Engineering Drawings vs. Manufacturing Drawings

Engineering drawings, manufacturing drawings. Tomato, tomato. Right? – Wrong. Although these two terms can sometimes be used interchangeably, there is in fact, a distinction between the two.

The truth is, there is a big distinction between engineering and manufacturing altogether! Most of the time, there are departments that are for each within a company since they require a different set of skills. Although there is a difference between the two, they go hand in hand and work together for the end result. However, in smaller companies, the distinction can become lost since one or a few people handle the engineering and manufacturing together. This article will demonstrate the difference between the two types of drawings and why they are both important to have. Continue reading

U.S. vs. European Manufacturing Drawings

Being in the manufacturing industry since the 50s, we have fabricated metal products for companies throughout the world. Although most of our business comes from the US, we often see customers with European drawings. Although the drawings depict parts that allow for ease of manufacturing, the orientation and projection of the part views are a different standard that what we use in the US. This article will discuss how they are different and why. Continue reading

5 Steps: How to Manufacture a Product

Being a manufacture of thousands of products, we have come across customers who have been in business just as long as we have and  the process of manufacturing products comes second nature. Then there is the customer who has all their ducks in a row, and it’s their first time actually creating their first prototype. But, then there’s the customer who has just come up with this great idea, and comes in with his idea written on a napkin. We’ve seen it all…literally. So we thought we would put this blog post together that will be a road map for those who either need some guidance into manufacturing their parts, who need assistance in where to start before getting parts manufactured, and a hand for those who are looking to bring their product back to the US and need some refreshers of working with US manufacturers. Continue reading

How To Read Lines on a Drawing

Before learning how to read a manufacturing drawing, be sure you know the different parts of a print. Once there is an understanding of the different components of a print and where everything is located, the next step is to be able to read the lines on a print. Reading a print means to understand what the graphic of a part is showing. Therefore, you must understand how lines work on a print. For engineers and manufacturers, lines are their communicators or even their alphabet which convey information. Below is a chart of the various lines that are used on a print and their descriptions. Continue reading

How to Read a Manufacturing Drawing

When learning how to read a manufacturing drawing, it can seem quite daunting because there is so much information to take in. This blog post will break down a drawing and make it easier to understand. But, first thing is first! What is the purpose of a manufacturing drawing if there are 3D models? Manufacturing drawings show numerous features of a part that a 3D model doesn’t. For instance, drawings show the material type, the finish, dimensions, hardware, company information, and other specific requirements. The sole purpose of a drawing is to show all the details of a part. Imagine if you were looking at a single part in your hand, a drawing would essentially describe and illustrate all the details of how to place the part in your hand.

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