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Mechanical drafting for Mechanical Engineering undergrad?

Mechanical drafting for Mechanical Engineering undergrad?

Mechanical drafting for Mechanical Engineering undergrad?

(OP)
I was just wondering how many people were taught drafting up to ansi standards during their undergrad curriculum?  For my undergrad, i had half a semester on autocad.  I'm just wondering because my drawings were not up to par (mostly cosmetic).  Do most people know this coming out of college?

RE: Mechanical drafting for Mechanical Engineering undergrad?

For what it's worth, when I started engineering school back in 1965 the assumption was that you had learned drafting in high school (which I didn't).  All we were taught my freshman year was something called 'Engineering Graphics' which just touched on orthographic projections, drawing isometric views, how to create perspective views using 2 or 3 vanishing points, and finding the true 3D length of a line from multiple 2D views (note that this was all being done on a drawing board using triangles and T-squares).  But we never actually created anything which looked like a fully annotated, standardsp-based drawing.  I learned that while working summers as a draftsman between my Freshman/Sophomore and Sophomore/Junior years.  By the time I got to the summer between my Junior/Senior year, I was being given some basic engineering tasks which included working in the prototype lab setting up tests and correlating results.  I guess by then they assumed I had learned enough to read a drawing and supervise those who might be assigned to you for doing detailing.  Our office had a chief draftsman whose job that it was to make sure that the draftsman and detailers were actually following the office drafting standards (which being the American division of a British company was based on some combination of Whitworth and American standards).

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
http://www.siemens.com/plm
UG/NX Museum:   http://www.plmworld.org/p/cm/ld/fid=209

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
 

RE: Mechanical drafting for Mechanical Engineering undergrad?

Boy, oh boy, will this thread kick up a debate.

I'd guess few if any are taught drafting standards.  In the 70's pretty much all curricula had a "drafting" or "graphical communication" course.  We all had to purchase $100+ of drafting tools and spend time on the board.  I remember wondering why I had to buy modelling clay, until I sculpted the clay into a prototype of a part we had to draw. This was done so in order to help me visualize the different views necessary to communicate that physical configuration on 2D paper.  There was a little bit of effort to discuss standards, but it was mostly the mechanics of producing drawings.

Nowadays, most 3D CAD packages have automated the laborious task of providing views and dimensioning.  I wonder however how many really know how to present sufficient views of parts.  And to dimension and tolerance them to "standard practices".   I know of one guy, and his "Industrial Management Degree" manager, who issue the most horrendous, embarrassing drawings to customers.  I can imagine the customers saying "Whiskey Tango Frank?" when they see these official release drawings.

TygerDawg
Blue Technik LLC
Virtuoso Robotics Engineering
www.bluetechnik.com

RE: Mechanical drafting for Mechanical Engineering undergrad?

My experience was similar to John's.  College had one quarter of engineering graphics, essential the same as mentioned before.  This was in the early 90's.  CAD classes were fairly new and I didn't get into one of those as they filled up quickly.  On my co-op, I was taught drafting by an engineer that was a stickler for detail.  I don't think I ever gave him a first or second draft that wasn't returned red-lined.  After I graduated I started work as a machine design engineer with AutoCAD.  They stuck me in an office with an AutoCAD book and I spent my first week going through tutorials.  After two or three weeks I was pretty proficient with CAD, but my co-op gave me my drafting foundation.

So, short answer; No, I don't believe most engineers know this out of college.

RE: Mechanical drafting for Mechanical Engineering undergrad?

Half the reason your drawings are not up to par is because you aren't taking the time to read them.  Put yourself on the side of the person reading the drawing, and determine if there is enough information to make your part.

This applies to both content and presentation.  If your drawing is cluttered or in disarray, it detracts from the effort f the reader to learn "the story of the part".

My education in drafting came primarily from the reading side.  As a machinist, I made hundreds of parts from drawings that came from many different sources, with a full spectrum of drawing quality (weighted heavily on the "poor" end of the spectrum).

You don't get what you want.  You get what you ask for.

RE: Mechanical drafting for Mechanical Engineering undergrad?

My experience was about a decade later but pretty much the same as John R Baker.  Just taught the principles of projection, perspective, etc. in university.  Absolutely nothing about detailing let alone standards.  My first 2 jobs I used drawings, did not create them.  Not until a few years into my 3rd job did I start designing things.  That company had their own drawing standards and draftsmen so I just told them what I wanted.  It wasn't until we got solid modeling software in the late 1980's that I started creating my own drawings.  By that time I had enough on the job training to know what I was doing.

I think it's not that different today.  We just hired an engineer straight out of university.  He knows how to solid model but very little about creating drawings.  We have a local technical college that has a curriculum much heavier in the practical aspects of drawing.  I think the universities feel it's beneath the engineers to work on lowly drafting.  Or maybe they think there isn't time in the curriculum to teach it.  These days we only have one draftswomen and she only handles the routine production drawing changes.  All the new design work drafting is handled by the design engineers.  The quality varies.

----------------------------------------

The Help for this program was created in Windows Help format, which depends on a feature that isn't included in this version of Windows.
 

RE: Mechanical drafting for Mechanical Engineering undergrad?

D*mn.

Didn't know I was an old fogey.  (Texas A&M, 1978, nulear engineering.)  We had 2x semesters of manual drafting when I started in 1974 - required of every engineer, every disciple.  It was all pencil though: no ink, no vellum.   No 0.5 mm pencils either.  You had to "roll" the pencil as you drew the line to wear the lead evenly at the point.  in spring of 74, my physics teacher brought the first HP calculator into his classroom in the city.   No money for me though - I had to use slide rules through my sophomore year (1975-76 school year.)  My wife, chemical engineer, did the same drafting in her engineering design graphic classes in 1975, but she at least had a TI calculator (sines, cosines, logs, etc for the trig.) by that time.  

And, of course, no AutoCAD or 3D CAD for anyone.  For you youngsters, that was because PC's had not been invented yet.    (Quit snickering.)  H*ll, computer graphic SCREENS, MONITORS, or KEYBOARDS had  not been installed yet.  80 character punchcards were the highest tech available to undergrads.    

Am I "better" forhaving the drafting classes, rather than, perhaps, blindly handing off sketches to a draftsman in the CAD section that only he (or she) could change or produce or reproduce?  Yes, but I've also been reading and interpreting drawings since 1974.   And, on average, I have found 1-2 errors on every piece of paper I have handled since that time.   

I have seen no improvement in the quality of drawings between 1940's and 50's - when everything was manually created, and often "artistically" interpreted when the item got too complex; and today's beautiful - but equally inaccurate - 3D rendered hidden line "CAD-perfect" modeled assemblies.    

RE: Mechanical drafting for Mechanical Engineering undergrad?

A lot of people seem to think they know drafting because they were 'taught' it at university / college. A larger number of people assume that someone they just hired knows drafting for the same reason. Like most things I was taught at university, I spent all of about 6 hours being officially taught, then I was told where to find out how to do it properly, bought the books, got my company to buy the standards, spent time reading them.

I can't draw a straight line though, or a hole in isometric.

 

Designer of machine tools - user of modified screws

RE: Mechanical drafting for Mechanical Engineering undergrad?

I like Tick's point about actually creating parts from drawings.  My co-op also offered a turn in the machine shop with milling machines, lathes, etc.  Probably the best teacher for drawing.  If you know how a part will be made, you'll better know how to detail it.  You want the machinist, fabricator, or whoever doing as little math as possible.  If you have access to the folks who will use your prints, talk to them about how they will build it and what THEY think is a good drawing.

RE: Mechanical drafting for Mechanical Engineering undergrad?

dumpsta,

   I took engineering graphics back in the '70s, and my experience was much the same as everyone else, above.  The training was superficial.  I was exposed to the concepts, let's say.

   You are not really telling us what is wrong with your drawings.  When you prepare drawings and issue them, you need to ask how good they are.  When you listen to the feedback, you will have an opportunity to improve your work.

   Standards aside, good drafting is like good writing.  It is will organized.  You try to think like the end user.  Information on one detail of the part, scattered around three E sized pages of the drawing is equivalent to a run-on sentence.

   Consistent fonts and well thought out line-work make you look professional, and they make your drawing more clear.  

               JHG

RE: Mechanical drafting for Mechanical Engineering undergrad?

About 6 labs on 'Auto Sketch' or something like that, plush one homework assignment on 'limits & fits' and that was it.

Learnt drafting on my first job by having my drawings blead over by one of the senior design engineers.  Then got really good my first few months of this job where we had a dedicated checker that I learned a lot from - so much I got to do his job for a year or two when he was let go.

From what I've seen rarely if ever is drafting covered in great (or perhaps even adequate) detail these days.  They may get a reasonable amount of time learning a specific CAD program but not much on dimensioning, tolerancing, applicable drawing standards...

I Don't think I've met any new grads from the US that had any handle on GD&T and only one from Germany who had a vague clue.  Of course, that also goes for a bunch of folks with more experience than me.

Given the increasing rarity of true drafters in many places, this is a bit of a gap.

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RE: Mechanical drafting for Mechanical Engineering undergrad?

Oh, and while keeping the end user in mind is critical, US mechanical drawing standards actually prioritize capturing the function of the part.  That is defining what you'll accept as a 'good part' rather than showing how to make it etc.

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RE: Mechanical drafting for Mechanical Engineering undergrad?

I was fortunate in that my high school offered it as a core vocational area of study, of which I took advantage.
In the only college (board) drafting course that I took, the instructor told me that I didn't need to worry about a grade after seeing what I knew.
My work experience is where I actually learned how to draw to the standards, especially those onery checkers who just couldn't let a print go without some red on it.  They were my real teachers.
As to thinking of today's drawings as "beautiful", I must disagree; even with minor mistakes and graphite smudging, I personally find much more integrity in a board drawing.

"Good to know you got shoes to wear when you find the floor." - Robert Hunter
 

RE: Mechanical drafting for Mechanical Engineering undergrad?

You better know how to do drafting and read drawings...  after all, that is how we communicate what we want built.  The design and calcs. are important, but our end product is construction documents, so the part or structure can be built.  You better be able to sketch and add red lines to a first draft to show the drafter the missing details, dimensions, views, etc.  You probably don't have to be the best or most productive drafter in the office, but you better know a good and complete or incomplete drawing when you see one.  Without a doubt this subject is not taught very well in college these days, and people no longer become engineers by spending years at the drafting board first.  It is assumed that CAD will make up the difference, but it can't do the thought process for you of laying out a good set of part details or plans, elevations and sections, etc.  Always ask yourself, if I knew nothing about this part or structure, I must show everything they need to know to build it, no assumptions or guessing allowed, does this show everything they would need, what's still missing?  Look critically at the drawings you see, which are the good ones and why, which aren't so good and why, and what would I do to improve them or complete them?
 

RE: Mechanical drafting for Mechanical Engineering undergrad?

When I started studies in early nineties, we had two courses in freshman year- 'descriptive geometry' and 'technical drawing' which gave (I'd say sufficient) insight required to make drawings according to standards, while on sophomore year several courses like 'Machine elements' required producing usable technical drawings. (back then, no use of computers in those courses was allowed- when pencil drawings were 'accepted' one had to do them in either ink or combined pencil and ink technique), plus it gave introduction to GD&T. In some cases (mech. design orientation) there were courses on third year that required students to do fully dimensioned 'field' tech drawings/sketches of some equipment- by hand, with no aid of rulers and compasses, &c...

In the meanwhile, 'descriptive geometry' was done away with and 'technical drawing' was transmuted into 'computer assisted illustration' or something like that- result being such that I've heard several reports of graduates of 'new and improved' curriculum being unable not only to produce technical drawings but even unable to interpret (i.e. read or understand) them! Such is the way of progress. (I'm not saying I'm an expert in the field- but at least I was given the chance to learn the basics).

RE: Mechanical drafting for Mechanical Engineering undergrad?

WolfHR (Mechanical)
Some years ago, I was working as a consultant at a certain southern university. I had a bunch of 3rd year aeronautical engineering students working with me, I quickly noticed that most of these  guys were having a hard time reading drawings. The dean of the faculty had an office nearby, so I asked him how much time these students spent in drafting classes. His answer 3 weeks, when I pressed him on this, he said that was all the time in the course they could afford, and that the students were welcome to do more on their own time.
B.E.

The good engineer does not need to memorize every formula; he just needs to know where he can find them when he needs them.  Old professor

RE: Mechanical drafting for Mechanical Engineering undergrad?

I went through college (late 90's) with no drafting courses, and one seven-week solid modelling course (on pro-E).  I learned a fair bit about general drafting practices in an unusually good high school class.  I never learned about standards-based drawings until my first job after college.

My drafting skills are decent, but could use improvement.  Sadly, they're well above a lot of what I see from many other engineers.

I don't think I'll see one again, but I definitely miss having a full time checking department.  That's who I really learned a lot of my drafting from.

RE: Mechanical drafting for Mechanical Engineering undergrad?

I think the reason this is being overlooked by universities is the fact that they think CAD in general is a sinch to learn. For most good engineers is really is a sinch to pick up. (compared to other things taught in the circulaum). However, there will always be most engineers that are not anal about detail and will inevitably create crappy drawings. Unless students are forced to spend more time on it, there will always be this deficiency.
I also agree with Tick. Knowing how it will be machined helps more than any text can.  

peace
Fe (IronX32)

RE: Mechanical drafting for Mechanical Engineering undergrad?

Don`t get my post wrong. I think this is a problem and drafting is an engineering art that takes time and effort to perfect.  

peace
Fe (IronX32)

RE: Mechanical drafting for Mechanical Engineering undergrad?

This is strictly anecdotal,
I moved into a drawing office from the shop floor.
 Having had 4 years of technical drawing in college and 8 years of using and reading drawings on the shop floor, I thought I knew it all.
  Boy was I in for a surprise. I was paired up with a checker whose first words were, " you already know how to read a drawing, now we are going to teach you how to write one.", I was handed a copy of BS308 and told not to come up for air until I had learned it by heart.
 I then got introduced to the joys of red pencil, and the eraser frame, and later the electric eraser. I also got told to use a lettering stencil for now, and to practice my lettering until the checker thought it was adequate for the office.
 It took about 3 months for the sea of red pencil to drop to a few occasional splashes, and the office to let me dispense with the lettering stencil.
B.E.
 

The good engineer does not need to memorize every formula; he just needs to know where he can find them when he needs them.  Old professor

RE: Mechanical drafting for Mechanical Engineering undergrad?

Drafting gets short shrift because it is considered menial work and not as important as "core" engineering.  However, what could be more important than communicating the story of your design to the outside world?  Without that link, your design is just a daydream.

RE: Mechanical drafting for Mechanical Engineering undergrad?

Yes, CAD is indeed a cinch for any good engineer to pick up, and it should be.  However, expecting someone to create a concise drawing that fully documents a part (subject to only one interpretation) because they know CAD is akin to expecting someone to write an award winning novel because they know how to use a typewriter, or expecting a bicycle mechanic to rebuild your BMW because he has the tools.

Technically, the glass is always  full.

RE: Mechanical drafting for Mechanical Engineering undergrad?

(OP)
Wow, thanks for all the replies and suggestions.   Yes, my drawings got attacked by a red pen, and it was kind of embarrassing.  One of my bosses took a look at them and offered maybe 1 or 2 corrections.  Another co-worker took a look at them and marked the whole damn sheet up.  When I tried to dispute some of the corrections, I got a "they didn't teach you this at ...", where I replied "not really".  Oh well, I'll have to prove myself in the future.  

Anyway, I made the corrections and my co-worker signed off.  Thanks again for the replies

RE: Mechanical drafting for Mechanical Engineering undergrad?

When I was still making drawings my line work was always pretty good but the lettering was barely passable, but I was told that since I was on track to be an engineer, poor lettering would not be held against me (sort of like how poor penmanship never seemed to hold back any of the MD's I know) however I did make it a point to at least get the numbers right, but then some of that was left over from when I was in high school and worked in a meat market where everything was custom cut, wrapped and the price handwritten on the butcher paper.  You quickly learned to make your numbers easy to read and understand.  Since that 'skill' carried forward, even to this day, I guess I was given the benefit of the doubt when it came to the lettering of notes and title blocks.  Of course, with the advent of CAD, even those items improved significantly winky smile

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
http://www.siemens.com/plm
UG/NX Museum:   http://www.plmworld.org/p/cm/ld/fid=209

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
 

RE: Mechanical drafting for Mechanical Engineering undergrad?


If your CAD course was like mine all it did was teach you how to use the program ...NOT how to drafting to any standards or any discipline. AND thinking you're a "qualified" drafter and having the training is a BIG mistake. Normally engineers who play with AutoCAD cause more problems then they do generate a finished drawing. PLUS why would any company want to pay and engineer, engineer wages ...doing drafting work, when they can get a qualified drafter to do the work at half the wage of an engineer?




 

RE: Mechanical drafting for Mechanical Engineering undergrad?

11echo (Petroleum)
Because If the engineer CAN produce a decent readable drawing, that is one step eliminated.
B.E.

The good engineer does not need to memorize every formula; he just needs to know where he can find them when he needs them.  Old professor

RE: Mechanical drafting for Mechanical Engineering undergrad?

... plus engineers are so good today, we don't even need to bother with checking it.

Technically, the glass is always  full.

RE: Mechanical drafting for Mechanical Engineering undergrad?

ewh,

" " plus engineers are so good today, we don't even need to bother with checking it. ""

Remember the error is always in the piece that you KNOW is correct.
B.E.

The good engineer does not need to memorize every formula; he just needs to know where he can find them when he needs them.  Old professor

RE: Mechanical drafting for Mechanical Engineering undergrad?

The problem with CAD is that it creates minor drafting errors such as where should a hidden line start.  If I had submitted a CAD drafting project to my instructor back in the mid 60's he would have knocked some points off for extra little lines where they do not belong.

Another thing CAD drafters seem to lack today is the ability to hand sketch properly and I see this in these posts when sketches are submitted.  As a CAD instructor a few years ago, I always had my students submit hand sketches as extra assignment.

RE: Mechanical drafting for Mechanical Engineering undergrad?

berkshire (Aeronautics) 1 Feb 12 18:34  
11echo (Petroleum) ...Because If the engineer CAN produce a decent readable drawing, that is one step eliminated.


SO how many years of schooling have you had on drafting to produce this "readable dwg."??! I've been in this business over 30+ yr.s the ONLY engineers I've seen that can generate a "readable dwg." are draftsmen/designers that have moved into an engineering positions!
 An engineer needs to multi-task on projects, and just focusing in on drafting is NOT an efficient/cost effective use of his time. This is WHY there is a design/drafting dept., this system has been around alot of years, and thinking you can "short-cut" the system and generate a better product is wishfully thinking!
 

RE: Mechanical drafting for Mechanical Engineering undergrad?

I took "mechanical drawing" in HS, one semester of board drafting and one semester of Engineering Graphics during college freshman year.  I had some drawing in the military.  I have never had a job where I had to "draft" although back in the 'board' days when there was a large room full of drafters and designers workng at their boards doing my and my fellow engineer's drawings, it never ceased to amaze them when I could man an empty board and handle myself with a decent level of skill.  It kept them honest - they knew I knew the difference.  I still have all my tools although I think the tape is a little hard now as are the erasers.

Most of the young Engineers I work with are fairly CADD literate, some quite good, but engineers here don't draft or solid model, CADD operators and 3D modelers do.  I don't know how to do CADD (short of opening a drawing and turning layers on/off) or model, but I do direct others as to what they CADD or model for the drawings I want produced.

I find it interesting however, that some of the younger guys seem amazed when whip out a hand sketch some part or some concert.  They must not teach that any more?  Every so often, I have to 'hand draft' something complicated to scale to show the modelers it can be done.

rmw

RE: Mechanical drafting for Mechanical Engineering undergrad?

It's often the other way around... having to explain that just because something can be modeled doesn't mean it will work.

Technically, the glass is always  full.

RE: Mechanical drafting for Mechanical Engineering undergrad?

ewh....   I agree.  But, more to the point of this thread, if the person who calls themself an engineer can't do drafting and sketching sufficiently well to express their thoughts and designs, so they can be built, maybe they are (their title is) a prime example of title inflation.  Maybe they should more aptly be called formula and code cookbook manipulators, and let it go at that, they probably don't know what they are cooking anyway.

rmw....   in your last para. "younger guys seem amazed when whip out a hand sketch some part or some concert."  If you whip out a really good concert on them, they will just be all the confuseder.  They'll come back to you the next day, scratching their head, and asking, how do you model sound in SolidWorks?
 

RE: Mechanical drafting for Mechanical Engineering undergrad?

Yeah, the younger set seems to much prefer concerts to concepts.  Freudian slip.... or old tired eyes????  Probably the latter.

rmw

RE: Mechanical drafting for Mechanical Engineering undergrad?

(OP)
I'm sorry, when I meant drafting, i meant cad drafting, more specific, Solidworks.  All the dimensions needed to make the assembly were there.  

These were most of the corrections
 - Putting sheet scale in title block when multiple scale views are present on the drawing.  Does this always have to be there?  

 - measuring angles as 135 deg instead of 45 deg

 - ballooning all parts in assembly drawing.  Putting quantity next to balloon unless you only need 1 where you just put ref.

 - lining up balloons in a straight line.   

 - underlining and centering main view notes.  

 - centerlines.  I usually only put centerlines when I'm actually dimensioning the circle

 - Typing "see detail ..." instead of "view detail ..." for your callout notes.  

   

RE: Mechanical drafting for Mechanical Engineering undergrad?

Yeah Dumpsta, kind of feel your pain.  Remember that drafting is a "technology" and you have been trained as an "engineer". Two very different worlds.  Engineering focuses on the mathematics applied to technology as a science, drafting is a trade.

I had your experiences back in the day.  I remember my buddy's Dad who was the President of the Professional body for Engineering, Geophysics and Geology telling me never to turn down an opportunity to work in a machine shop.  The experience gained will be three to one, one year of machining is three years of engineering!  I'll never forget that.

So as an Junior Engineer, and having gotten fired for being generally an idiot, I managed to get into a machine shop.  It opened my eyes, and introduced me to the trades.  I applied my engineering degree to the oilfield industry and generally, fell in love with machining.  So I went to the trades school and took the necessary courses to become certified as a machinist.  I just wanted to understand the technology and improve my drafting abilities, figure out how to to look at the overall picture: concept, design, drafting, manufacturing, release to the field. My buddy's Dad was absolutely correct.

I have enjoyed unhindered employment in the last twenty-five years. I opened my own company, then added a machine shop facility to get around out sourcing and hire good, compentant machining talent.  Consulting to the oilfield and having primary companies calling on you is the result of a lot of hard work.

So I recommend whole heartedly to never, ever turn down an opportunity to work in a machine shop.  Keeping your eyes open and mouth shut, because there are more ways to solve a problem than just engineering and mathematics, is what I learned.  Being able to converse with the trades, have an understanding of their wants and needs all will fall into place given due time.

Hang around the forums, listen to those with "white hair", and be open to the fact that maybe, just maybe we don't know it all.  That would be a constructive step in the right direction.

Regards,
Cockroach

RE: Mechanical drafting for Mechanical Engineering undergrad?

Nice. but lol.
You don't have to go as far as the roach. But, one day try to build something you engineer with your drawings. Or, try to build your colleagues design from his drawings. You will learn a lot about good portrayal of design etc.  

peace
Fe (IronX32)

RE: Mechanical drafting for Mechanical Engineering undergrad?

Lining up ballons?  I deliberately misalign them so that they are clearly separate.  Also stagger dimensions when they are stacked.  More readable than perfectly aligned dimensions, especially in poor light or when smudged.

Your checker may disagree, but I once had a vendor compliment my drawings as "worthy of framing".

RE: Mechanical drafting for Mechanical Engineering undergrad?

As for the first "correction" - ASME Y14.100M-1998
¶ 4.23.2 states:  "The scale, or scales, to which drawings are prepared shall be indicated on the drawing."
¶ 4.23.3 states:  "...drawings not prepared to any scale, the word "NONE" shall be entered after "SCALE" in the space provided on the drawing format."

Each item in an assembly drawing needs one (but only one) hard callout.

"SEE DETAIL" is correct because both "views" and "details" can exist on a drawing, making the use of "VIEW DETAIL" less than clear and concise.

The rest of the comments seem to be more about company style than industry standards, and I would think should be marked in a different color than the hard corrections.  As for the centerlines, ask the checker to explain at what number of instances do you stop drawing them, or does every such feature get one regardless.  What do you do with a drawing of a perforated sheet?

Technically, the glass is always  full.

RE: Mechanical drafting for Mechanical Engineering undergrad?

Quote (dumpsta):


I'm sorry, when I meant drafting, i meant cad drafting, more specific, Solidworks.  All the dimensions needed to make the assembly were there.  

These were most of the corrections
 - Putting sheet scale in title block when multiple scale views are present on the drawing.  Does this always have to be there?

   Yes, the scale should be there.  The whole point of SolidWorks, far more so than on a drafting board is  that you draw to scale.  Most of your views should be the default scale.

Quote:

- measuring angles as 135 deg instead of 45 deg

   I would have to see the view that got corrected.  I find I have to think carefully about how I apply angles to drawings.  There are a lot of wrong ways to do this, especially of you do not use GD&T to control the angled face.

   Did you ask him why he prefers 135°?

Quote:

- ballooning all parts in assembly drawing.  Putting quantity next to balloon unless you only need 1 where you just put ref.

   An assembly drawing tells somebody how to put the thing together.  They need the item balloons.  The quantity is helpful too.

Quote:

- lining up balloons in a straight line.   

   I would have to see the corrected view.  In general, I agree with TheTick on this one.  I position balloons and dimensions so that they are readable, and you can see clearly what they are attached to.  Usually, this does not involve lining them up.

Quote:

- underlining and centering main view notes.

   Again, I would have to see this.  My main drawing view notes, entered with Solidworks, are above the titleblock, and left justified.  I take advantage of the text formatting features and the automatic word wrap of the current versions.

   Perhaps you are talking about the main view labels?  I centre and use large font.  I don't underline.  This, often, is a case of someone trying to impose a consistent style on all the drawings -- good practise in my opinion.

Quote:

- centerlines.  I usually only put centerlines when I'm actually dimensioning the circle

   I take it you are talking about centre-marks on the circles.  I do this systematically if I am dimensioning the circle.  I do it if I think it will enhance the clarity of the drawing.  I don't do it if I think the view is too cluttered.

Quote:

- Typing "see detail ..." instead of "view detail ..." for your callout notes.  

   Typing "see detail" sounds to me like better English than "view detail".  It is a niggling criticism and perhaps your manager is a  little anal retentive.  Then again, this is a good part of your career to get in the habit of doing things right.  

    

               JHG

RE: Mechanical drafting for Mechanical Engineering undergrad?

A lot depends on the temperament of the checker.  Some are more concerned about rules than clarity.

RE: Mechanical drafting for Mechanical Engineering undergrad?

Dumpsta, while some of the issues you raise do sound a bit like company preference or checkers pet pieves etc. fundamentally there is more to a good drawing than that all the dimensions are given.

There are a whole bunch of drawing conventions, most of them formalized in ASME stds that try to make sure everyone is 'on the same page.  A lot of them relate to format, which some may say is less important (in some cases I might even agree with them) however, consistency can help make sure everyone is 'speaking the same language'.  

However, some apparently 'format' points can actually impact functional tolerances etc.

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