Mechanical Engineering Program

 Introduction to engineering profession and graphical communication engineering

 History of Mechanical Engineering

The study of Mechanical Engineering at Auburn began as the result of the Morrill Land Grant Act,
which had profound effects on education throughout the South and in our country. It promoted a
technical, practical education for the "industrial classes in the several pursuits and professions of life."
Proposed by farm and industrial groups from the Midwest prior to the secession of the South, the Act
was opposed by Southern congressmen and passed only in 1862 when the Confederate States had left
the Union. Later the South would need just the kind of education the Morrill Act supported in order to
develop its natural resources and repair its tattered economy after the Civil War.
In 1882, Auburn (then known as the "Agricultural and Mechanical College") had a dynamic, visionary
new President, William L. Broun from Vanderbilt. Well aware of the impending technological revolution
and of the South's critical need for trained manpower, Broun advocated curriculum changes to achieve
a balance between scientific studies the classic liberal education. Broun introduced his "general"
course consisting of Agriculture, Chemistry, Mechanics, and Engineering. His tenacity shaped Auburn
University's future in ways he may not have imagined. In the critical days during Reconstruction, were
it not for Auburn's early vocational identity, the college would logically have been incorporated into the
University of Alabama system.
In 1885, President Broun inaugurated a "Department of Mechanic Arts" located on the ground floor of
what was to be renamed Langdon Hall. Also in 1885, the college's first Instructor in "Practical
Mechanics," George Bryant, a graduate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was added to the
faculty of eight and a Mechanical Art Laboratory measuring 90 by 50 feet was constructed. Basically a
woodworking shop, the laboratory was outfitted with a steam engine, machines, and tools, useful for
instruction. There were three degree courses, each leading to the Bachelor of Science and requiring
four years for completion: the first in Mechanics and Engineering, the second in Agriculture and
Chemistry, and the third in Latin Science.
By the mid 1880's, state money became available for education. Helping to finance the emergence of
the new Mechanic Arts Department, the Alabama legislature decided to give the college one-third of
the net revenue collected from a tax on fertilizer, along with its first outright grant. In 1885, the
school's name changed to "Alabama Polytechnic Institute", largely due to an increasing focus on
engineering studies. The following year a forge and foundry building was erected adjacent to Langdon
and a five-horsepower Weston dynamo was installed in Langdon's cellar to light the building, providing
the first electric lights in town, and the first in any college building in the South.
In 1888, two new Mechanic Arts Assistant Instructors, B.A. Blakely from Cornell University and John
Jenkins Wilmore from Purdue, arrived on campus. Wilmore, who had grown up on a farm in Indiana,
began his illustrious 55-year career with initial misgivings after a train ride in the middle of a wet night
deposited him in the tiny college town. He said later he was tempted to get back on the train, but
without the money to return home and a yellow fever epidemic further down the line in Montgomery,
he had little choice but to stay.
In 1891, he was named Director of the Department of Mechanic Arts and eventually became Auburn's
first Dean of Engineering, a position he held from 1908 until his death in 1943. Electrical and
Mechanical Engineering were separated into two distinct departments in 1905, bringing to four the
number of engineering studies offered, with mining and civil engineering.
In 1918, consonant with America's involvement in the war effort, Auburn's ME Professor Fullan
pledged to train "an army of mechanics": and the University proceeded to train several contingents of
student soldiers in general mechanics, drilling metals, pipe fitting, sheet metal work and the like. The
late ‘20s brought a new surge of development in engineering facilities provided by private gift funds.
Ramsay, Ross, and the "L" Building were constructed.
In 1932, a triumvirate was chosen to run the school in the trying circumstances of the Great
Depression. John Wilmore of Engineering, Bolling Crenshaw of Mathematics and Luther Duncan of
Agriculture assured the school's survival despite the failure of the State to pay appropriations. After
three years, Professor Duncan became President and before his death, the bonded indebtedness of
API was paid in full and 14 new buildings, including Wilmore Labs, were constructed by the late 1940s.
During World War II, Auburn trained 38,500 military recruits through the Army Specialized Training,
Engineering Science, Management and War Training Programs.

Teamwork and Communication Skills

 Making the transition from high school to college, and daily studying preparation
 Get involved with an engineering organization
 Length and length-related parameters

Engineering Profession
 Intro to the mechanical engineering ethics and policy manual
 Becoming a Mechanical Engineer
Engineering as a Career
 Career opportunities in taking-up Mechanical Engineering
 Aerospace engineer- research, design, develop, maintain and test the
performance of: civil and military aircraft, missiles, weapons systems,
satellites, space vehicles.
 Automotive engineer- design, develop and manufacture vehicles such as cars,
motorbikes, buses and trucks and their engineering systems.
 CAD technician- also known as a draughtsperson, uses CAD software to create
technical drawings and plans - also known as draughting - for products and parts
used in the engineering, construction and manufacturing industries.
 Contracting civil engineer- Civil engineers are involved with the design,
development and construction of a huge range of projects in the built and natural
environment. Their role is central to ensuring the safe, timely and well-resourced
completion of projects in many areas.
 Control and instrumentation engineer- Control and instrumentation engineers
(C&I engineers) are responsible for designing, developing, installing, managing
and maintaining equipment which is used to monitor and control engineering
systems, machinery and processes. Your job is to make sure that these systems
and processes operate effectively, efficiently and safely.
  Maintenance engineer- As a maintenance engineer you will be responsible for
the continuous running of equipment and machinery. You will use computerised
systems to oversee routine maintenance and organise repairs.
 Mechanical engineer- Mechanical engineers provide efficient solutions to the
development of processes and products, ranging from small component designs
to extremely large plant, machinery or vehicles.
 Nuclear engineer- As a nuclear engineer you'll be designing, building, running
or decommissioning nuclear power stations. You'll work in multi-disciplinary
teams to come up with technical solutions.
 Acoustic consultant- Acoustic consultants provide acoustics, noise and
vibrations services, such as noise surveys, noise assessments, acoustic design
advice and building acoustics.
 Corporate investment banker- As a corporate investment banker, you'll
provide a range of financial services to companies, institutions and governments.
 Mining engineer- A mining engineer ensures the safe and efficient development
of mines and other surface and underground operations. The role combines an
understanding of the effects of these structures on their surrounding
environment, as well as technical knowledge and management skills.
 Patent attorney- As a patent attorney you'll assess whether inventions are new
and innovative, and therefore eligible to be patented.
 Production manager- As a production manager, you'll be involved with the
planning, coordination and control of manufacturing processes. You'll make sure
goods and services are produced efficiently and that the correct amount is
produced at the right cost and level of quality.
 Technical sales engineer- As a technical sales engineer, you'll use your
technical knowledge along with sales skills to provide advice and support on a
range of products, for which a certain level of expertise is needed.
 Water engineer- Water engineer is a generic title given to engineers who
specialise in water-based projects; many have a civil engineering or
environmental background.

 A Mechanical Engineering perspective

Developing Good Study Habits
 Engineering graphical communication conveying information to other engineers
 The drilling butt expert system
Engineering Design and Creativity
 Engineering materials selection on important design decision
 Engineering design and processes

The engineering design process is a series of steps that guides engineering teams as we solve
problems. The design process is iterative, meaning that we repeat the steps as many times as needed,
making improvements along the way as we learn from failure and uncover new design possibilities to
arrive at great solutions.

Ask: Identify the Need & Constraints

Engineers ask critical questions about what they want to create, whether it be a skyscraper, amusement
park ride, bicycle or smartphone. These questions include: What is the problem to solve? What do we
want to design? Who is it for? What do we want to accomplish? What are the project requirements? What
are the limitations? What is our goal?

Research the Problem

This includes talking to people from many different backgrounds and specialties to assist with researching
what products or solutions already exist, or what technologies might be adaptable to your needs.

Imagine: Develop Possible Solutions

You work with a team to brainstorm ideas and develop as many solutions as possible. This is the time to
encourage wild ideas and defer judgment! Build on the ideas of others! Stay focused on topic, and have
one conversation at a time! Remember: good design is all about teamwork! Help students understand the
brainstorming guidelines by using the TE handoutand two sizes of classroom posters.

Plan: Select a Promising Solution

For many teams this is the hardest step! Revisit the needs, constraints and research from the earlier
steps, compare your best ideas, select one solution and make a plan to move forward with it.

Create: Build a Prototype

Building a prototype makes your ideas real! These early versions of the design solution help your team
verify whether the design meets the original challenge objectives. Push yourself for creativity, imagination
and excellence in design.

Test and Evaluate Prototype

Does it work? Does it solve the need? Communicate the results and get feedback. Analyze and talk about
what works, what doesn't and what could be improved.

Improve: Redesign as Needed

Discuss how you could improve your solution. Make revisions. Draw new designs. Iterate your design to
make your product the best it can be.

And now, REPEAT!

  Engineering drawing and symbols

Engineering drawing abbreviations and symbolsare used to communicate and detail

the characteristics of an engineering drawing. This list includes abbreviations common
to the vocabulary of people who work with engineering drawings in the manufacture and
inspection of parts and assemblies.
Technical standards exist to provide glossaries of abbreviations, acronyms, and
symbols that may be found on engineering drawings. Many corporations have such
standards, which define some terms and symbols specific to them; on the national and
international level, ASME standard Y14.38[1] is probably the most widely used.
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• Y • Z • see also
Abbreviation
Definition Description
or symbol
0-9
A
AC Commonly used when measuring the corners of
across corners
a hex drive, such as a hex nut.
AF Commonly used when measuring the flat
across flats
surfaces of a hex drive, such as a hex nut.
A dimension that establishes a distance away
from the finished floor. Example would be the
AFF above finished floor
top of a coffee table to the shag of the carpet,
not where the bottom of the tables feet dig in.
AISI The AISI acronym is commonly seen as a prefix
American Iron and to steel grades, for example, "AISI 4140".
Steel Institute The SAE steel grade system was formerly a
joint AISI-SAE system.
Al or AL aluminium
ALY alloy
AMER American Referring to the United States
AMS Standards in materials science and
Aerospace Material engineering maintained by SAE
Standards International and widely used in the aerospace
manufacturing industries.
AN- A prefix for standard hardware (catalog
hardware) ID numbers. Came from the era of
circa 1890s-1945, when the
U.S. Army and Navy were leading the way on
product standardization for logisticsimprovement
, yielding the United States Military
Army-Navy Standards system. Today industry and ISO also
do a lot of this standardization specification,
freeing the U.S. DOD and military to do less of it
(as explained at United States Military Standard
> Origins and evolution), although many MIL
standards are still current. (See
also MS- and NAS.)
ANN anneal, annealed
ANSI American National And the many standards that it issues, for
Standards Institute example, ANSI Z87.1.
APPROX[2] approximately
AQL The threshold of defectiveness that is allowable
in a group of parts. It is trivial to say that no one
wants any error, and that everyone wants
uniform perfection; but in the real world, it
acceptable quality
almost never happens. The intelligence behind
level
defining AQLs is in figuring out how much error
is tolerable given the costs that would be
incurred by any efforts to further reduce its
incidence.
AR An abbreviation used in parts lists
(PLs, LMs, BoMs) in the quantity-per-assembly
field when a discrete count is not applicable. For
example, in an assembly with a bolted
as required
joint using four bolts, the PL quantity column will
say "4" for the bolt PN, "4" for the nut PN, and
"AR" for the liquid threadlocker that will be
applied.
AS 1. Aerospace Standards, technical
standards maintained by SAE International and
Aerospace widely used in the aerospace
Standards; Australian manufacturing industries. Standard aerospace
Standards hardware sometimes has the AS- prefix in the
catalog numbers. 2. Australian Standards,
standards per Australianindustry.
AS, APS, APV, When only certain companies are approved by
AV, APSL, AVL the CDA to manufacture the product (that is, to
make what the drawing depicts/defines), they
are called by names such as "approved
supplier", "approved product supplier",
approved product "approved vendor", or "approved product
supplier, approved vendor". The list of such companies (which
vendor, approved- usually changes over time) is called an APSL,
product-supplier list, AVL, or similar names. Vetting the companies
approved-vendor list on this list requires the CDA to audit (and
possibly periodically re-audit) the companies,
which incurs an overhead expense for the CDA.
Therefore, smaller companies will often cite
larger companies' lists in order to avoid the cost
of duplicating the effort.
ASA American Standards
Former name for ANSI (1920s-1960s).
Association
ASME American Society of And the many standards that it issues, for
Mechanical Engineers example, ASME Y14.5.
ASSY or ASY referring to an assembly of parts rather than just
assembly
one (sub)part ("piece part", "detail part").
ASTM Formerly the
American Society for Maintains technical standards, especially
Testing and Materials; regarding materials science and
now ASTM engineering and metrology.
International
AVG average
AWG American Wire Gauge
B
BASIC A basic dimension is one that is the theoretical
value without any tolerance range. It does not
serve as an acceptance criterion. It is thus
similar in some respects to
a reference dimension. The reason why a basic
dimension does not carry a tolerance is that its
actual value will fall (acceptably) wherever it is
put by other features' actual values, where the
latter features are the ones with tolerances
basic dimension
defined. A common and simple example is hole
location: If a hole's centerpoint location has
a position tolerance, then the centerpoint's
coordinates do not need (and should not have)
separate tolerances applied to them. Thus they
are instead given as basic dimensions. In
modern practice basic dimensions have a
rectangular box around them, or sometimes the
word "BASIC".
BC or B.C. bolt circle
BCD or B.C.D. bolt circle diameter
BHCS button head cap
Like an SHCS but with a button head.
screw
BHN Brinell hardness
number
BoM or BOM Also called a list of materials (LM or L/M).
Overlaps a lot in concept with a parts list (PL or
bill of materials
P/L). There is no consistently enforced
distinction between an L/M, a BoM, or a P/L.
A part which is outsourced from an external
BoP or BOP bought out part
supplier, or "bought out".
BP, B/P blueprint "per B/P" = "per drawing"
BRZ bronze
BSC basic dimension See basic dimension info above.
C
CAD computer-aided
design, computer-
aided
 drafting; cadmium
[plating]
CAGE A CAGE code is a unique identifier to label an
entity (that is, a specific government agency or
corporation at a specific site) that is
a CDA, ODA, or MFR of the part defined by the
drawing. One corporation can have many CAGE
codes, as can one government, because each
Commercial and
division, department, and site (campus) can
Government
have its own CAGE code. The same CAGE
Entity[code]
code can change owners over the years. For
example, a CAGE code that formerly referred to
a certain Martin Marietta site will now refer
to Lockheed Martin at that same site (although
the buildings may have been replaced and the
signage may say different names).
C-C or C-TO-C centre-to-centre; on Defines centre-to-centre distance of two
centres features, such as two holes.
CBN A material from which some cutter inserts are
cubic boron nitride
made.
CDA The CDA is the entity (whether it be
a corporation, a unit of a national military or
ministry of defence, or another civilian
government agency) that currently has design
authority over the part design (definition). It may
be the entity who first designed the part (that is,
the ODA), but today it is also likely to be a
designated successor entity, owing to mergers
and acquisitions (M&A) activity (e.g., ODA
company was bought by CDA company);
contract letting (e.g., an Army engineering
department ODA turns over the design activity
to the prime contractor that makes most or all of
current design activity
the parts, turning that contractor into the new
CDA); privatization (e.g., a government
privatizes the design and manufacture
of materiel, and a state arsenal [state armory]
ODA transfers design authority to a private
armory[defense contractor] ODA); or patent
licensing (e.g., a patent-holding inventor [ODA]
licenses one or several companies to
manufacture products using his intellectual
property, in which case the "same" part could
end up with multiple design authorities, although
they may not be considered the official/nominal
CDA).
CERT or cert For example, certification of metallurgical
certification
content and processes
CG centerless
ground, centerless
grinding

Center mark Defines the center of a circle or partial circle.

CH chamfer
CHAM chamfer
CI No longer a commonly used abbreviation. Better
cast iron
to spell out for clarity.
CL or ℄ 1. Center line, the central axis of a feature. 2.
Class, for example, "paint per spec XYZ revision
C type 1 class 2" may be abbreviated as "paint
per spec XYZ REV C TY 1 CL 2" or even in
center line; class
some cases "paint per spec XYZ-C-1-2". (The
latter practice is not uncommon but is cryptic for
workers with minimal training and experience.
The first two options are better practice.)
CNC computer numerical
control
CR Radius of an arc or circle, with no flats or
reversals. This strict version of radius definition
is specified in demanding applications when the
form of the radius must be controlled more
strictly than "just falling within the dimensional
tolerance zone". It is poor engineering to specify
controlled radius a CR instead of an R simply on the theory of
enforcing good workmanship. CR is for critical
features whose performance truly requires near-
perfect geometry. Like most such
characteristics, its presence increases the price
of the part, because it raises the costs of
manufacturing and quality assurance.
CRES Largely synonymous with stainless steel, unless
corrosion-resistant specific grades, specs, and distinctions are
[steel] made on the drawing. Some people treat CRES
as a subset of the stainless steels.
CRS cold rolled steel; on Defines centre-to-centre distance of two
centres features, such as two holes.
C/T Correlation / Tracking
C'BORE or
CBORE or
counterbore
CSK or
CSINK or countersink

CTN, ctn carton

D

depth, deep, down Defines the depth of a feature.

⌀[2] Diameter of a circle. In a feature control frame

(FCF), the ⌀ symbol tells you that the tolerance
diameter zone for the geometric tolerance is cylindrical.
Abbreviations for "diameter" include ⌀, DIA, and
D.
D Abbreviations for "diameter" include ⌀, DIA, and
diameter; delta D. For delta usage, see for example "delta
notes".
DIA[2] Diameter of a circle. Abbreviations for
diameter
"diameter" include ⌀, DIA, and D.
DIP ductile iron pipe
DIM dimension,
dimensioning
DO, do Seen occasionally in older drawings instead of
ditto
repeating a given dimension.
DOD, DoD [U.S.] Department of
See also MOD.
Defense
DPD digital product
A synonym of MBD.
definition
DWG, dwg drawing Referring to the engineering drawing
E
Drilled holes, and fasteners are commonly
ED edge distance required to have a minimum edge distance (min
ED).
EO, ECO, ECN An order from the engineering department (to be
followed by the production department or
vendor) overriding/superseding a detail on the
drawing, which gets superseded with revised
engineering order
information. Also called by various other names,
such as engineering change order (ECO),
engineering change notice (ECN), drawing
change notice (DCN), and so on. See also REV.
EQ For example, "⌀10 4X EQ SPACED ON BC"
equal, equally means "drill four holes of 10mm diameter
equally spaced around the bolt circle."
ERC electrical rule check
F
f An italic f (Latin small letter f) written on a line
representing a surface was an old way of
indicating that the surface was to be machined
rather than left in the as-cast or as-forged state.
The "f" came from "finish" in the sense of
"machine finish" as opposed to raw
stock/casting/forging. Later the ASA convened
finish
upon a letter V(specifically a sans-serif V)
touching the surface. Soon this evolved into the
"check mark" sign with accompanying number
that tells the reader a max roughness value
(RMS, microinches or micrometres) for the
machined finish, to be measured with a
profilometer.
FAO A note telling the manufacturer that all surfaces
of the part are to be machined (as opposed to
leaving any surfaces as-cast or as-forged). Not
an obsolete usage, but not seen as commonly
as it was decades ago; not least because parts
that once would have been spot-faced castings
are now likelier to be contoured from billet
with CNC milling. But more importantly, best
engineering practice today, reflecting design for
manufacturability and avoidance of spurious
cost drivers, is either to specify specific,
finish all over quantifiable requirements for surfaces with
specific needs (such as RMS roughness
measurements in microinches or micrometres,
plus any plating or painting needs), or to leave
finish out of the part definition (and thus at the
manufacturer's discretion) because it is not
important to fit, function, or criticality. This same
spirit is behind the shift in military standards
from writing requirements about methods to
writing them instead about performance, with
the method to reach that goal being up to the
ingenuity of the designer.
FCF The rectangular box (with several cells) that
conveys geometric tolerances in GD&T. It
feature control frame
typically tells you what sort of geometric
condition (e.g., parallel, perpendicular, round,
 concentric), followed by what size (and maybe
shape) the tolerance zone is, and finally
which datums it relates to, the order of gaging
against them, and what material condition
applies to them (LMC, MMC, or RFS). A
diameter symbol (⌀) tells you that the zone for
the geometric tolerance is cylindrical.
FD or F/D The [main] field of the drawing, as opposed to
other areas of it, such as the parts list (P/L),
general notes (G/N), flagnotes (F/N or FL), title
block (T/B), rev block (R/B), bill of materials
(B/M or BoM or BOM), or list of materials (L/M).
field of the drawing Rationales for drawing changes that are noted
in the rev block often use these abbreviations
for brevity (e.g., "DIM 14.00 was 12.50; added
default TOL info to T/B; added leader lines to
F/D; added alternate hardware IDs to P/L;
added alternate alloy to L/M").
FIM full indicator
See also TIR.
movement
FL A note that is called out in specific spots in the
field of the drawing. It is numbered with a
flag note, flagnote stylized flag symbol surrounding the number. A
general note applies generally and is not called
out with flags.
Floor Level of an existing or proposed building
FL Floor Level
or concrete pad
FN or F/N 1. Flagnote: A flagnote is a note that is called
out in specific spots in the field of the drawing. It
is numbered with a stylized flag symbol
surrounding the number (or sometimes
a deltasymbol). A general note applies generally
flag note, flagnote;
and is not called out with flags. 2. Find number:
find number
"FN" meaning "find number" refers to the ordinal
number that gives an ID tag to one of the
constituents in a parts list (list of materials, bill of
materials). Thus "fasten using FN7" refers to a
fastener that is "find number" 7 in the list.
FoS A type of physical feature on a part. An FoS is a
feature that can have size associated with it,
usually involving the opposition of two surfaces
(e.g., the two diametrically opposite sides of a
feature of size
hole wall; the two opposite walls of a slot or
flange). Features of size (FoSs) in reality always
have actual sizes and forms that differ from their
theoretical size and form; the purpose of
 tolerancing is to define whether the difference is
acceptable or not. Thus material condition
(LMC, MMC, somewhere in between, or RFS) is
important in GD&T. ) A given geometric
tolerance may be defined in relation to a certain
FoS datum being at LMC or at MMC.
FS The drawing notations "near side" and "far side"
tell the reader which side of the part a feature is
on, in occasional contexts where that fact is not
communicated using the rules
of projection alone. Contexts of usage are rather
limited. One example is hole locations; "3X AND
3X FAR SIDE" defines symmetrical groups of 3
holes on both sides of a part (6 total), without
having to redefine equivalent hole center
coordinates on two separate views, one for each
group. This is not only a convenience for the
designer but also a method of error prevention,
because it provides a way to avoid forking
far side geometric definition that ideally should be kept
unforked to prevent discrepancies. For example,
the groups defined above cannot accidentally
become asymmetrically discrepant in a
future revision by the revisor failing to revise
both groups equally (because their definition is
unified in only one place). Another example is
part marking locations. An area for part
identification marking can be circled on a top
view but assigned to either the top or bottom of
the part simply with a "near side" or "far side"
notation—which obviates adding any otherwise-
unneeded bottom view to the field of the
drawing.
FSCM Federal Stock/Supply
An older name for "CAGE code". Also NSCM
Code for
(National Stock/Supply Code for Manufacturers).
Manufacturers
FTG fitting
G
GCI gray cast iron
GD&T or GDT geometric
A standardized language for defining and
dimensioning and
communicating dimensions and tolerances.
tolerancing
GN or G/N Most engineering drawings have a notes list,
general note(s) which includes both general notes and flag
notes.
H
HBW See Brinell scale. (The "W" comes from the
hardness, Brinell,
element symbol for tungsten, W, which comes
tungsten tip
from the German Wolfram.)
HHCS hex head cap screw
HRA hardness, Rockwell, A
See Rockwell scale.
scale
HRB hardness, Rockwell, B
See Rockwell scale.
scale
HRC hardness, Rockwell, C
See Rockwell scale.
scale
HRS hot rolled steel
HT TR heat treat, heat
treatment
H&T or H/T or A form of heat treatment in which the metal is
hardened and
HT first hardened and then tempered.
tempered
Compare N&T.
I
A common need in engineering drawings is to
instruct the user to do activity X in accordance
with technical standard Y. For example, "Weld
all subassemblies IAW AWS XYZ.123" means
"Weld all subassemblies in accordance
with American Welding Society standard
number XYZ.123" (the number is hypothetical in
this example). The word "per" is functionally
equivalent to "IAW" in such contexts; thus "rivet
all sheet metal per MIL-PRF-123456" or "[...]
IAW in accordance with IAW MIL-PRF-123456". Part of the motivation
behind the choice of words "in accordance with"
is that they do not allege that any particular
activity is explicitly specified by standard
XYZ.123 (which "per" could be interpreted as
alleging, at least in connotation); rather, these
words merely instruct the user that whatever
s/he does must not contradict the standard in
any way. But this is a subtle connotative
distinction, and "per" and "IAW"
are denotatively equivalent.
ID inner diameter;
identity, identification
number
Insufficient Edge Drilled holes commonly have a required
IED
Distance minimum edge distance, if the inspection finds
 that the edge distance is below minimum, then
commonly reported as having an IED condition.
ISO International
And the many standards that it specifies, for
Organization for
example, ISO 10303
Standardization
J
K
KEY Drawing callouts marked "KEY" define "key
characteristics" that are considered especially
key important for fit, function, safety, or other
reasons. They are thus subjected to higher
inspection sampling levels.
KPSI, kpsi kilopounds per square
inch, that is,
See discussion at synonym KSI.
thousands of pounds
per square inch
KSI, ksi KSI (or ksi), also abbreviated KPSI or kpsi, is a
common non-SImeasurement scale for ultimate
tensile strength, that is, the number of units of
kilopounds per square
tensile force that a material can endure per unit
inch, that is,
of cross-sectional area before breaking. In
thousands of pounds
the SI system, the unit is the pascal (Pa) (or a
per square inch
multiple thereof, often megapascals (MPa),
using the mega-prefix); or, equivalently to
pascals, newtons per square metre (N/m²).
L
LDD An implementation of model-based
definition that still uses a 2D drawing, but only
Limited Dimension
containing critical information. All information
Drawing
missing from the drawing is to be pulled from a
3D model of the part or assembly.
LH Referring to handedness, such as the helix
handedness of screw threads or the mirror-
left-hand
image handedness of a symmetrical pair of
parts.
LM or L/M Also called a bill of materials (BoM, BOM).
Overlaps a lot in concept with a parts list (PL or
list of materials
P/L). There is no consistently enforced
distinction between an L/M, a BoM, or a P/L.
LMC A material condition in GD&T. Means that a
feature of size (FoS) is at the limit of its size
least material tolerance in the direction that leaves the least
condition material left on the part. Thus an internal feature
of size (e.g., a hole) at its biggest diameter, or
an external feature of size (e.g., a flange) at its
 smallest thickness. The GD&T symbol for LMC
is a circled L. (See also MMCand RFS.) A given
geometric tolerance may be defined in relation
to a certain FoS datum being at LMC or at
MMC.
M
MACH machine; machined
MAJ As in major diameter, or major characteristic (for
major
sampling level)
MAX[2] maximum
MBD Definition of the part via a 3D CADmodel rather
than via a 2D engineering drawing. Drawings
model-based
may be printed (plotted) from the model for
definition
reference use, but the model remains the
governing legal instrument.
MBP measurement threads, splines, gears (internal, female)
between pins (synonymous with MBW) (see also MOP, MOW)
MBW measurement threads, splines, gears (internal, female) (see
between wires also MBP, MOP, MOW)
MF or M/F When one part number is made from another, it
means to take part A and machine some
make from additional features into it, creating part B. The
parts list or L/M, in the "material" field, will say
"M/F PN 12345".
MFD manufactured
MFG manufacturing
MFR May be the same entity as the CDA or ODA, or
manufacturer
may not be.
MIL- A prefix for the names of various United States
Military Standards and Specifications, for
[U.S.] Military example, MIL-STD-*, MIL-SPEC-*, MIL-DTL-*,
MIL-PRF-*, MIL-A-*, MIL-C-*, MIL-S-*, MIL-STD-
1913, MIL-STD-1397.
MIN[2] minimum; minutes;
minor
MMC A material condition in GD&T. Means that a
feature of size (FoS) is at the limit of its size
tolerance in the direction that leaves the most
material left on the part. Thus an internal feature
maximum material
of size (e.g., a hole) at its smallest diameter, or
condition
an external feature of size (e.g., a flange) at its
biggest thickness. The GD&T symbol for MMC
is a circled M. (See also LMCand RFS.) A given
geometric tolerance may be defined in relation
 to a certain FoS datum being at LMC or at
MMC.
MOD, MoD Ministry of Defence
See also DOD.
[U.K. and others]
MOP, MoP threads, splines, gears (external, male)
measurement over
(synonymous with MOW, measurement over
pins
wires)
MOW, MoW measurement over threads, splines, gears (external, male) (see
wires also MBW, MBP, MOP)
MPa, MPA The common SI measurement scale for ultimate
tensile strength (UTS), that is, the number of
units of tensile force that a material can endure
per unit of cross-sectional area before breaking.
There is only one correct casing for the symbol,
cap-M-cap-P-small-a, which, like any SI unit of
measurement symbol, properly should be
megapascals
preserved even when surrounding text is styled
in all caps(which latter is a frequently employed
tradition in engineering drawing). But it is not
uncommon to see "MPA" through carelessness.
Users are not confused regardless. In non-SI
terms, the unit for UTS is the KSI (or ksi), which
see herein.
MRB A committee that reviews some nonconforming
materials which are submitted as potentially still
material review board
usable/saleable (if the nonconformance does
not hinder fit or function).
MS- Standards established by the U.S. military and
widely used in the aerospace
[U.S.] Military manufacturing (military and civil) and
Standard other defenseindustries. Standard hardware
sometimes uses the MS- prefix in the catalog
numbers. (See also AN- and NAS.)
N
NAS Standards maintained by SAE International and
widely used in the aerospace
manufacturing industries. The "National"
National Aerospace formerly implicitly referenced the USA, but today
Standards NAS and other standards are used globally.
Standard hardware for aerospace work
sometimes uses the NAS- prefix in the catalog
numbers. (See also AN- and MS-.)
NC National The [U.S.] National Coarse series of pre-1949
Coarse; numerical corresponds today to the Unified National
control Coarse (UNC) of the Unified Thread Standard.
NCM This abbreviation is used in a machine shop
nonconforming when recording nonconformances (out of
material(s) tolerance, etc.). For example, "An NCM tag was
tied to the scrap part."
NCR A report listing nonconformances (out of
tolerance, etc.). Helps to analyze system
nonconformance
weaknesses (such as worn-out equipment,
report
operators in need of more training,
or riskypractices).
NEC In the sense of "not elsewhere classified", the
not elsewhere abbreviation is well-known within certain fields,
classified; National but not others; to avoid confusion, spell out.
Electrical Code The National Electrical Code is a standard for
electrical work.
NEF The [U.S.] National Extra Fine series of pre-
1949 corresponds today to the Unified National
National Extra Fine
Extra Fine (UNEF) of the Unified Thread
Standard.
NF The [U.S.] National Fine series of pre-1949
National Fine corresponds today to the Unified National Fine
(UNF) of the Unified Thread Standard.
NL or N/L A list of notes that appears somewhere on the
notes list
drawing, often in the upper left corner.
NOM[2] nominal
NORM or referring to normalization, a stress-relieving heat
normalized
NORMD treatment. See also HT TR.
NPS (Not to be confused with annotating strait pipe.
Naval Primary
This should be abbreviated NPSM, NPSL or
Standard[3]
NPSH[4])
NPT National Pipe Taper A subset series of the Unified Thread Standard.
NS 1. National Special, a screw thread series;
see Unified Thread Standard. An extensible
series, covering various special threads. 2. Near
side: The drawing notations "near side" and "far
National Special; near
side" tell the reader which side of the part a
side
feature is on, in occasional contexts where that
fact is not communicated using the rules
of projection alone. Contexts of usage are rather
limited. See "far side" for examples.
NSCM National Stock/Supply
An older name for "CAGE code". Also FSCM
Code for
(Federal Stock/Supply Code for Manufacturers).
Manufacturers
N&T or N/T or A form of heat treatment in which the metal is
normalized and
NT first normalized (stress-relieved) and
tempered
then tempered. Compare H&T.
NTS not to scale See also Engineering drawing > Scale.
O
OAL overall length
OC That is, centre-to-centre; defines centre-to-
on center(s) centre distance of two features, such as two
holes.
OD outer diameter
ODA The entity that originally designed a part.
original design activity Compare to CDA, the entity that currently has
design authority over the part design (definition).
OHL This abbreviation is used in a machine shop
when recording nonconformances. For example,
over high limit
"part scrapped because ID is OHL." See
also ULL.
OPP See Part number > Symmetrical partsfor
opposite
explanation.
ORIG original
P
pc, pcs piece, pieces
PD pitch diameter
PDM, PDMS A database(s) and related application(s) that
product data
facilitate all aspects of managing data files—
management, product
e.g., TDPs, TDP versions, drawings, model
data manager [app],
datasets, specs, addenda, certs, memoranda,
product data
EOs, ECOs, DCNs, RFQs, quotes, POs, e-
management system
mails, faxes, photos, word processor
[app]
documents, spreadsheets. See also PLM.
PH or P/H precipitation
hardening,
precipitation-
hardened; pilot hole
PHR BRZ phosphor bronze
PL or P/L A list, usually tabular and often on the drawing
(if not accompanying the drawing on a separate
sheet), listing the parts needed in an assembly,
parts list
including subparts, standard parts, and
hardware. There is no consistently enforced
distinction between an L/M, a BoM, or a P/L.
PLM product lifecycle
management; plant See also PDM.
lifecycle management
PN or P/N part number
POI A point that makes easier the layout, toolpath
point of intersection
programming, or inspection of the part. It is
 the intersection point of lines that may not meet
on the finished part, such as the tangentlines of
a curve or the theoretical sharp corner
(TSC) that edge-breaking and deburring will
remove. See also SC, TSC, and AC.
A fastening or mating between two parts which
P.F. press fit is achieved by frictionafter the parts are pushed
together.
PSI pounds per square A unit of measurement for pressure. See
inch also KSI.
PTFE polytetrafluoroethylen
Also well known by the brand name Teflon.
e
PVC polyvinyl chloride
Q
QMS A system in place to ensure that quality of
manufacture is produced and maintained; a
quality management
system to prevent defective parts from being
system
made, or, even if made, from getting into
finished inventories.
QTY or qty quantity
R
R Radius of an arc or circle. Flats and reversals
(falling within the dimensional tolerance zone)
radius
are tolerated unless "CR" (controlled radius) is
explicitly specified.
RA, Ra roughness,
average; Rockwell A See surface roughness; see Rockwell scale.
scale
RB, Rb Rockwell B scale See Rockwell scale.
RC, Rc Rockwell C scale See Rockwell scale.
REF or ( )[2] The dimension or note is given only for
reference and thus is not to be used as a part
acceptance criterion (although it may be used as
an aid to production or inspection). The
dimension may also be surrounded by
parentheses to signify a reference dimension.
When a dimension is defined in one view but
reference
also mentioned again in another view, it will be
given as reference in the second case. This rule
prevents the mistake of defining it in two
different ways accidentally; the "main" (non-
reference) mention is the only one that counts
as a feature definition and thus as a part
acceptance criterion. See
 also basic dimensions, which are similar in
some respects.
REQD or For example, "4 REQD" written next to a
REQ'D required fastener means that four of those fasteners are
required for the assembly.
REV Engineering drawings and material or
process specifications are often revised; the
usual revision controlconvention is to label the
versions A, B, C, D, etc.; a revision block (rev
block) is a tabular area on the drawing (typically
in the upper right corner) that lists the revision
letters, a brief description of the changes and
reasons, and approval initials and dates.
Revisions beyond "Z" start the alphabet over
again with doubling, e.g., AA, AB, AC, AD, and
so on. In the days of manual drafting, redrawing
revision
was expensive, so engineering orders (EOs,
ECOs, DCNs, ECNs) were not always
incorporated into a next-letter revision. They
thus accompany the drawing as part of the TDP.
With the dissemination of software usage (CAD,
CAM, PDMSs), revision control is often better
handled nowadays, in competent hands at least.
In recent years the revision control of
engineering drawings has even been
standardized by ASME, in their standard
Y14.35M.[5]
RFS A material condition (or more precisely, freedom
from such) in GD&T. Means that a given
regardless of feature
geometric tolerance is true in relation to a
size
certain datum regardless of its actual size
(LMC ≤ actual size ≤ MMC).
RH Referring to handedness, such as the helix
handedness of screw threads or the mirror-
right-hand
image handedness of a symmetrical pair of
parts.
RHR roughness height
See surface roughness.
reading
Reduced Level or
RL Surface Level
Relative Leve
RMA return material
See also RTV.
authorization
RMS RMS in general is a statistical technique to
root mean square define a representative value for a group of data
points. With regard to surface roughness, it
 means that the heights of the individual
microscopic peaks and valleys shall be
averaged together via RMS to yield a
measurement of roughness. See also
herein f as a finish mark.
RT or R/T Rough-turned means turned on a lathe but not
finished to a final machined dimension
rough turn, rough and surface roughness. Can apply to bar
turned; room stock or to parts in-process. Room
temperature temperature is sometimes abbreviated "RT"
within tables of specs for finishing operations
(plating, painting, etc.).
RTP The issuance of a drawing from the
engineering/design activity to the production
activity. In other words, the event when a draft
release to production
becomes a completed, official document. A
stamp on the drawing saying "ISSUED"
documents that RTP has occurred.
RTV 1. RTV sealants, a way to seal joints. 2. Return
room-temperature to vendor, send parts back to a vendor for
vulcanizing; return to rework or refund because they are
vendor nonconforming. Such RTV often requires
an RMA.
RZ, Rz roughness, mean
See surface roughness.
depth
S
SAE Formerly the Society
And the many standards that it issues, for
of Automotive
example, the SAE AMS and SAE AS standards
Engineers; now SAE
series.
International
SC or S/C Dimensions may be given as "across sharp
corners" although the corners get radiused. In
other words, distances may be given from
intersection points where lines intersect,
sharp corners regardless of edge breaks or fillets. This is
usually implied by default, so "S/C" often need
not be explicitly added. But in some cases it
clarifies the definition. See also TSC, POI,
and AC.
SF or S/F spotface
SFACE or
spotface
S/FACE
SHCS socket head cap A cap screw with a socket head (usually
screw implying a hex socket, driven with a hex key.
SHN See Part number > Symmetrical partsfor
shown
explanation.
SHSS A set screw with a socket head (usually implying
socket head set screw
a hex socket, driven with a hex key.
SI Système international
[d'unités] The metric system in its current form (latest
[International System standards).
of Units]
SN or S/N serial number
SOL ANN solution anneal,
solution annealed
SPEC or spec specification
SPHER ANN spheroidize anneal
SPOTFACE Spot facing
SR spherical radius Radius of a sphere or spherical segment.
SS or S/S 1. Stainless steel, see also CRES. 2.
Supersede/supersedes/superseded, refers to
stainless steel;
when one document
supersede
(specification, standard, drawing, etc.) replaces
(supersedes) another (see also revision control).
SST A somewhat unusual abbreviation; spell out for
stainless steel clarity. "SS" or "CRES" are more likely to be
recognized with certainty.
STD Standard
STEP Standard for
A standard format defined by ISO 10303 for
the Exchange
MBD data generation, storage, and exchange.
of Product Model Data
STA solution treated and
aged
STI screw thread insert
STL steel
STK A nominal dimension for the stock material, such
stock
as bar stock
T
TAP Usually implies drilling a hole if the hole does
Tapped hole
not already exist.
TB or T/B An area of the drawing, almost always at the
bottom right, that contains the title of the
drawing and other key information. Typical fields
in the title block include the drawing title (usually
title block
the part name); drawing number (usually the
part number); names and/or ID numbers relating
to who designed and/or manufactures the part
(which involves some complication because
 design and manufacturing entities for a given
part number often change over the years due
to mergers and acquisitions, contract
letting, privatization, and the buying and selling
of intellectual property—see CDA and ODA);
company name (see previous comment);
initials/signatures of the original draftsman (as
wells as the original checker and tracer in the
days of manual drafting); initials/signatures of
approving managers (issuance/release-to-
productioninformation); cross-references to
other documents; default tolerancing values for
dimensions, geometry, and surface roughness;
raw-material info (if not given in a separate
list/bill of materials); and access
controlinformation (information about who is
authorized to possess, view, or share copies of
the information encoded by the drawing,
e.g., classificationnotices, copyright
notices, patentnumbers). Drawing
revision(versioning) information is not always
included in the title block because it often
appears in a separate revisions block.
TDP The complete package of information that
defines a part, of which the drawing itself is
often only a subset. It also includes engineering
technical data orders (drawing change notices), 3D model
package datasets, data tables, memoranda, and any
special conditions called out by the purchase
order or the companies' terms-and-conditions
documents.
THD or thd thread
THK or thk thickness
THRU Optionally applied to a hole dimension to signify
that the hole extends through the workpiece. For
example, THRU may be stated in a hole
Through
dimension if the hole's end condition is not clear
from graphical representation of the
workpiece.[6]
THRU ALL Similar to THRU. Sometimes used on hole
dimensions for clarity to denote that the hole
Through all
extends through multiple open space features
as it goes through the whole workpiece.[7]
TIR total indicator reading; For measurements of eccentricity and other
total indicated run-out deviations from nominal geometry
TOL tolerance, tolerancing
TSC theoretical sharp
See discussion at SC and POI.
corner(s)
TY For an explanation of "type" abbreviated as
type "TY", see the example given at "CL" meaning
"class".
TYP[2] Other features share the same characteristic.
For example, if the drawing shows 8 holes on a
bolt circle, and just one is dimensioned, with
"TYP" or "(TYP)" following the dimension label,
it means that that hole is typical of all 8 holes; in
other words, it means that the other 7 holes are
that size also. The latest revisions of
Typical Y14.5 deprecate "TYP" by itself in favor of the
specifying of a number of times, such as "2X" or
"8X". This helps avoid any ambiguity or
uncertainty. TYP or Typical was describe in Mil-
Std-8, the directing body prior to adoption of the
dimension tolerance interpretation Y14.5 series.
Its last revision was C in 1963, but can still be
found in many older aircraft drawings.
U
UAI One of the possible MRB dispositions. Others
use as-is
include scrap and rework.
ULL This abbreviation is used in a machine shop
when recording nonconformances. For example,
under low limit
"part scrapped because OD is ULL." See
also OHL.
UNC Unified National
A subset series of the Unified Thread Standard.
Coarse
UNEF Unified National Extra
A subset series of the Unified Thread Standard.
Fine
UNF Unified National Fine A subset series of the Unified Thread Standard.
UNJC A subset series of the Unified Thread Standard,
with controlled root radius and increased minor
Unified National "J"
diameter. For applications requiring maximum
series Coarse
fatigue resistance amid chronic vibration (such
as in aircraft).
UNJF A subset series of the Unified Thread Standard,
with controlled root radius and increased minor
Unified National "J"
diameter. For applications requiring maximum
series Fine
fatigue resistance amid chronic vibration (such
as in aircraft).
UNO unless noted A fairly well-known abbreviation, but to avoid
otherwise confusion, spell out.
UNS Unified National Special is a subset series of
the Unified Thread Standard. It is an extensible
Unified National
series, covering various special threads.
Special; unified
The unified numbering system is a vaguely
numbering system
named standard for naming alloys by principal
element percentages.
UON unless otherwise A little-used (thus not well recognized)
noted abbreviation. To avoid confusion, spell out.
UOS unless otherwise A fairly well-known abbreviation, but to avoid
specified confusion, spell out.
USASI United States of
America Standards Former name for ANSI (1966–1969).
Institute
USS U.S. Standard threads became the National
series (e.g., NC, NF, NEF), which became the
United States Unified National series (e.g., UNC, UNF, UNEF);
Standard; United see Unified Thread Standard. As for U.S. Steel,
States Steel it was once the largest steel company on earth,
often an approved supplier, and not infrequently
a sole source; hence its mention on drawings.
UTS ultimate tensile
strength; Unified
Thread Standard
V
v A letter v (Latin small letter v) written on a line
representing a surface is a way to indicate that
the surface is to be machined rather than left in
the as-cast or as-forged state. The older symbol
for this was a small script (italic) f (see herein f).
Later the ASA convened upon a letter V
finish
(specifically a sans-serif V) touching the surface.
Soon this evolved into the "check mark" sign
with accompanying number that tells the reader
a max roughness value (RMS, microinches or
micrometres) for the machined finish, to be
measured with a profilometer.
W
WC The "W" comes from the element symbol
tungsten carbide for tungsten, W, which comes from the German
Wolfram.
WI Both the material and the abbreviation are
obsolete, or nearly so. Spell out the words if this
wrought iron
material is to be mentioned at all in modern
drawings.
W/I, w/i A little-used abbreviation. Better to spell out for
within
clarity.
W/O, w/o without Better to spell out for clarity.
X
_X_ When the letter X is preceded by a space, this
used to indicate the
means "by". For example, a chamfer may be
word “by”
called out as 12 X 45°
X[2] or ( ) When a dimension is used in multiple places
either of these prefixes can be added to the
dimension to define how many times this
dimension is used. This example signifies eight
places. There should be no whitespace between
the numeral and the letter X. (Note on character
number of places—for encoding: Although in typography
example, 8X or (8) (including Unicode) the letter X and the
multiplication sign (×) are
distinct characters with differing glyphs, it is a
longstanding tradition in engineering drawing
that the letter X is interchangeable with the multi
sign, unless otherwise specified by
the CAx systems used.)
Y
Y14.X Calls out the drawing standard that this drawing
is following. For example, ASME Y14.5 and
— Y14.100 are commonly used standards that
define all of the symbols and drafting
conventions used.
YS yield strength