
Size only. Form, roundness, cylindricity and surface finish are separate callouts and a part inside these limits can still be unusable without them.
Dataset scope: COMPILED not computed: the ISO 286-1 formula deviates up to 13.26% from the table and is used only as a harness (warn >5%, fail >15%). EXCLUDED: shaft/hole letters s, t, u and the fits H7/s6, H7/t6, H7/u6 — no free source and an undetermined step constant in the formula.

Data last verified

August 1, 2026

How this data is built and checked →

How to Cite This 6 mm p6 Tolerance Reference

Citation

ShopMath. "6 mm p6 Tolerance — Shaft Limits in mm and µm." ShopMath, verified August 1, 2026, https://shopmath.org/fits/p6/6mm

BibTeX

@misc{shopmath-fits-p6-6mm,
  title        = {6 mm p6 Tolerance — Shaft Limits in mm and µm},
  author       = {{ShopMath}},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {\url{https://shopmath.org/fits/p6/6mm}},
  note         = {Data verified 2026-08-01}
}

Permanent URL

https://shopmath.org/fits/p6/6mm

Common Questions About the 6 mm p6 Tolerance

What is the tolerance for a 6 mm p6 shaft?: A 6 mm p6 shaft runs 6.012 to 6.020 mm — deviations of +12 to +20 µm, a band 8 µm wide.
What is the maximum and minimum size of a 6 mm p6 shaft?: Maximum 6.020 mm, minimum 6.012 mm. Anything outside that band is a reject at 20 °C, not a judgement call.
Why is the IT6 band 8 µm at 6 mm?: Because 6 mm falls in the ISO 286 size band over 3 up to 6 mm, and IT6 is defined per band rather than per size. Every nominal size in that band carries the same 8 µm width for IT6.
What shaft goes in a 6 mm p6 hole?: At 6 mm the standard pairs run from H7/h6 (0 to +20 µm clearance) through transition to interference fits — the full list with clearances is on this page.
What does the p in p6 mean?: Light interference. It fixes the fundamental deviation — the limit nearest the nominal size — while IT6 fixes the width of the band, which at 6 mm is 8 µm.

All 13 p6 sizes · ISO 286 tolerance chart · Every designation and fit