Reading Blueprints

Sheet Metal Drawings—Course 101, Lesson 4

Preface

Some of your work may involve making simple pieces of equipment for your plant.
Much of this equipment is made from sheet metal. In order to use the sheet metal
correctly, you need to know how to read drawings of the equipment. These drawings are
described in this lesson.

Probably most of the sheet metal parts you make will be for ductwork in the plant
ventilation system. To help you understand this equipment, this lesson explains how a
ventilation system works. It then explains some symbols for ductwork, so that you can
recognize them on the drawings.

Sheet metal drawings show you how to make different kinds of shapes out of sheet metal.
In this lesson, you will see several common examples of these shapes. You will see how
to “develop” three-dimensional parts on a two-dimensional sheet, so that you can make
the parts you are most likely to need.

Objectives

After studying this lesson, you should be able to…

• Describe the difference among coils, strips, and sheet metal.

• Describe how a ventilation system works.
• State the purpose of an arrow on a duct symbol.
• Demonstrate how to lay out a development.
• Define a radial development of a truncated pyramid.

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Key Terms

Duct

Space

Supply duct

Exhaust duct

Development

Sheet Metal

Sheet metal is used to make many familiar objects and devices. Examples include filing
cabinets, tool boxes, chairs, shelves, desks, safety guards, and for
heating and air conditioning units. Sheet metal comes from sheet stock. Sheet stock is
metal that has been into a thin sheet. Metals commonly rolled into sheet
stock include steel, , brass, and copper.

Wide rolls of sheet stock are called . Narrow rolls are called
. When sheet stock is cut into rectangular pieces, it is called sheet
metal.

Some sheet metal is plain steel with very little surface protection. Some is covered with a
thin coat of to prevent rusting. This metal is called sheet
metal. Most of the time, you will use galvanized or aluminum sheet metal.

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You may be asked to make ducts for your plant’s ventilation system. A duct is a sheet
metal pipe that distributes through the building. It may have a cross
section that is either or .

Sheet metal drawings will tell you what you need to know to make various kinds of
heating and ventilation ducts. But, before you learn to read these drawings, you should
understand how a typical ventilation system works.

Ventilation Systems

A ventilation system should have a greater capacity for delivering air

than for removing air. This arrangement the air
pressure inside the building, which helps the exhaust system remove dust, smoke, and
other pollutants.

A ventilation system generally consists of two basic kinds of equipment. One kind brings
air into the building. The other kind forces air out of the building. The air-supply
equipment may include some or all of the following components:

• to take dust and dirt from the air

• to move the air
• heating and cooling units to adjust the temperature of the air
• to distribute the air
• to add moisture to the air
• electrostatic collectors to clean the air
• fire and smoke detectors.

Many of the sheet metal drawings you use on the job will involve ducts. Therefore, this
lesson will concentrate on the ductwork in typical ventilation systems.

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Ductwork

Ducts carry fresh air into a building and carry used air out. The arrangement of ducts
throughout a building is called ductwork. A ventilation system that has one set of ducts
for heated air and another for cooled air is called a - system.

On sheet metal drawings, ducts are generally drawn to scale. Dimensions on a duct
symbol, or next to it, tell the size of the duct. On a square or rectangular duct, the first
dimension given is for the side shown in the drawing. For example, if a duct is labeled
“12 x 20,” the is 12 in., and the of the duct is 20 in.

An arrow on a duct symbol shows the direction of airflow through the duct. Arrows on
other symbols also indicate the direction of airflow.

A single dimension on a round duct tells the of the duct in inches.

Ducts are often shown in cross section. In all cross sections, the first dimension written
refers to the width of the duct.

The two basic kinds of ducts are supply ducts and exhaust (or return) ducts. You can tell
them apart by noting their cross sections on the drawing or by finding a directional arrow.

The supply duct brings air from the heating or cooling unit into the “space.” The word
space refers to the room or area being ventilated. On ventilation drawings, the supply-
duct cross section has two diagonal lines crossing it. It also may be .

An exhaust or return duct carries air out of a space. On a ventilation drawing, the cross
section of the exhaust duct has one diagonal line across it. It may be labeled with an E or
an R.

The end of a supply duct where it enters a space is called an . The outlet
may be fitted with either a grille or with a diffuser. A grille (also called a )

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is simply a metal grate that fits over an opening in the duct, through which air is free to
enter or leave the duct. The grille hides the opening from view, and prevents large objects
from entering the duct accidentally.

A diffuser also hides and protects the open end of the duct. But in addition, it directs the
air and spreads it evenly into the space. Both grilles and diffusers may be fitted with a
mechanism to adjust the rate of airflow.

Airflow is indicated on a drawing by the number of cubic feet per minute (cfm) of air
passing through a duct or other part of the system. An can be used to
show air flow through the duct.

Diffusers and volume dampers can be set for different flow rates to maintain the proper
temperature in a particular space. conditions must be taken into account
when the air distribution patterns are changed or adjusted. Important environmental
considerations include the direction the window walls face, whether or not there are
shade trees outside the windows, and the geographical location of the building.

An opening that allows air to enter an exhaust or return duct is called an inlet. An inlet,
like an outlet, is usually covered by a . Inlets may be located in the
floor, a wall, or the ceiling.

Exhaust inlets are used either for drawing air out of a space or for returning air to the
heating or cooling unit. These grilles or registers generally do not control the airflow or
supply.

Return or exhaust inlets are found in ceilings or walls. The symbol for a ceiling inlet has
two diagonal lines. The dimensions and the air capacity are indicated
for both kinds of inlets.

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An arrow pointing toward the symbol indicates that air goes into the duct. The letters tell
what type of inlet the symbol represents. For example, indicates a ceiling
register.

Another important part of a ventilation system is the access door. This is usually a sheet
metal plate covering a hole in the duct. The access door is used for inspection and
maintenance of the ventilation system. The letters , shown on the symbol,
make it clear that this is an access door. A small line shows the place on the duct where
the door is found.

Turning vanes are pieces of sheet metal inside a duct. They guide the
air around the bend. Turning vanes reduce the amount of energy required to move the air.
They are shown as curved lines within a duct.

The symbols for other equipment important to ventilation systems are shown in tables.
These include types of heaters, air conditioning units, fans, filters, humidifiers,
dehumidifiers, dust collectors, and smoke detectors. If you need a complete chart, ask
your instructor for the latest guide published by the American Society of Heating,
Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc. (ASHRAE).

Sheet Metal Drawings

Your work in the plant will probably not require you to install a new system of ductwork.
But you may need to make changes in the ducts from time to time. These changes may
involve making certain parts from flat sheets of metal. If so, you will need to know how
to figure out the proper shape in flat metal to form a specific three-dimensional part.

Laying out a three-dimensional shape on a flat surface is called . In order

to make something out of sheet metal, you must first lay out the development on a flat
sheet called a . Then you place the template on a piece of sheet metal,

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cut the metal to the proper shape, and bend it to form the three-dimensional piece you
want.

Many three-dimensional shapes can be developed on a flat surface, but not all. The test of
whether a shape can be developed is simple. If you can lay a anywhere
on the shape so that it touches all along a line, then the surface can be developed. For
example, a rectangular box can be developed. So can a cylinder, a cone, and a pyramid.
But a cannot be developed.

Sometimes the method used for developing an item will be shown on a blueprint. Other
times you may need to develop the part by yourself. The remainder of this lesson explains
three methods of developing three-dimensional parts. Following the proper method for
the job at hand will enable you to make most sheet metal parts.

Parallel Development

The simplest shapes can be developed by a technique called line

development. It uses parallel lines in laying out the part. Parallel development is used in
laying out shapes that have parallel lateral edges, such as cylindrical or rectangular duct
sections.

The development for a rectangular box looks like you cut each of the
box and spread it open. To make the development for this box, start by drawing a top
orthographic projection. Draw it exactly to the proper size, and make sure all the angles
are angles. Then add a side orthographic projection to each side. The
third step is to draw an end orthographic projection at each end of the bottom projection.
Finally, mark the lines where you will fold the sheet metal.

When you have finished the development on the sheet metal, you are ready to cut out the
shape and fold it to make the three-dimensional object. After the folds are finished, you
can fasten the cut edges together by or by some other means.

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Truncated Cylinder Development

The development of a sheet-metal cylinder with one end cut off at an angle is called a
truncated cylinder development. The word “truncated” means “cut off”. The angle of the
cut makes no difference in the development procedure.

In Step 1 of the development of the truncated cylinder, you draw orthographic projections
of the bottom and side. Then divide half the circle of the bottom projection into a number
of equal arcs. For example, the half-circle in could be divided into equal
arcs, each measuring 15°.

In Step 2 you project each arc up to the side view. Although this projection divides the
side view into 12 unequal parts, each represents 15° of arc around the circumference of
the cylinder.

In Step 3 you draw a - line. The length of this line must be

equal to the circumference of the circular base. To calculate the circumference, you
multiply the diameter of the cylinder by π ( ). For example, if the cylinder has
a diameter of 6 in., the stretch-out line must be 18.8 in. long.

Starting at one end of the stretch-out line, divide the total length into as
many equal segments as contained in the half-circle in Step 1. For example, the
half-circle was divided into 12 equal arcs in Step 1. Therefore, the stretch-out line is
divided into equal segments in Step 3. Draw a vertical line upward at each
division, and mark with a zero the vertical line at the center of the stretch-out line.
Number the other vertical lines progressively, 1 through 12, on each side of the center
(zero) position.

In Step 4, you project the segment lines horizontally from the place where they end on
the angled line (the truncated edge of the cylinder) to their corresponding vertical lines.

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Finally, in Step 5, you draw a smooth through all the intersections,
down the sides, and along the stretch-out line. This enclosed area is the development of
the truncated cylinder. To form the truncated cylinder, place the development on a piece
of sheet metal. Cut around the heavy line, and then the sheet metal to
form the cylinder.

Radial Development

Some sheet metal parts must increase or decrease in size from one end to the other. The
two most basic shapes of this type are the and the .A
pyramid with the top cut off is called a truncated pyramid. It can be used for connecting
square or rectangular ducts of different sizes.

The method of developing a cone, a pyramid, or any other shape that has a constant taper,
requires drawing radius lines from a single . The development that
results is called a radial development.

To draw the radial development of a truncated pyramid, you begin by drawing

orthographic projections on the pyramid. In the front view, you extend the slanted sides
to the point where they intersect. This point would be the of the
pyramid if the top were not cut off.

The next step is to find the true length of an edge, from the vertex to the top of the
truncated portion, and the true length of a complete edge, from vertex to base. Both
lengths extend from the vertex down one fold line to a lower “corner” of the pyramid.
You cannot measure the edge lengths on the orthographic projections, because the lines
you need to measure slant inward and do not lie in the plane of either the top view or the
front view. Thus, they are not shown to true scale.
In Step 2 you extend the horizontal lines in the front view of the pyramid. Then you draw
diagonals in the top view. The point where the diagonals cross represents the vertex of
the pyramid.

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Next, you set a to the distance on the top view from the vertex to the
upper corner. Transfer that distance to the upper horizontal line on the front view,
measuring from the centerline. Then do the same for the lower corner. A line from the
vertex to one of these points should pass through the other point as well. Line VB of your
construction represents the true length of an edge of the uncut pyramid, from vertex to
base.

After you have drawn line VB, you are ready to draw the development. To begin, use a
compass to draw two arcs. The first arc has a radius equal to VA, the distance from the
vertex of the pyramid to the upper corner. The second arc has a radius equal to VB—the
distance from the vertex to the lower corner. This is Step 3.

Next, draw a line equal to VB (Step 4) from the center of the arcs to the outer arc. Then
use your compass to measure a chord on the inner arc equal to one horizontal edge at the
top of the pyramid.

For example, if the top edge of the pyramid is 6 in. long, you set your compass to 6 in. on
the rule. Then place the compass point on the inner arc where the radius crosses it, and
draw a short line across the inner arc with the movable end of the compass.

Repeat this process four times to accommodate the four edges around the top of the
pyramid. Then open your compass to the true length of the pyramid’s base and do the
same on the outer arc to accommodate the four edges at the bottom of the pyramid.

When you have marked all the remaining points on the inner and outer arcs, draw each
radius between the matching points on the two arcs. Also draw the chords connecting
points along each arc (Step 5). The resulting shape is the development of the truncated
pyramid. You can now transfer your drawing to a piece of sheet metal, cut it out, and fold
it to make the part.

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Extra Metal for Assembly

Whenever you develop a sheet metal part, the development will have exactly the right
size and shape to form that part. It will not include any extra metal for forming a
. If you want some extra metal for this purpose, you will need to adjust
your pattern accordingly.

For example, if you make a pattern for a rectangular box, you should add a little extra
metal along each side. Then when you form the box, you can fold the extra metal over the
adjoining side to make an overlapping seam that can be or joined in
some other manner.

Similarly, if you make a cylinder, you should include an extra strip of metal along one
edge of the development. When the sheet is formed into a cylinder, the extra metal will
overlap the opposite edge, making it possible to join the edges together. You can use the
same method to provide tabs on a pyramid or cone.

Summary

Two basic types of ventilating ducts are the supply ducts and the return ducts. The supply
ducts carry air from the heating or cooling unit to various spaces in the building. The
return ducts carry used air back to the heating or cooling units.

Ducts are represented in drawings by various symbols. The symbols show whether a duct
is a supply duct or a return (exhaust) duct. They also show the locations of grilles,
diffusers, access doors, and other parts of the ductwork.

Before a duct can be made of sheet metal, its shape must be developed. That is, the three-
dimensional shape must be laid out as a two-dimensional pattern that can be formed into
the required three-dimensional shape.

There are several methods of developing a shape. This lesson explained three methods.
Parallel development uses parallel lines to lay out simple parts. In a truncated cylinder
development, a side-view profile is projected onto a stretch-out line. Radial developments
are used for developing parts that taper from one size to another.

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