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

Manufacturing Prints – View Types

Whether you are learning about engineering, manufacturing, or just need to brush up on your knowledge of dimensional prints, how to read a manufacturing prints is absolutely critical when it comes to fabricating a part. So to start with the basics, let’s ask the question, why do you need prints or drawings to manufacture a part? The sole purpose of prints is for visualization. It’s very difficult to have words explain what is required for a part. For example, if someone said “I want to make a 3 x 2 x 2 rectangle with one corner cut off of the rectangle and a hole through the center,” you would have many questions just based on this short description which seems like it should be fairly easy to understand. However, this description doesn’t describe  the angle of the “cut off corner” and the exact location and size of the hole. The fabricator has to be able to fully visualize what the part needs to look like. In addition, drawings act as manufacturing instructions which include the dimensions, material type, and finish of the part. Prints are also used for verification once the part has been fabricated. The manufacturer will check the dimensions which should match perfectly with the print. Continue reading