Engineering drawing

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Technical drawings

An engineering drawing, a type of technical drawing, is created within the technical

drawing discipline, and used to fully and clearly define requirements for engineered items.

Contents
[hide]

 1 Overview
 2 Engineering drawings: common features
o 2.1 Line styles and types
o 2.2 Multiple views and projections
 2.2.1 Orthographic projection
 2.2.2 Auxiliary projection
 2.2.3 Isometric projection
 2.2.4 Oblique projection
 2.2.5 Perspective
 2.2.6 Section Views
o 2.3 Scale
o 2.4 Showing dimensions
o 2.5 Sizes of drawings
o 2.6 Technical lettering
 3 Example of an engineering drawing
 4 See also
 5 References
 6 Further reading
 7 External links

[edit] Overview
Technical drawing of a certification listing for a firestop system

Engineering drawings are usually created in accordance with standardized conventions for
layout, nomenclature, interpretation, appearance (such as typefaces and line styles), size, etc.
One such standardized convention is called GD&T.

Each field in the Fields of engineering will have its own set of requirements for the producing
drawings in terms line weight, symbols, and technical jargon. Some fields of engineering
have no GD&T requirements.

The purpose of such a drawing is to accurately and unambiguously capture all the geometric
features of a product or a component. The end goal of an engineering drawing is to convey all
the required information that will allow a manufacturer to produce that component.

Engineering drawings used to be created by hand using tools such as pencils, ink,
straightedges, T-squares, French curves, triangles, rulers, scales, and erasers. Today they are
usually done electronically with computer-aided design (CAD).

The drawings are still often referred to as "blueprints" or "bluelines", although those terms
are anachronistic from a literal perspective, since most copies of engineering drawings that
were formerly made using a chemical-printing process that yielded graphics on blue-colored
paper or, alternatively, of blue-lines on white paper, have been superseded by more modern
reproduction processes that yield black or multicolour lines on white paper. The more generic
term "print" is now in common usage in the U.S. to mean any paper copy of an engineering
drawing.

The process of producing engineering drawings, and the skill of producing them, is often
referred to as technical drawing or drafting, although technical drawings are also required for
disciplines that would not ordinarily be thought of as parts of engineering.
[edit] Engineering drawings: common features
Drawings convey the following critical information:

 Geometry – the shape of the object; represented as views; how the object will look when
it is viewed from various angles, such as front, top, side, etc.
 Dimensions – the size of the object is captured in accepted units.
 tolerances – the allowable variations for each dimension.
 Material – represents what the item is made of.
 Finish – specifies the surface quality of the item, functional or cosmetic. For example, a
mass-marketed product usually requires a much higher surface quality than, say, a
component that goes inside industrial machinery.

[edit] Line styles and types

Standard engineering drawing line types

A variety of line styles graphically represent physical objects. Types of lines include the
following:

 visible – are continuous lines used to depict edges directly visible from a particular angle.
 hidden – are short-dashed lines that may be used to represent edges that are not directly
visible.
 center – are alternately long- and short-dashed lines that may be used to represent the
axes of circular features.
 cutting plane – are thin, medium-dashed lines, or thick alternately long- and double short-
dashed that may be used to define sections for section views.
 section – are thin lines in a pattern (pattern determined by the material being "cut" or
"sectioned") used to indicate surfaces in section views resulting from "cutting." Section
lines are commonly referred to as "cross-hatching."
 phantom - (not shown) are alternately long- and double short-dashed thin lines used to
represent a feature or component that is not part of the specified part or assembly. E.g.
billet ends that may be used for testing, or the machined product that is the focus of a
tooling drawing.

Lines can also be classified by a letter classification in which each line is given a letter.
 Type A lines show the outline of the feature of an object. They are the thickest lines on a
drawing and done with a pencil softer than HB.
 Type B lines are dimension lines and are used for dimensioning, projecting, extending, or
leaders. A harder pencil should be used, such as a 2H.
 Type C lines are used for breaks when the whole object is not shown. They are freehand
drawn and only for short breaks. 2H pencil
 Type D lines are similar to Type C, except they are zigzagged and only for longer breaks.
2H pencil
 Type E lines indicate hidden outlines of internal features of an object. They are dotted
lines. 2H pencil
 Type F lines are Type F[typo] lines, except they are used for drawings in
electrotechnology. 2H pencil
 Type G lines are used for centre lines. They are dotted lines, but a long line of 10–
20 mm, then a gap, then a small line of 2 mm. 2H pencil
 Type H lines are the same as Type G, except that every second long line is thicker. They
indicate the cutting plane of an object. 2H pencil
 Type K lines indicate the alternate positions of an object and the line taken by that
object. They are drawn with a long line of 10–20 mm, then a small gap, then a small line
of 2 mm, then a gap, then another small line. 2H pencil.

[edit] Multiple views and projections

Image of a part represented in First Angle Projection

Symbols used to define whether a projection is either Third Angle (right) or First Angle (left).

Isometric view of the object shown in the engineering drawing below.

Main article: Graphical projection
In most cases, a single view is not sufficient to show all necessary features, and several views
are used. Types of views include the following:

[edit] Orthographic projection

The orthographic projection shows the object as it looks from the front, right, left, top,
bottom, or back, and are typically positioned relative to each other according to the rules of
either first-angle or third-angle projection.

 First angle projection is the ISO standard and is primarily used in Europe. The 3D object
is projected into 2D "paper" space as if you were looking at an X-ray of the object: the
top view is under the front view, the right view is at the left of the front view.
 Third angle projection is primarily used in the United States and Canada, where it is the
default projection system according to British Standard BS 8888 and ASME standard
ASME Y14.3M, the left view is placed on the left and the top view on the top.

Not all views are necessarily used, and determination of what surface constitutes the front,
back, top and bottom varies depending on the projection used.

[edit] Auxiliary projection

An auxiliary view is an orthographic view that is projected into any plane other than one of
the six principal views.[1] These views are typically used when an object contains some sort
of inclined plane. Using the auxiliary view allows for that inclined plane (and any other
significant features) to be projected in their true size and shape. The true size and shape of
any feature in an engineering drawing can only be known when the Line of Sight (LOS) is
perpendicular to the plane being referenced.

[edit] Isometric projection

The isometric projection show the object from angles in which the scales along each axis of
the object are equal. Isometric projection corresponds to rotation of the object by ± 45° about
the vertical axis, followed by rotation of approximately ± 35.264° [= arcsin(tan(30°))] about
the horizontal axis starting from an orthographic projection view. "Isometric" comes from the
Greek for "same measure". One of the things that makes isometric drawings so attractive is
the ease with which 60 degree angles can be constructed with only a compass and
straightedge.

Isometric projection is a type of axonometric projection. The other two types of axonometric
projection are:

 Dimetric projection
 Trimetric projection

[edit] Oblique projection

An oblique projection is a simple type of graphical projection used for producing pictorial,
two-dimensional images of three-dimensional objects:

 it projects an image by intersecting parallel rays (projectors)

 from the three-dimensional source object with the drawing surface (projection plan).

In both oblique projection and orthographic projection, parallel lines of the source object
produce parallel lines in the projected image.

[edit] Perspective

Perspective is an approximate representation on a flat surface, of an image as it is perceived

by the eye. The two most characteristic features of perspective are that objects are drawn:

 Smaller as their distance from the observer increases

 Foreshortened: the size of an object's dimensions along the line of sight are relatively
shorter than dimensions across the line of sight.

[edit] Section Views

Projected views (either Auxiliary or Orthographic) which show a cross section of the source
object along the specified cut plane. These views are commonly used to show internal
features with more clarity than may be available using regular projections or hidden lines. In
assembly drawings, hardware components (e.g. nuts, screws, washers) are typically not
sectioned.

[edit] Scale

Main articles: Architect's scale, Engineer's scale, and Metric scale

Plans are usually "scale drawings", meaning that the plans are drawn at specific ratio relative
to the actual size of the place or object. Various scales may be used for different drawings in
a set. For example, a floor plan may be drawn at 1:50 (1:48 or 1/4"=1'-0") whereas a detailed
view may be drawn at 1:25 (1:24 or 1/2"=1'-0"). Site plans are often drawn at 1:200 or 1:100.

[edit] Showing dimensions

The required sizes of features are conveyed through use of dimensions. Distances may be
indicated with either of two standardized forms of dimension: linear and ordinate.

 With linear dimensions, two parallel lines, called "extension lines," spaced at the distance
between two features, are shown at each of the features. A line perpendicular to the
extension lines, called a "dimension line," with arrows at its endpoints, is shown between,
and terminating at, the extension lines. The distance is indicated numerically at the
midpoint of the dimension line, either adjacent to it, or in a gap provided for it.
 With ordinate dimensions, one horizontal and one vertical extension line establish an
origin for the entire view. The origin is identified with zeroes placed at the ends of these
extension lines. Distances along the x- and y-axes to other features are specified using
other extension lines, with the distances indicated numerically at their ends.

Sizes of circular features are indicated using either diametral or radial dimensions. Radial
dimensions use an "R" followed by the value for the radius; Diametral dimensions use a
circle with forward-leaning diagonal line through it, called the diameter symbol, followed by
the value for the diameter. A radially-aligned line with arrowhead pointing to the circular
feature, called a leader, is used in conjunction with both diametral and radial dimensions. All
types of dimensions are typically composed of two parts: the nominal value, which is the
"ideal" size of the feature, and the tolerance, which specifies the amount that the value may
vary above and below the nominal.

 Geometric dimensioning and tolerancing is a method of specifying the functional

geometry of an object.

[edit] Sizes of drawings

Main article: Paper size

Sizes of drawings typically comply with either of two different standards, ISO (World
Standard) or ANSI/ASME Y14 (American), according to the following tables:

ISO paper sizes

ISO A
Drawing
Sizes (mm)
210 X
A4
297
297 X
A3
420
420 X
A2
594
594 X
A1
841
841 X
A0
1189
ANSI/ASME
Drawing
Sizes (inches)
A 8.5" X 11"
B 11" X 17"
C 17" X 22"
D 22" X 34"
E 34" X 44"
Other U.S.
Drawing
Sizes
24" X
D1
36"
30" X
E1
42"

The metric drawing sizes correspond to international paper sizes. These developed further
refinements in the second half of the twentieth century, when photocopying became cheap.
Engineering drawings could be readily doubled (or halved) in size and put on the next larger
(or, respectively, smaller) size of paper with no waste of space. And the metric technical pens
were chosen in sizes so that one could add detail or drafting changes with a pen width
changing by approximately a factor of the square root of 2. A full set of pens would have the
following nib sizes: 0.13, 0.18, 0.25, 0.35, 0.5, 0.7, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 mm. However, the
International Organization for Standardization (ISO) called for four pen widths and set a
colour code for each: 0.25 (white), 0.35 (yellow), 0.5 (brown), 0.7 (blue); these nibs produced
lines that related to various text character heights and the ISO paper sizes.

All ISO paper sizes have the same aspect ratio, one to the square root of 2, meaning that a
document designed for any given size can be enlarged or reduced to any other size and will
fit perfectly. Given this ease of changing sizes, it is of course common to copy or print a
given document on different sizes of paper, especially within a series, e.g. a drawing on A3
may be enlarged to A2 or reduced to A4.

The U.S. customary "A-size" corresponds to "letter" size, and "B-size" corresponds to
"ledger" or "tabloid" size. There were also once British paper sizes, which went by names
rather than alphanumeric designations.

American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Y14.2, Y14.3, and Y14.5 are standards that
are commonly used in the U.S.

[edit] Technical lettering

Technical lettering is the process of forming letters, numerals, and other characters in
technical drawing. It is used to describe, or provide detailed specifications for, an object.
With the goals of legibility and uniformity, styles are standardized and lettering ability has
little relationship to normal writing ability. Engineering drawings use a Gothic sans-serif
script, formed by a series of short strokes. Lower case letters are rare in most drawings of
machines.

[edit] Example of an engineering drawing

Example mechanical drawing

Here is an example of an engineering drawing (an isometric view of the same object is shown
above). The different line types are colored for clarity.

 Black = object line and hatching

 Red = hidden line
 Blue = center line of piece or opening
 Magenta = phantom line or cutting plane line

Sectional views are indicated by the direction of arrows, as in the example above.

[edit] See also

 Architectural drawing
 CAD standards
 Descriptive geometry
 Document management
system
 Engineering drawing symbols
 Geometric tolerance
 ISO 128 Technical drawings – General principles of
presentation
 Patent drawing
 Specification (technical standard)

[edit] References
1. ^ Bertoline, Gary R. Introduction to Graphics Communications for Engineers (4th Ed.). New
York, NY. 2009

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this
article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and
removed. (September 2009)

[edit] Further reading

 Basant Agrawal and C M Agrawal (2008). Engineering Drawing. Tata McGraw Hill,
New Delhi. [1]
 Paige Davis, Karen Renee Juneau (2000). Engineering Drawing
 David A. Madsen, Karen Schertz, (2001) Engineering Drawing & Design. Delmar
Thomson Learning. [2]
 Cecil Howard Jensen, Jay D. Helsel, Donald D. Voisinet Computer-aided engineering
drawing using AutoCAD.
 Warren Jacob Luzadder (1959). Fundamentals of engineering drawing for technical
students and professional.
 M.A. Parker, F. Pickup (1990) Engineering Drawing with Worked Examples.
 Colin H. Simmons, Dennis E. Maguire Manual of engineering drawing. Elsevier.
 Cecil Howard Jensen (2001). Interpreting Engineering Drawings.
 B. Leighton Wellman (1948). Technical Discriptive Geometry. McGraw-Hill Book
Company, Inc.

[edit] External links

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 Examples of cubes drawn in different projections

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Technical drawing
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

Drafter at work.

Copying technical drawings in 1973

Technical drawing, also known as drafting or draughting, is the act and discipline of
composing plans that visually communicate how something functions or is to be constructed.

A drafter, draftsperson, or draughtsman is a person who makes a drawing (technical or

otherwise). A professional drafter who makes technical drawings is sometimes called a
drafting technician.

People who communicate with technical drawings may use technical standards that define
practical symbols, perspectives, units of measurement, notation systems, visual styles, or
layout conventions. These enable a drafter to communicate more concisely by using a
commonly-understood convention. Together, such conventions constitute a visual language,
and help to ensure that the drawing is unambiguous and relatively easy to understand.

This need for unambiguous communication in the preparation of a functional document

distinguishes technical drawing from the expressive drawing of the visual arts. Artistic
drawings are subjectively interpreted; their meanings are multiply determined. Technical
drawings are understood to have one intended meaning.[1]
Contents
[hide]

 1 Methods
o 1.1 Sketching
o 1.2 Manual or by instrument
o 1.3 Computer aided design
 2 Applications for technical drawing
o 2.1 Architecture
o 2.2 Engineering
 3 Related fields
o 3.1 Technical illustrations
 4 Technical drawings (the document)
o 4.1 Types of technical drawings
 4.1.1 Two-dimensional representation
 4.1.2 Three-dimensional representation
o 4.2 Views
 4.2.1 Multiview
 4.2.2 Section
 4.2.3 Auxiliary
 4.2.4 Pattern
 4.2.5 Exploded
o 4.3 Standards and conventions
 4.3.1 Basic drafting paper sizes
o 4.4 Patents
o 4.5 Sets of technical drawings
 4.5.1 Working drawings
 4.5.2 Assembly drawings
 5 See also
 6 References
 7 Further reading
 8 External links

[edit] Methods

Sketch for a government building.

[edit] Sketching
A sketch is a quickly executed freehand drawing that is not intended as a finished work. In
general, a sketch is a quick way to record an idea for later use. Architect's sketches primarily
serve as a way to try out different ideas and establish a composition before undertaking a
more finished work, especially when the finished work is expensive and time consuming.

Architectural sketches, for example, are a kind of diagrams.[2] These sketches, like
metaphors, are used by architects as a mean of communication in aiding design collaboration.
This tool helps architects to abstract attributes of hypothetical provisional design solutions
and summarize their complex patterns, hereby enhancing the design process.[2]

[edit] Manual or by instrument

A drafting table.

Technical drawing instruments.

Stencils for correct technical lettering.

The basic drafting procedure is to place a piece of paper (or other material) on a smooth
surface with right-angle corners and straight sides—typically a drawing board. A sliding
straightedge known as a T-square is then placed on one of the sides, allowing it to be slid
across the side of the table, and over the surface of the paper.

"Parallel lines" can be drawn simply by moving the T-square and running a pencil or
technical pen along the T-square's edge, but more typically the T-square is used as a tool to
hold other devices such as set squares or triangles. In this case the drafter places one or more
triangles of known angles on the T-square—which is itself at right angles to the edge of the
table—and can then draw lines at any chosen angle to others on the page. Modern drafting
tables (which have by now largely been replaced by CAD workstations) come equipped with
a drafting machine that is supported on both sides of the table to slide over a large piece of
paper. Because it is secured on both sides, lines drawn along the edge are guaranteed to be
parallel.

In addition, the drafter uses several tools to draw curves and circles. Primary among these are
the compasses, used for drawing simple arcs and circles, and the French curve, typically a
piece of plastic with complex curves on it. A spline is a rubber coated articulated metal that
can be manually bent to most curves.

Drafting templates assist the drafter with creating recurring objects in a drawing without
having to reproduce the object from scratch every time. This is especially useful when using
common symbols; i.e. in the context of stagecraft, a lighting designer will typically draw
from the USITT standard library of lighting fixture symbols to indicate the position of a
common fixture across multiple positions. Templates are sold commercially by a number of
vendors, usually customized to a specific task, but it is also not uncommon for a drafter to
create their own templates.

This basic drafting system requires an accurate table and constant attention to the positioning
of the tools. A common error is to allow the triangles to push the top of the T-square down
slightly, thereby throwing off all angles. Even tasks as simple as drawing two angled lines
meeting at a point require a number of moves of the T-square and triangles, and in general
drafting can be a time consuming process.

A solution to these problems was the introduction of the mechanical "drafting machine", an
application of the pantograph (sometimes referred to incorrectly as a "pentagraph" in these
situations) which allowed the drafter to have an accurate right angle at any point on the page
quite quickly. These machines often included the ability to change the angle, thereby
removing the need for the triangles as well.

In addition to the mastery of the mechanics of drawing lines, arcs and circles (and text) onto a
piece of paper—with respect to the detailing of physical objects—the drafting effort requires
a thorough understanding of geometry, trigonometry and spatial comprehension, and in all
cases demands precision and accuracy, and attention to detail of high order.
Although drafting is sometimes accomplished by a project engineer, architect—or even by
shop personnel such as a machinist—skilled drafters (and/or designers) usually accomplish
the task and are always in demand to some level.

An oblique view of a four-cylinder inline crankshaft with pistons.

[edit] Computer aided design

Main article: Computer-aided design

Today, the mechanics of the drafting task have largely been automated and accelerated
through the use of computer-aided design systems (CAD).

There are two types of computer-aided design systems used for the production of technical
drawings" two dimensions ("2D") and three dimensions ("3D").

2D CAD systems such as AutoCAD replace the paper drawing discipline. The lines, circles,
arcs and curves are created within the software. It is down to the technical drawing skill of
the user to produce the drawing. There is still much scope for error in the drawing when
producing first and third angle orthographic projections, auxiliary projections and cross
sections. A 2D CAD system is merely an electronic drawing board. Its greatest strength over
direct to paper technical drawing is in the making of revisions. Where as in a conventional
hand drawn technical drawing, if a mistake is found, or a modification is required, a new
drawing must be made from scratch. The 2D CAD system allows a copy of the original to be
modified, saving considerable time. 2D CAD systems can be used to create plans for large
projects such as buildings and aircraft but provide no way to check the various components
will fit together.

3D CAD systems such as Autodesk Inventor or SolidWorks first produce the geometry of the
part, the technical drawing comes from user defined views of the part. Any orthographic,
projected and section views are created by the software. There is no scope for error in the
production of these views. The main scope for error comes in setting the parameter of first or
third angle projection, and displaying the relevant symbol on the technical drawing. 3D CAD
allows individual parts to be assembled together to represent the final product. Buildings,
Aircraft, ships and cars are modeled, assembled and checked in 3D before technical drawings
are released for manufacture.
Both 2D and 3D CAD systems can be used to produce technical drawings for any discipline.
The various disciplines; electical, electronic, pneumatic, fluidic, etc., have industry
recognised symbols to represent common components.

BS and ISO produce standards to show recommended practices but it is up to individuals to

produce the drawings. There is no definitive standard for layout or style. The only standard
across engineering workshop drawings is in the creation of orthographic projections and cross
section views.

Drafting can represent two dimensions ("2D") and three dimensions ("3D") although the
representation itself is always created in 2D (cf. Architectural model). Drafting is the integral
communication of technical or engineering drawings and is the industrial arts sub-discipline
that underlies all involved technical endeavors.

In representing complex, three-dimensional objects in two-dimensional drawings, the objects

can be described by at least one view plus material thickness note, 2, 3 or as many views and
sections that are required to show all features of object.

[edit] Applications for technical drawing

[edit] Architecture

Main article: Architectural drawing

The art and design that goes into making buildings is known as architecture. To communicate
all aspects of the design, detailed drawings are used. In this field, the term plan is often used
when referring to the full section view of these drawings.[3] Architectural drawings describe
and document an architect's design.[4]

Engineering drawing of a Machine tool part.

[edit] Engineering

Main article: Engineering drawing

See also: Mechanical engineering

Engineering can be a very broad term. It stems from the Latin ingenerare, meaning "to
create".[5] Because this could apply to everything that humans create, it is given a narrower
definition in the context of technical drawing. Engineering drawings generally deal with
mechanical engineered items, such as manufactured parts and equipment.
Engineering drawings are usually created in accordance with standardized conventions for
layout, nomenclature, interpretation, appearance (such as typefaces and line styles), size, etc.

Its purpose is to accurately and unambiguously capture all the geometric features of a product
or a component. The end goal of an engineering drawing is to convey all the required
information that will allow a manufacturer to produce that component.

Wright brothers Patent drawing, 1908.

[edit] Related fields

Illustration of a drum set.

[edit] Technical illustrations

Technical illustration is the use of illustration to visually communicate information of a

technical nature. Technical illustrations can be component technical drawings or diagrams.
The aim of technical illustration is "to generate expressive images that effectively convey
certain information via the visual channel to the human observer".[6]

The main purpose of technical illustration is to describe or explain these items to a more or
less nontechnical audience. The visual image should be accurate in terms of dimensions and
proportions, and should provide "an overall impression of what an object is or does, to
enhance the viewer’s interest and understanding".[7]

According to Viola (2005) "illustrative techniques are often designed in a way that even a
person with no technical understanding clearly understands the piece of art. The use of
varying line widths to emphasize mass, proximity, and scale helped to make a simple line
drawing more understandable to the lay person. Cross hatching, stippling, and other low
abstraction techniques gave greater depth and dimension to the subject matter".[6]

Cutaway drawing of a Nash 600.

A cutaway drawing is a technical illustration, in which surface elements a three-dimensional

model are selectively removed, to make internal features visible, but without sacrificing the
outer context entirely.

The purpose of a cutaway drawing is to "allow the viewer to have a look into an otherwise
solid opaque object. Instead of letting the inner object shine through the surrounding surface,
parts of outside object are simply removed. This produces a visual appearance as if someone
had cutout a piece of the object or sliced it into parts. Cutaway illustrations avoid ambiguities
with respect to spatial ordering, provide a sharp contrast between foreground and background
objects, and facilitate a good understanding of spatial ordering".[8]

[edit] Technical drawings (the document)

[edit] Types of technical drawings

The two types of technical drawings are based on graphical projection.[1] This is used to
create an image of a three-dimensional object onto a two-dimensional surface.

[edit] Two-dimensional representation

Two-dimensional representation uses orthographic projection to create an image where only

two of the three dimensions of the object are seen.

[edit] Three-dimensional representation

In three-dimensional representation, also referred to as pictorials, all three dimensions, of the

three dimensions of an object, are visible.

[edit] Views

[edit] Multiview

Main article: Multiview orthographic projection

Multiview is a type of orthographic projection. There are two conventions for using
multiview, first-angle and third-angle. In both cases, the front or main side of the object is the
same. First-angle is drawing the object sides based on where they land. Example, looking at
the front side, rotate the object 90 degrees to the right. What is seen will be drawn to the right
of the front side. Third-angle is drawing the object sides based on where they are. Example,
looking at the front side, rotate the object 90 degrees to the right. What is seen is actually the
left side of the object and will be drawn to the left of the front side

[edit] Section

While multiview relates to external surfaces of an object, section views show an imaginary
plane cut through an object. This is often useful to show voids in an object.

[edit] Auxiliary

Auxiliary views utilize an additional projection plane other than the common planes in a
multiview. Since the features of an object need to show the true shape and size of the object,
the projection plane must be parallel to the object surface. Therefore, any surface that is not
in line with the three major axis needs its own projection plane to show the features correctly.

[edit] Pattern

Patterns, sometimes called developments, show the size and shape of a flat piece of material
needed for later bending or folding into a three dimensional shape.[9]

Gear pump exploded view.

[edit] Exploded

An exploded view drawing is a technical drawing of an object that shows the relationship or
order of assembly of the various parts.[10] It shows the components of an object slightly
separated by distance, or suspended in surrounding space in the case of a three-dimensional
exploded diagram. An object is represented as if there had been a small controlled explosion
emanating from the middle of the object, causing the object's parts to be separated an equal
distance away from their original locations.

An exploded view drawing (EVD) can show the intended assembly of mechanical or other
parts. In mechanical systems usually the component closest to the center is assembled first, or
is the main part in which the other parts get assembled. This drawing can also help to
represent disassembly of parts, where the parts on the outside normally get removed first.[11]

[edit] Standards and conventions

[edit] Basic drafting paper sizes

Main article: Paper size

There have been many standard sizes of paper at different times and in different countries,
but today there are two widespread systems in use: the international standard (A4 and its
siblings) and the North American sizes.

ISO "A series" used in most of the world

North American paper sizes

[edit] Patents

Main article: Patent drawing

The applicant for a patent will be required by law to furnish a drawing of the invention
whenever the nature of the case requires a drawing to understand the invention. This drawing
must be filed with the application. This includes practically all inventions except
compositions of matter or processes, but a drawing may also be useful in the case of many
processes.[10]

The drawing must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims, and is required
by the patent office rules to be in a particular form. The Office specifies the size of the sheet
on which the drawing is made, the type of paper, the margins, and other details relating to the
making of the drawing. The reason for specifying the standards in detail is that the drawings
are printed and published in a uniform style when the patent issues, and the drawings must
also be such that they can be readily understood by persons using the patent descriptions.[10]

[edit] Sets of technical drawings

[edit] Working drawings

Working drawings are the set of technical drawings used during the manufacturing phase of a
product.[12] In architecture, these typically include civil drawings, architectural drawings,
structural drawings, mechanical systems drawings, electrical drawings, and plumbing
drawings.

[edit] Assembly drawings

Assembly drawings show how different parts go together, identify those parts by number, and
have a parts list, often referred to as a bill of materials.[13]

[edit] See also

 Architectural drawing
 Engineering drawing
 ISO 128 Technical drawings—General principles of presentation
 Plan (drawing)
 Shop drawing
 Technical communication
 Technical lettering
 Specification (technical standard)

[edit] References
1. ^ a b Goetsch, David L.; Chalk, William S.; Nelson, John A. (2000). Technical Drawing.
Delmar Technical Graphics Series (Fourth ed.). Albany: Delmar Learning. p. 3.
ISBN 9780766805316. OCLC 39756434.
2. ^ a b Richard Boland and Fred Collopy (2004). Managing as designing. Stanford University
Press, 2004. ISBN 0804746745, p.69.
3. ^ Jefferis, Alan; Madsen, David (2005), Architectural Drafting and Design (5th ed.), Clifton
Park, NY: Delmar Cengage Learning, ISBN 1401867154
4. ^ Goetsch et al. (2000) p. 792
5. ^ Lieu, Dennis K; Sorby, Sheryl (2009), Visualization, Modeling, and Graphics for
Engineering Design (1st ed.), Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Cengage Learning, ISBN
1401842496 , p. 1-2
6. ^ a b Ivan Viola and Meister E. Gröller (2005). "Smart Visibility in Visualization". In:
Computational Aesthetics in Graphics, Visualization and Imaging. L. Neumann et al. (Ed.)
7. ^ www.industriegrafik.com The Role of the Technical Illustrator in Industry webarticle, Last
modified: Juni 15, 2002. Accessed 15 February 2009.
8. ^ J. Diepstraten, D. Weiskopf & T. Ertl (2003). "Interactive Cutaway Illustrations". in:
Eurographics 2003. P. Brunet and D. Fellner (ed). Vol 22 (2003), Nr 3.
9. ^ Goetsch et al. (2000), p. 341
10. ^ a b c United States Patent and Trademark Office (2005), General Information Concerning
Patents § 1.84 Standards for drawings (Revised January 2005). Accessed 13 February 2009.
11. ^ Michael E. Brumbach, Jeffrey A. Clade (2003). Industrial Maintenance. Cengage Learning,
2003 ISBN 0766826953, p.65
12. ^ Ralph W. Liebing (1999). Architectural working drawings. John Wiley and Sons, 1999.
ISBN 0471348767.
13. ^ Goetsch et al. (2000), p. 613

[edit] Further reading

 Peter J. Booker (1963). A History of Engineering Drawing. London: Northgate.
 Franz Maria Feldhaus (1963). The History of Technical Drawing
 Wolfgang Lefèvre ed. (2004). Picturing Machines 1400-1700 : How technical drawings
shaped early engineering practice. MIT Press, 2004. ISBN 0262122693

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