Technical Drawings

What is a technical drawing?

A technical drawing is a detailed visual representation used to communicate exact specifications for how a product is built and functions.

Why are technical drawings important?

Technical drawings are important for the precision communication of product specifications, such as dimensions and tolerances, which are critical to engineering, manufacturing, documentation, and service.

What are the basic elements of technical drawings?

Some of the basic elements of a technical drawing are as follows:

Title section: Every technical drawing should have a title, date, name of the drafter, and scale.
Viewpoint: Technical drawings can be viewed from many different angles.
Dimensions: The exact measurements of the dimensions of a product are a crucial element of value for a technical drawing.
Lines: Different types of lines are used for different purposes, such as dashed lines and solid lines.
Symbols: Symbols are used to represent features such as surface types and threading.

What are the different types of technical drawings?

Technical illustration

A technical illustration visually communicates technical information for a specific product and its variants. Technical illustrations are used in many fields, including engineering, manufacturing, architecture, and service.

Assembly drawing

Assembly drawings are technical illustrations showing how product components fit and function together, including details like part numbers, dimensions, and assembly sequences. They are important for ensuring accuracy, improving communication among teams, streamlining manufacturing, and supporting compliance with industry standards by providing clear instructions and specifications.

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Mechanical drawing

Mechanical drawings are used to draft precise schematics for mechanical components, machinery, and systems.

Computer-aided design (CAD)

Computer-aided design drawings are digital representations of products or systems.

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What is a technical drawing used for?

Technical drawings are used for a variety of reasons in communicating complex information. Examples include product design specifications, service documentation, manufacturing quality control, and service parts information.

How industry leaders are using technical drawing software

Toro

Toro uses Creo Illustrate to reduce illustration time from one hour to 15 minutes.

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Choosing the best technical illustration software

Creo Illustrate: Leverage CAD data to create 3D and 2D illustrations in minutes.

Arbortext IsoDraw: Produce high-quality illustrations and animations rapidly with real-time CAD data.

Technical drawing frequently asked questions

What are the basic types of technical drawings?

Technical drawings include isometric drawings, engineering drawings, orthographic drawings, and architectural drawings. Each type of drawing serves a specific purpose for accurate communication in engineering, manufacturing, and service.

Isometric drawing

Isometric drawings represent three-dimensional objects in two dimensions. It is widely used in engineering, architecture, and technical illustration because it brings visual clarity to complex objects. Isometric drawings maintain the proportions of the object by keeping the dimensions along each axis to scale, preventing distortion. Unique characteristics of isometric drawings include the absence of perspective, equal dimensions along all three axes, and horizontal lines drawn at 30 degrees to the normal horizontal axis.

Engineering drawing

Engineering drawings are technical drawings that fully define requirements for engineered products. They are used by engineers, designers, and technicians to clearly communicate technical information with an emphasis on precision. Elements of an engineering drawing include a title block, the scale of the drawing’s dimensions as they equate to the dimensions of the product, line types and conventions, tolerances, a standard set of symbols and annotations, and multiple views and projections.

Orthographic projection

Orthographic projections are two-dimensional representations used in engineering and manufacturing to project the features of an object onto a plane using lines that are perpendicular to the plane. They are essential for creating detailed and accurate technical drawings that convey all necessary information about the design and dimensions of a product. Orthographic projections help technician professionals fully understand a product’s geometry, allow for the precise fabrication and assembly of components, and can be used to help service technicians diagnose and fix problems.

Architectural drawing

Architectural drawings are technical illustrations that depict the design, layout, and specifications of buildings and structures. They can be relevant to product, manufacturing, and service engineers when products need to fit or be accessed within a certain space.

What is sectioning in technical drawing?

Sectioning in technical drawing is a technique used to reveal the internal features of an object or assembly. This is done by visualizing a cutting plane passing through the object, providing a view known as a section view or cross-section. Sectioning is essential in engineering and manufacturing because it provides detailed insights into the internal geometry of parts and assemblies. This helps engineers and technicians understand how different components fit together and interact.

What is perspective drawing in technical drawing?

Perspective drawing in technical drawings is a technique used to create the illusion of depth and space. It uses vanishing points and converging lines to simulate how human eyes perceive depth, making objects appear more realistic. This method is essential for accurately depicting spatial relationships and dimensions in engineering, service, and design, helping viewers understand the design more effectively.

Technical Drawing Software