Technical Drawing

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Introduction
 UNE 1-039-75
 Aim: Indicate the dimensions, the shape and size of an
object in a unique way .
 Dimensioning follows a standard of signs and figures which
give precise information about the represented object.
 It also includes:
 Surface finish.
 Tolerances.
 Mainly targets the manufacturing and the object
verification.

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Basics
 In a drawing the dimensional information of an object must be specified.
 The dimension must be indicated only once in the drawing, unless it is
indispensable to repeat it.
 No unrepeated dimension could be omitted.
 The dimensions should be placed in the views that better represent the
object. The dimensions of the same component or element must be
grouped together as much as possible.
 All of the dimensions of a drawing must be expressed in the same units,
in mm, if another unit is used it should be clearly specified next to the
dimension.
 The dimensions of shapes which are a result of the manufacturing
process should not be indicated.
 The dimensions should be distributed, taking into account their order,
clarity and visibility.
 The need to obtain dimensions by summing or subtracting others must
be avoided, because it might lead to manufacturing errors.

MINIMUM, SUFFICIENT AND ADEQUATE

DIMENSIONING
Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning
Test
 Indicate which of the following is better dimensioned:

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Basics
 The dimensions of shapes which are a result of the manufacturing process
should not be indicated.

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Dimensioning classification
 Functional dimensions (F): those that are especially essential for the
object normal operation.
 Non functional dimensions (NF): those that are not essential for the
normal operation of the object
 Auxiliar dimension (Aux): those that are given for information and are
not essential for the verification nor for manufacturing of the object.
They are indicated between () and they do not have associated any
tolerance.

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Elements of dimensioning
Dimension line Dimension

Extension
Arrow line

Reference line

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Dimension lines I
 They allow placing the dimension
values.

 Perpendicular to the edge of the

object or parallel to the dimension
one wants to specify.

 Drawn in a thin continuous line

with the number and arrowhead in
between (if they fit).

 Should not cut each other or any

other line of the drawing.

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Dimension lines II
 Symmetry axis and
edges could not be used
as dimension lines.

 No dimension lines could

be drawn in the edge
extension of the object.

 No dimensioning could
be done in hidden lines
(dimensioning of these
elements must be done
in the cut or section
view)

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Dimension lines III

 Place the dimensioning line at 8

mm of the edge of the object and the
next ones at 5 mm.

 The dimensioning line must be

drawn without interruption, even if
it refers to an interrupted view.

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Dimension lines IV
 Related dimensions should be
aligned if possible.

 When there is an element that by its

importance can be taken as a
reference for the rest, the
dimensions of the others can be
placed parallel to it or sharing its
origin instead of aligned with it.

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Extension line I
 Extension lines: should be
perpendicular to the length to
be measured.
 Should be perpendicular to the
dimension line.

 If necessary can be placed

inclined, but always parallel
between them.

 Starts from the object and must

exceed the dimension line by
2-3 mm.

 Must not cut between them nor

with other lines of the drawing.

 Cannot be drawn connecting 2

different views (from one view
to another one).

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Extension line II
 The axis lines and edges
can be used as an extension
to the dimension lines, in
this case, the axis will be
drawn with continuous lines
outside the limits of the view.

 In the case of planes that cut

each other by means of
rounded edges or beveled
edges the planes are
extended with a thin
continuous line until the
fictitious intersection is
found, from which the
extension line is drawn.

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Reference line
 It indicates a dimension or explanation note of the drawing by
means of a line that joins the text with the object.

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Test

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Test

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Test

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Arrowheads
 Arrowheads.

 The arrows are drawn closed with an angle of 15º.

 The length of the arrow head should be

proportional to the drawing size and the same
in all of the drawing.

 The arrows must not be crossed by any line or

edge.

 The arrows must be drawn inside the dimension

limits , if there is no enough space they shall be
drawn outside and the dimension lines inside with
an enlargement to the outside.

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Numbers in the dimensioning
 Must have standard height not less than 3.5 mm.
 The numbers are placed parallel to the dimension
line, in the center, on top of it and slightly above it.
 Cannot be cut nor separated, from their dimension lines,
by other lines and they cannot be hatched.
 They must be placed on top of the line for horizontal dimension lines
or on the left of the line for vertical dimension lines, such that; the
number is written parallel to the line and it’s base is on top of it.
 If the number must be written on a line, the line shall be interrupted
so that the number could be seen clearly.
 If the number is placed with inclination, then it must be done as shown
below.

 If a dimension does not correspond to the drawing scale, it should be

underlined.
Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning
Numbers in the dimensioning
The number is always the real dimension of the
object no matter the drawing scale

SCALE 1:2
SCALE 1:1

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Test

A B C

A B C

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Test

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Test

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Test

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Circular dimensions I
 Marked with the diameter symbol  before
the dimension when the circular shape
cannot be distinguished in this view.
 When dimensioning several concentric
circles the dimension lines should be placed
at 30º, 45º and 60º with respect to the
horizontal axis and never use more than
three or four inner dimension lines, the
other circles should use a reference line.
 To indicate a radius (a non-complete circle
<180º), a dimension line with only one
arrowhead is used, where the arrow head
can point to the arc circumference, from
the inside or outside, and the center of
curvature should be shown by a cross or a
circle and joined by a line till the arrow
head.
 If the center of the radius is not marked
the letter R should precede the dimension
number.
Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning
Circular dimensions II
 When dimensioning a big radius if the
center of curvature is outside the drawing
the dimension number should be preceded
by the letter R.

 Circle arcs that are smaller than 180º are

marked by their radius, while bigger arcs
are marked by the diameter.

 Radius dimensioning could never be used

to dimension holes or shafts, it could only
be used in rounding radius. And the arrows
cannot be placed tangential to the arc.

 In arcs of 90º that join normal edges, it is

not necessary to dimension the position of
the circle center since it is already defined
by the radius.

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Test

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Cords, dimensions and angles
 To dimension a cord: the dimension line is a straight segment between
the ends of the cord.
 The arc: the dimension line is another concentric arc of the same length
and joined by 2 parallel extension lines that are perpendicular to the arc.
 The angle: the dimension line is an arc of the same center point as the
arc and is delimited by radial extension lines.

Cord Arc Angle

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Test

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Square and San Andres cross
 The square symbol, □, is used for square shapes, when their square form
can’t be identified in the view where the dimensions are placed.

 The San Andrés cross indicates that the surface is flat. It is used when
no other views clarify this.

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Test

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Test

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Symmetry I
 The situation of symmetric elements is always
referred to its centers.

 In symmetric objects, you should indicate the

dimensions between the symmetrical
points, and not between the symmetrical points
and its axis of symmetry.

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Test

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Test

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Symmetry II
 In symmetric objects, if there are several dimension lines that are
parallel to each other, the dimension lines can be stopped after it crosses
the axis of symmetry and are placed alternating on the different sides, as
long as the number indicates the full length.
 For ¼ cuts the dimensioning will be done so that the group of dimensions
related to the interior part are grouped and those related to the
external part of the object are grouped separately.

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Secuences
 When there are several equidistance repeated elements, the distance
between the first and last element is dimensioned by a dimension line, and
the dimensioning label becomes the number of elements multiplied by
the distance between each element equaled to the total distance.

 For clarity, and if necessary, the distance between two consecutive

elements can be dimensioned and afterwards, the dimension, as stated
above, can be given.

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Test

10 10 a a 2x10=20

a=10

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Same elements
 The angular dimensions can be
omitted if they are evident and
there are no risk of error.

 The dimensions of the same

elements do not have to be
repeated if they are evident and
there are no risk of error.

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Concurrent axis
 Objects that have elements with a concurrent axis it is convenient to take
as reference the point of concurrency, giving the dimension of the
angle between the axis and orienting the dimensions according the
orientation of the axis.

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

3D Shapes I
 In industrial objects certain 3D shapes are repeated, which are given a
symbol to avoid using another view for their representation.
 Sphere, indicated by preceding to the radius or diameter dimension the
words “SR” or “S” respectively.

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

3D Shapes II
Conicity

 Conicity, given by the ratio between the difference of the diameters of its
bases and its height.

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

3D Shapes III
INCLINATION
 Inclination: given by the relationship between the difference of heights
and the horizontal distance

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Holes
 Position of its centre (to know where to drill) and its diameter.

 For blind holes, dimensioning of the depth is given as well (only till
where the diameter is conserved).

 In the case of a threaded hole, the length of the threading is

dimensioned.

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Test

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Metric thread
 Metric thread: dimensioning with letter M (never with symbol of diameter
Ø), exterior dimension for male (view figure B) or inside for female (view
figure A).

A
B

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Screw & Bolts (Simplified representation)

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Bevelled edge (Dimensioning chamfers)
 Bevelled edge: made by cutting an edge by a ceratin angle. In case of a
cylindrical shape it would result in a conical shape of sylindrical base.
 To dimension it:
 Independently indicate BOTH: Length and angle

45º

or
4

 Dimension x angle.

4x45º
Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning
Test

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Keyway
 Keyway: space of mechanical component (shaft or wheel) where the key is
placed.

shaft wheel

+ complete diameter

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Test

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Countersink and cylindrical
countersink
 Countersink is dimensioned by its angle and external diameter.

 The cylindrical countersink is dimensioned by its diameter and depth.

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Dovetail

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Test

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Dimensioning methods
 Dimensioning according to the object operation

 Dimensioning according to manufacturing

 Dimensioning according to verification

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Dimensioning according to the object
operation
 Dimensioning for the correct normal operation of the
object.

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Dimensioning according to manufacturing
 The aim is to manufacture the object

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning

Dimensioning according to object
verification
 Aim: Verification of the correct dimenions of the object

Lecture 6-7. Dimensioning