CHAPTER 1

Introduction to Engineering
Drawing and Design

Learning Objectives
Explain topics related to the history of
engineering drafting
Define drafter and other related
terminology
Identify categories and disciplines
related to drafting
Describe the requirements for becoming
a drafter

Learning Objectives
List and explain points to consider when
seeking employment
Identify the professional organization that
is dedicated to the advancement of
design and drafting
Explain workplace ethics and related
issues
Identify topics related to copyrights,
patents, and trademarks

Engineering Drawing
Common language of engineering
Process of creating drawings for any
engineering or architectural
application

Engineering Drawing
Also known as:

Drafting
Engineering drafting
Mechanical drawing
Mechanical drafting
Technical drawing
Technical drafting

Engineering Drawings
Effective and efficient way to
communicate:

Design intent
Engineering requirements
Instructions
Proposals
Typically not open to interpretation

Mechanical Drafting
Used in the manufacturing industry, or
Heating, ventilating, and airconditioning (HVAC) systems

Manual Drafting
Traditional drafting practice using
pencil or ink on a medium such as
paper or polyester film
Mostly replaced by computer-aided
drafting (CAD)

Computers in Design and

Drafting
Have revolutionized design and
drafting practices
Used in several industries and most
engineering and architectural related
disciplines for design and drafting

Computers in Design and

Drafting
Computer-aided design and drafting (C
ADD)
Computer-aided design (CAD)
Computer-aided drafting (CAD)

Early Drawing Practices

Pictograms and petroglyphs
Prehistoric graphic forms of
communication

Designers of ancient structures and

machines
Sketches, drawings, and documents
14th and 15th century
Engineering drawings representing
machines and buildings

Early Engineering Drawing

Pioneers
Leonardo da Vinci

1452-1519
Italian artist, inventor, and mapmaker
Created pictorial drawings generally
without dimensions

Leonardo da Vinci

Early Engineering Drawing

Pioneers
Leon Battista Alberti

1404-1472
Italian architecture and engineering

author
Explored the need to incorporate more
geometry in drawings
Proposed drawings with multiple views

Early Engineering Drawing

Pioneers
Ren Descartes

1596-1650
French inventor of the Cartesian
coordinate system
Founder of analytic geometry

Gaspard Monge
1746-1818
French developer of descriptive geometry

The Industrial Revolution

Parts produced from hand sketches or
hand drawings on blackboards

Coleman Sellers, American engineer and

innovator
Henry Ford, American automobile
manufacture

Most designs began as a hand sketch of

the object to build

The Industrial Revolution

Interchangeability became important

Requires accurate drawings

19th century
Engineering drawing evolves more rapidly

Early Drafting Practices and

Equipment
Drawings created by hand on a board

Initial drawing was done using a pencil, T

square, triangles, scales, irregular

(French) curves, compasses, and dividers
Drafters often traced original pencil
drawings onto cloth using pen and ink
Attention to lettering quality

Drafting Machines
Replaced the T-square, triangles,
scales, and protractor
Arm and track (track shown)
Parallel bar

Drawing Reproduction
Required for distributing drawings to
manufacturers or builders

Blueprints

Replaced by the diazo process

Modern printers, plotters and engineering
copiers create prints

Computer-Aided Design and

Drafting (CADD)
1980s

Schools started teaching CADD

1990s
Many schools and companies make the
complete transition to CADD

CADD now accounts for almost all

design and drafting

The Drafter
Prepares technical drawings and plans
used by production and construction
workers
Fills in technical details using
drawings, rough sketches,
specifications, and calculations made
by engineers, surveyors, architects, or
scientists

The Drafter
Uses technical handbooks, tables,
calculators, and computers
Most often uses computer-aided design
and drafting (CADD) systems to prepare
drawings

Other Common Titles

Drafting Fields
Specific drafting areas have unique
conceptual and skill characteristics
Drafters often create a variety of
drawings even though they may be an
employ in a certain field, or focus on a
specific product
Drafters often work with a team,
individuals of the same discipline, and
others related to a specific project

Aeronautical Drafter
CADD models and drawings

Airplanes
Missiles
Spacecraft
Components and related equipment
Specialization of mechanical drafting

Architectural Drafter
CADD models and drawings

Architectural and structural features of a

building

Architectural Drafter

Automotive Design Drafter

Working layouts and master drawings

Automotive vehicle components,

assemblies, and systems

Specialization of mechanical drafting

Cartographic Drafter
Cartographer
Maps of geographical areas

Natural and constructed features

Political boundaries
Other features

Casting, Forging, and Mold

Drafter
CADD models and drawings

Castings
Forgings
Modeled parts
Specialization of mechanical drafting

Civil Drafter
CADD models and drawings

Construction or civil engineering projects

Civil Drafter

Commercial Drafter
Facilities Drafter
Lays out the location of buildings
Planning of arrangements in offices,
large rooms, store buildings, and
factories
Specialization of architectural drafting

Directional Survey Drafter

Plots oil- or gas-well boreholes
Specialization of civil drafting

Electrical Drafter
CADD models and drawings

Electrical equipment
Wiring diagrams
Circuit board assembly diagrams
Layout drawings

Electrical Drafter

Electronic Drafter
CADD models and drawings

Electronic devices and components

Printed circuit boards
Electronic equipment

Electronic Drafter

Geological Drafter
Geological or geophysical stratigraphy
and locations of gas and oil deposits

Maps
Diagrams
Profiles
Cross sections
Directional surveys
Subsurface formations

Geophysical Drafter
Subsurface contours in rock formations

Heating, Ventilating, and AirConditioning (HVAC) Drafter

HVAC contract documents from
engineering schematics
Detail drafter (detailer)

Heating, Ventilating, and AirConditioning (HVAC) Drafter

Industrial Process Pipe Drafter

Industrial Pipe Drafter, Piping Drafter,
Pipeline Drafter
CADD models and drawings

Layout, construction, and operation of oil

and gas fields, refineries, chemical plants,

and process piping systems

Oil and gas drafter

Industrial Process Pipe Drafter

Landscape Drafter
CADD models and drawings

Landscape architecture

Mechanical Drafter
Engineering Drafter
Mechanical drafting for the
manufacturing industry

Mechanical Drafter

Marine Drafter
CADD models and drawings

Structural and mechanical features of

ships, docks, and other marine structures

and equipment

Specialization of mechanical and

structural drafting

Patent Drafter
Clear and accurate drawings of varied
sorts of mechanical devices

Used by patent lawyer to obtain patent

rights

Photogrammetrist
Analyzes source data and prepares:

Mosaic prints
Contour-map profile sheets
Related cartographic materials

Plumbing Drafter
Pipe Drafter
CADD models and drawings

Installation of plumbing and piping

equipment for residential, commercial,

and industrial installations

Closely related to industrial process

pipe drafting

Structural Drafter
CADD models and drawings

Structures employing structural

reinforcing steel, concrete, masonry,

wood, and other structural materials

Detail drafter (detailer)

Structural Drafter

Technical Illustrator
Lays out and draws illustrations for:

Reference works
Brochures
Technical manuals

Technical Illustrator

Tool and Die Design Drafter

CADD models and detailed drawing
plans for manufacture of tools
Specialization of mechanical drafting

Education and Qualifications

Postsecondary training in a drafting
program
Considerable experience with CADD
systems and techniques
Strong background in drafting principles
Ability to apply knowledge to a broader
range of responsibilities
Mechanical ability and visual aptitude

Education and Qualifications

Ability to perform detailed work
accurately
Good interpersonal skills
Knowledge of:
Drafting standards
Mathematics
Science
Engineering technology
Manufacturing
Construction methods

Advancement

Entry-level or junior drafters

Intermediate drafters
Senior drafter, designer, or supervisor
Opportunities include design, checking,
purchasing, estimating, and
management

Drafting Job Opportunities

Fluctuate with national and local
economies
Tied to industries that are sensitive to
cyclical changes in the economy
Construction
Manufacturing
Increasing temporary or contract
employment

Drafting Job Opportunities

Mechanical drafting

Metropolitan areas where manufacturing is

strong

Civil or structural drafting

Areas that are more rural

Electronic data transfer helps to create
a broader range of opportunities

Searching For a Drafting

Position
Education and training requirements
vary with job opportunities and
employer requirements
Two-year, post-secondary degree
advantage
Cooperative work experience (CWE) or
internship

Job-Seeking Strategy

Get your resume in order

Write an application or cover letter
Prepare a portfolio
Register with employment services
Use internet resources

Job-Seeking Strategy

Be realistic
Research prospective companies
Be prepared when you get an interview
Ask intelligent questions
Respond fast to job leads
Make a decision with enthusiasm
Send thank-you letters

Salaries and Employment

Benefits
Comparable to salaries of other
professions with equal educational
requirements
Employment benefits are common and
vary according to each employer

ADDA International
American Design Drafting Association,
and
American Digital Design Association
Dedicated to the advancement of
design and drafting and the graphics
professions across all industries

ADDA International

Leadership opportunities
Certification program
Certified curriculum program
Professional councils and student chapters
Annual Design Drafting Week, Technical and
Educational Conference, and poster and
design drafting contest
Product and publication approval
Publications
Employment Center

Drafting Standards
Established in most industries, schools,
and companies
Promote safety, reliability, quality,
productivity, interchangeability, and
efficiency
Lowers costs and simplifies training
Code

Drafting Standards
Apply to:
CADD file storage, naming, and backup
File templates
Units of measurement
Layout characteristics
Borders and title blocks
Symbols
Layers, and text, table, dimension, and other
drafting styles
Plot styles and plotting

Common Engineering Drawing

and Design Standards
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
(ASME) standards

Accredited by the American National Standards

Institute (ANSI)

American Welding Society (AWS) standards

CADD Skill Standards
International Organization for Standardization
(ISO) standards
United States National CAD Standard (NCS)

Workplace Ethics
Elements of a code of ethics:

Be dependable
Obey the laws
Be good to customers

Intellectual Property Rights

Protecting product research,
engineering, and development
Employees must help protect design
ideas and trade secrets
Proprietary notes on drawings

Software Piracy
It is against the law to share copies of
some software
Use software legally and report illegal
use when observed

Copyrights
Control exclusively the reproduction and
distribution of:
Literary, musical, and dramatic works
Pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works
Motion pictures and other audiovisual works
Sound recordings
Architectural and certain other intellectual
works

Patents
20-year term
U.S. patent grants effective only
within the U.S., U.S. territories, and
U.S. possessions
Subject matter must be useful

Application for a Patent

Nonprovisional Application for a Patent
Provisional Application for a Patent

Patent Drawings
Form an integral part of a patent
application
Must show every feature of the
invention

Trademarks
Different from a copyright or a patent
Rights start from the actual use of the
mark
Federal registration not required, but
offers advantages
Service mark