Doing it by the book

In recent years, I have witnessed a noticeable decline in the quality of drawings. As more emphasis is placed on models and assemblies, good drawing practices are neglected. I cannot not even count how many drawings I have encountered that seemed to not only not follow any known standards but were just plain scary. I don’t have to tell anybody that no matter how much time one puts into designing the perfect part or assembly, if the drawing doesn’t not convey the information correctly the project can fail.

I believe that one of the primary reasons for the current state of drawings, is the lack of adherence to set standards. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not one to prop up standards as the be all end all but I do believe, however, that standards are the best foundation for any drawing. The better the quality of the drawing the better the information is conveyed to the end reader.

To do my small part to save the art that I fell in love with when I took my first drafting class at age 15, I have decided to declare Tuesdays “Standard Tuesdays”. Every Tuesday I will introduce SolidWorks users to standards that influence the creation of drawings. Almost every aspect of a drawing is specified by a standard. The following list describes the standards that apply to mechanical drawings:

ASME Y14.1 – Decimal Inch Drawing Sheet Size and Format

ASME Y14.1M – Metric Drawing Sheet Size and Format

ASME Y14.2M – Line Conventions and Lettering

ASME Y14.3M – Multiview and Sectional View Drawings

ASME Y14.4M – Pictorial Drawing

ASME Y14.5M – Dimensioning and Tolerancing

ASME Y14.5.1M – Mathematical Definition of Dimensioning and Tolerancing Principles

ASME Y14.6 – Screw Thread Representation

ASME Y14.7.1 – Gear Drawing Standards – Part 1 for Spur, Helical, Double Helical and Rack

ASME Y14.7.2 – Gear Drawing Standards – Part 2 for Spur, Helical, Double Helical and Rack

ASME Y14.8M – Castings and Forgings

ASME Y14.13M – Mechanical Spring Representation

ASME Y14.24 – Types and Applications of Engineering Drawings

ASME Y14.34M – Associated Lists

ASME Y14.35M – Revision of Engineering Drawings and Associated Documents

ASME Y14.36M – Surface Texture Symbols

ASME Y14.38a – Abbreviations and Acronyms

ASME Y14.41 – Digital Product Definition Data Practices

ASME Y14.100 – Engineering Drawing Practices

To the average person, ASME standards can be pretty dry and can come in handy when suffering from a bout with insomnia. To spare the average reader from falling asleep face first on their computer\, I will cover only specific areas of drawings and how standards affect them. Present properly, I believe that my readers will find this segment helpful and enlightening. Next Tuesday, the fun will begin so submit any questions you may have about any the standards listed above and/or good drawing practices.

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