Handy Features to Have on Drawing Templates
Handy Features to Have on Drawing Templates
(OP)
I have a bit of an exciting opportunity. My small, young company is re-doing its drawing templates. I'd like to take this chance to get the templates to be as useful and complete as possible.
We already have the basics, e.g. tolerance block, "Where Used" table, etc.
What I'm looking for is clever little things like having a "Finish" box, where one would put a flagnote if a finish is to be applied or a dash if the part is unfinished, so the reader immediately knows whether the part has a finish applied to it and where to look for it, instead of skimming through all of the notes looking for a finish (or lack thereof).
So I'm asking the peanut gallery: what are some neat, maybe not conventional, features that you've seen on drawing templates?
We already have the basics, e.g. tolerance block, "Where Used" table, etc.
What I'm looking for is clever little things like having a "Finish" box, where one would put a flagnote if a finish is to be applied or a dash if the part is unfinished, so the reader immediately knows whether the part has a finish applied to it and where to look for it, instead of skimming through all of the notes looking for a finish (or lack thereof).
So I'm asking the peanut gallery: what are some neat, maybe not conventional, features that you've seen on drawing templates?





RE: Handy Features to Have on Drawing Templates
What's great for you may not be for other drawing users and vice versa, i.e. what's useful to engineering may not be useful to the machinist, or inspection, or purchasing or....
Scale Graticule
What is Engineering anyway: FAQ1088-1484: In layman terms, what is "engineering"?
RE: Handy Features to Have on Drawing Templates
Another option we use is add is if there is any critical dimension in particular sheet.
RE: Handy Features to Have on Drawing Templates
Some nice-to-implement features are unique to particular systems.
Also, what is the main area of your company's interest - would you benefit from creating, say, specialized templates for plastic, sheet metal, etc.?
"For every expert there is an equal and opposite expert"
Arthur C. Clarke Profiles of the future
RE: Handy Features to Have on Drawing Templates
One thing I don't like that the OP mentioned is a "where used" block. Unless absolutely everything you draw is a one off special and will never be reused, this can never be up to date. We reuse components ALL THE TIME. I'm still using parts I drew 30 years ago in new products that I could never have imagined when the drawing was created.
/rant on/
We do use special characteristic symbols per TS16949 but those don't go into the formats as different customers have different symbols and then we have our own for internal documents. What a stupid "standard" to mandate the use of special characteristic symbols and then not define the symbols. I could see them grandfathering in old symbol sets but they could at least define a common set going forward!
/rant off/
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RE: Handy Features to Have on Drawing Templates
"Know the rules well, so you can break them effectively."
-Dalai Lama XIV
RE: Handy Features to Have on Drawing Templates
RE: Handy Features to Have on Drawing Templates
To expand on the posting, we're using SolidWorks 2013, mainly for sheetmetal and machined parts, mostly aluminum. Industry is aerospace.
I like the idea of getting rid of the "Where Used" block. The company is still in its infancy, so we haven't had any headaches keeping these up to date yet, but that will be changing.
I'm hesitant to put a calculated weight on a drawing, since it is at best an approximation, and at worst totally inaccurate. For example, I've seen downloaded hardware that comes in weighing tons instead of ounces if you forget to check/change the units & properties, totally wrecking any calculated weights or CGs.
RE: Handy Features to Have on Drawing Templates
"Where used" is dangerous. You have to keep this up to date. I tried "Designed for", but our documentation person claimed that had to be kept up to date. :(
I had this opportunity something over fifteen years ago. My idea was to have add-on sections for the title block. The main block had the title, drawing number, revision, pages, company logo, signature section, a place for stamps, and a copyright message. We have separate blocks for metric fabrication, inch fabrication, assemblies, and a projection and scale block. This leaves us with a minimal size title block, when we don't need the other stuff. It also makes for a logically organized page. For example, the scale is not down next to the page number. It is up at the top left hand corner of the block, in large font, where you actually need it.
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JHG
RE: Handy Features to Have on Drawing Templates
It is not impossible to keep your units under control - maybe it's a matter of discipline.
Make sure you use SolidWorks Property Tab Builder to organize your file properties.
"For every expert there is an equal and opposite expert"
Arthur C. Clarke Profiles of the future
RE: Handy Features to Have on Drawing Templates
RE: Handy Features to Have on Drawing Templates
We give the default start template part a density of 99lbs/cubic inch. This sticks out immediately if the engineer has not set the material properties and density. The weight on the drawing will also give someone an idea if the part can be moved by hand or if they need a crane/forklift. If possible or if needed, make the parameter adjustable so you can see the weight of very small parts. We have the weight field set to display 1 decimal point value (16.4) but sometimes on small parts we get 0.0 on the drawing.
Drive a raw material block/information from part parameters to the drawing, too.
"Wildfires are dangerous, hard to control, and economically catastrophic."
Ben Loosli
RE: Handy Features to Have on Drawing Templates
Example: A 3d model of a motor will not have a remotely correct weight unless the designer went in a hollowed it out to match the catalog spec.
RE: Handy Features to Have on Drawing Templates
Alternately, you can adjust the density. In SolidWorks, you can just tell it what your part's mass is.
Making mass correct at the assembly level is very much more important than making it work on spec. controls.
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JHG
RE: Handy Features to Have on Drawing Templates
"Know the rules well, so you can break them effectively."
-Dalai Lama XIV
RE: Handy Features to Have on Drawing Templates
RE: Handy Features to Have on Drawing Templates
SolidWorks' material library changes the section view crosshatch. I hate it.
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JHG
RE: Handy Features to Have on Drawing Templates
Tunalover