Thursday 3 May 2012

Where Can I Learn To Make Shop Drawings?

By John McDunn


Within the particular world of 3 dimensional modeling, are Shop Drawings nevertheless used? Absolutely! There is no a different way to successfully transfer info on the design/detail end for the shop floor. Some Fabrication Shops are using a lot more 'robotic' capabilities, but they are few and far between. You will find machines out there that can of course cut, drill, weld and prepare pretty much anything , but very little is effective at assembling. Assuming that this continues there will also be a need for a Shop Drawing detailer/designer. Shop Drawing and detailing has changed a lot over the past 20 years. It used to be an 'art' form with drafting tables, electrical pencil sharpeners and shavings brushes. Right now it's the mouse as well as a monitor and higher powered computer software such as Auto CAD, Tekla Structures, SDS2, Auto Desk Revit, Auto Desk Inventor and every other Auto Desk solution.

Quite frequently an idea is actually drew on paper to begin with, by a designer (lets state an architect for his customer). This designer/architect will then work with his team and create a set of drawings of this idea, (lets use a museum as an example). This set of museum drawings may also include a 3D model (or derived from it). Once they are satisfied they send them to the Client for approval. If approved throughout the construction process will start, and the hiring of a general contractor to search out the trades is often the best route.

The task of creating Shop Drawings is usually found in one of these trade routes, in this case it woulde be : Mechanical Shop drawings for duct work, Structural Steel Shop Drawings for the steel, Decking, Joist and Concrete also need Shop Drawings.

What is a Shop Drawing?

A shop drawing is basically a design/detail explained on paper , put forth to a shop fabricator/manufacturer so he or she can therefore build the needed piece.

Are Shop Drawings always expected? Not always, but yes more often than not they are needed and occasionally necessary (IE. engineers and architects would want to see their conceptions on paper)

What exactly is a Shop Drawing Stamp?

A Shop Drawing Stamp is the engineer (of record's) solution to say he has approved the Shop Drawing which you or maybe your company has drawn. It meets his/her design and they're acknowledging it to be built. This is usually a manual method (as a consequence of signing of the stamp), but frequently necessary.

What should the Shop Drawings portray?

A suitable shop drawing should display all the important material that is required for the piece being built. This does not mean to repeat information however and go overboard. Adding unneeded dimensions and specifics can often cause misunderstanding with the shop floor. Work with the proper line weights (if you are using Computer Aided Drafting or CAD). Always put your own name and the checkers name on the drawing, this ensures it has been done with care. Remember: the folks working on the shop floor do not have the same working conditions you have when drawing it, it shall be darker, louder and the drawings can potentially get ruined. Continue to keep this is mind.

Shop Drawings are for all Industries! Just about all trades in a development or manufacturing process require drawings of some form. If not, there is absolutely no real way of understanding how something was built and to what standard. In Mechanical Drafting there are certain guidelines to observe which may be unlike other forms of Drafting.( such as the scale, display etc.) When handling Structural Steel drawings there are strict principles when it comes to connection design, to be sure that every steel framing connection does not fail.




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