Mastering SolidWorks: The Design Approach, 3rd Edition

Chapter 5

Drawings

5.1 Introduction

Engineering drawings are important for two reasons. First, designers use them to document their designs. Second, they are the de facto standard in design communication among various groups and departments involved in product design and manufacturing (e.g., manufacturing, tooling, production, inspection, assembly). The typical (standard) sizes of engineering drawings are A, B, C, D, and E.

Generating engineering drawings requires knowledge of drafting and communication rules. In general, it is not a good idea to over-dimension or under-dimension views, just as it is not a good idea to over-define or under-define sketches. The drawing should be fully defined, just like sketches. Figure 5.1 shows these three ...