The Importance of Engineering Drawing

I.

INTRODUCTION
For an engineer, there are four things that must be learned by engineering
student, design visualization, concept enhancement, idea generation and
information gathering. Design visualization is the first thing to be learned, so
engineering students have to take engineering drawing. What is engineering
drawing?
First of all, engineering drawing is used to show us how the
components look like and facilitates us how to manufacture them. The purpose is
to accurately capture all geometric components of an object, engineering
drawing is not an illusration, it is a specification the shape and size of the part of
component using axonometric projection method aor multiview projection
method. The reason why the engineer is not using perspective projection
methods is because it does not reveal the exact size and shape, and it is also
difficult to draw. Engineering drawing is a starting point of all engineeringbranches, Mechanical, Civil, Aeronautical, Communication, Electrical, Marine,
Metallurgical, Instrumentation, Architectural, Mining, Industrial Engineering and
many more, that is why this course is important and crucial for engineering
students.
An engineer has to think systematically, which means an engineer has the
ability to analyze the existing elements and a complete understanding of the
drawing. In Engineering drawing, it is meant for communicating his/her ideas,
designs and thoughts to something concrete and could be calculated and
realized. There are four main types of engineering drawing.
1. Assembly drawings
2. Subassembly drawing
3. Detail assembly drawing
4. Detail drawings.
A picture is worth a thousand words, everyone must have heard that phrase.
One of the best ways to communicate an idea is through some form of drawing or
picture, because the word languages are inadequate for describing the shape,
size and features completely as well as concisely. Engineering drawing is the
universal graphic language for engineers to communicate with the other
engineers from other branches, because designing object is not only requires
engineers from one branch, but also needed the other branches. For the
examples, an architect who has already had the design and the blueprints of the
building she/he wants to build, also needs a civil engineer to realize the design.
An electrical engineer who has already had the design and mini circuit of a
machine, needs a mechanical engineering to realized the design. It needs design
visualization, product design in a complete visualization and communicative.
Every languages has its own rules of grammar, so is engineering drawing.
Engineering drawing also has its grammar in projection theory, punctuations in
types of lines and symbols, and description of construction. Engineering drawing
also has its stardards, for examples, ANSI (USA), JIS (Japan), BS (UK), AS
(Australia) and ISO, that controls the sizes and format drawing, lettering,
projection methiods, lines, scales, and dimensioning. Drawing can be done using
a. Freehand drawing method
b. Instrument drawing method
c. Computer drawing method by using software like AutoCad, 3ds max etc.

Freehand drawing, the lines are sketched without using any instruments other
than pencils and erasers. Instrument drawing, the lines, circles, curves are drawn
accurately using instruments, such as drawing sheet, drawing tape, pencils,
eraser, T-square, Set-triangles, scales, compass and divider, lines are used to
represent the sufaces, contours, and edges of objects. Computer drawing, the
drawings are made by software such as AutoCad, 3ds max, solid works etc.

II.

CASE STUDIES
People needs a life support device in their daily life, such as electronics
devices, furniture, and many more. The industry exists because of the demand
from human. And the demand appears because of scarcity faced by mankind. It is
already become a human instinct to meet every their daily need like
communucation devices, food, clothes, residences, and furniture.
One of our daily need which will be studied is chair. Chair is one simple
example of furniture that is commonly used by people. There are a lot of chair
designs, for formal use or casual use, modern, creative, ergonomic and unusual
chair design, from most commonly supported by four legs until bean-shaped
chair. The existence of various forms is due to the different needs of each person,
chairs for the office are different from what people use in hospital, school, library,
dining room, and cars. There are people who want a chair with back and arm rest,
or a chair without arm rest, or a chair with a bar stool instead, it is according to
what they need to facilitate and support their lives. To fulfill the needs of
consumers, the market must make various kinds of chair, and to make various
kinds of chair, designs are needed. The engineers just do not draw the design
they imagine on a piece of paper, but they also measure the length, width and
height of the chair and also the moment of force, that the chair can be used
properly. The features attached on chair are also being a consideration, whether
the consumers need or not, whether it will be functional or not, whether it will be
eficient or not.
To make a chair design, the first thing is to decide how the seat can
function according to its type. Then an engineer can draw the framework or
structure in drawing sheet by using freehand method, then continued to
instrument drawing method or computer drawing method. Making a stardard
model chair with four legs like elementary students chair would be easier if we

use instrumental drawing by using T-squares and set-triangles like shown in

picture 2.1
Picture 2.1

After the chair design is realized, we make the prototype. A Prototype is an

early sample or model of a product to test a concept. Later, the prototype is
tested in laboratory, ergonomy laboratory. Ergonomics focuses on the work
environment and items such as the design, displays, safety, to fit a persons
physical requirements. For the example, if the chair is too high, the entire sole of
foot can not rest on the floor or a footrest, it causes the blood can not circulate
freely in legs and feet. But if the chair design fulfill the basic criteria for an
ergonomically designed chair, the chair can be produced and distributed to
market.

III.

REFERENCES

Holman, J. P. (1985). Metode Pengukuran Teknik. Jakarta: Erlangga.

Windsor, H. H. (2007). Mission Furniture. Chicago: The Project Gutenberg.
http://safety.uchicago.edu