A background in technical drawing and the apparatuses it uses is a solid grounding for many engineering fields.

‘An Introduction to Technical Drawing’ is an entry-level course on the fundamentals of technical drawing used in all forms of engineering such as electrical, industrial, mechanical and civil. It is a short briefing on the basics of drawing, the instruments involved and the proper use of dimensions. First, it explains the various types of engineering fields and their distinctions. It quickly moves onto what technical drawing is and the methods used to represent ideas and designs. You will learn to distinguish between artistic expression and engineering drawing, and discover how large a role technical drawing plays in manufacturing and industry. You will examine the equipment needed to successfully proceed in this career.

After discussing the different instruments, apparatus and equipment needed for optimal drawing, you will break down each of their uses and characteristics, including learning about the variables of drawing sheets such as their designations and dimensions. Compare different drawing boards, drafters, T-squares, set squares, protractors, compasses, dividers, and French curves as well as different grades of pencil and lead sticks. Defining the standard letter style and heights is a basic skill that is uniformly used within all engineering professions. The reason for this is that the size of the text divulges what the text is; for example, size 3 (mm) corresponds to legends and schedules. After this meticulous breakdown of the basics, you will be taught the standards of technical drawing specified by different organizations with the same purpose. Begin by recognizing the standard of the drawing sheet layout, which includes its borders, margins, reference grid system and revision tables. Finally, you will look at dimensions and all that they involve.

Dimensions, as the largest topic of the course, will be discussed at length. Dimensions, having a wide range of variations, is a larger study area than many assume. Within technical drawing, you need to distinguish between the units of dimensions and how to use dimensions with angles. You will compare the features of dimensions and have an understanding of what is called ‘tolerances’, an interesting section based on the margin of error. This is a very important aspect for manufacturers, designers and engineers to understand. This course is a great basic introduction for anyone looking into engineering as a profession and who would like to learn the foundations of technical drawing, which is a fundamental section of engineering.