What the code means
H means the hole’s lower deviation is zero — it never goes under nominal. 7 is IT grade 7, a finishing grade used for location and bearing bores.
Formula
H7 at Ø20 mm
ES / EI +21 / 0 µm
IT7 = 21 µm
Limits 20.000 / 20.021 mm
Ø20 H7
How we use this in the toolroom
In the toolroom an H7 hole is how we locate a die, mould or jig: ream for a dowel, a guide bush or a press-fit bearing. The hole is allowed to go oversize by IT7, never undersize, so an h6 or g6 pin still enters.
The numbers come from ISO 286 tables, the same charts Accurate Industries uses in Pune for dies, moulds and precision tooling. AlwaysReach is the browser version of that lookup — see our story.
Other hole classes
Common hole/shaft pairings
H7 at common diameters
Full type-ahead for every ISO class is on the ISO tolerance calculator. Convert the millimetre result with the unit converter.