Abbreviations and Symbols for

Engineering Drawing & CNC Machining

Engineering drawing abbreviations are a set of standardized symbols and

abbreviations used on engineering drawings to represent common terms and phrases.
The symbols and abbreviations represent various components, processes, and
measurements used in engineering design. Abbreviations are used to reduce the amount of
text required to convey the same information on a drawing. These abbreviations can be
found on engineering drawings such as mechanical, electrical, piping and plumbing, civil,
and structural drawings. Common abbreviations include AC (alternating current), DC
(direct current), FAB (fabrication), and LD (load).

As an integral part of CAD/CAM technology, CNC design is used to develop and produce
products. However, engineering drawings are complex as they are full of symbols and
abbreviations that you might not understand. Here we provide a complete guide to standard
engineering drawing abbreviations and symbols for your reference.

目录
  Why Abbreviations and Symbols Are Needed for Engineering Drawing?
 How to Read Symbols in An Engineering Drawing?
 Engineering Drawing Abbreviations
 Common Engineering Drawing Abbreviations Used in CNC Machining
 Engineering Drawing Symbols
 Work with Runsom for Your CNC Programming Projects

Why Abbreviations and Symbols Are Needed for

Engineering Drawing?
Abbreviations and symbols are used in engineering drawings to save time, improve
accuracy and clarity, increase standardization, simplify complex information, and reduce
costs. They provide a quick and efficient way of conveying detailed information without
having to write out lengthy descriptions, which helps to ensure that all parts and details are
accurately specified and understood by everyone involved in the engineering project.
Standardization of abbreviations and symbols across the engineering industry makes it
easier to communicate between engineers and other professionals, and helps to reduce the
amount of time and effort required to create engineering drawings. Its functions can be
included below:

1. To save time and space: Abbreviations and symbols are used in engineering
drawings to conserve space and time. They provide a quick way of communicating
information without having to write out lengthy descriptions.
2. To improve accuracy and clarity: Abbreviations and symbols are used to ensure that
all parts and details are accurately specified and understood by everyone involved in
the engineering project.
3. To increase standardization: Abbreviations and symbols are standardized across the
engineering industry, which allows for more efficient communication between
engineers and other professionals.
4. To simplify complex information: Abbreviations and symbols are used to simplify
complex information, making it easier for engineers and other professionals to
understand what is being conveyed in the drawing.
5. To reduce costs: Abbreviations and symbols reduce the amount of time and effort
required to create engineering drawings, decreasing costs associated with a project.

How to Read Symbols in An Engineering Drawing?

Technical standards are the definition and glossary of abbreviations, symbols, and
acronyms that may be found on engineering drawings. International Engineering Standards
may be different from countries and applications applied, like International (ISO), USA
(AISI, ANSI, ASTM, SAE, AMS), UK (BS), France (AFNOR), Germany (DIN, WR),
Australia (AS), Sweden (SS), Korea (KS). Note that the same abbreviation may represent
different meanings in different types.
Once you understand the meaning and definition of the symbols and abbreviations, you’ll
pick up and use the engineering drawing with ease. An engineering drawing often tells the
specific requirements and detail, such as:

 Finish
 Tolerances
 Dimensions
 Hardware
 Geometry
 Material type

Engineering Drawing Abbreviations

The charts below are a complete list of abbreviations and symbols in engineering drawings.
All the lists provided below are in alphabetical order for easy reference, you can use this as
a guide to help you understand your engineering drawing.

AC across corners
AF across flats
AFF above finished floor
AISI American Iron and Steel Institute
Al or AL aluminium
ALY alloy
AMER American
AMS Aerospace Material Standards
AN- Army-Navy
ANN anneal, annealed
ANSI American National Standards Institute
APPROX approximately
AQL acceptable quality level
AR as required
AS Aerospace Standards; Australian Standards
AS, APS, APV, AV, approved product supplier, approved vendor, approved-product-
APSL, AVL supplier list, approved-vendor list
ASA American Standards Association
ASME American Society of Mechanical Engineers
ASSY or ASY assembly
Formerly the American Society for Testing and Materials; now
ASTM
ASTM International
AVG average
AWG American Wire Gauge
B

BASIC basic dimension

BC or B.C. bolt circle
BCD or B.C.D. bolt circle diameter
BHC bolt hole circle
BHCS button head cap screw
BHN Brinell hardness number
BoM or BOM bill of materials
BoP or BOP bought out part
BP, B/P blueprint
BRZ bronze
BSC basic dimension

computer-aided design, computer-aided drafting; cadmium

CAD
[plating]
CAGE Commercial and Government Entity [code]
C-C or C-TO-C centre-to-centre; on centres
CBN cubic boron nitride
CDA current design activity
CERT or cert certification
CG centerless ground, centerless grinding
Center mark
CH or CHAM chamfer
CI cast iron
CL or ℄ centreline or centerline; class
CNC computer numerical control
CR controlled radius
CRES corrosion-resistant [steel]
CRS cold rolled steel; on centres
C/T Correlation / Tracking
C’BORE or CBORE or
counterbore

CSK or CSINK or countersink

CTN, ctn carton

depth, deep, down

⌀ diameter
D diameter; delta
DIA diameter
DIP ductile iron pipe
DIM dimension, dimensioning
DO, do ditto
DOD, DoD [U.S.] Department of Defense
DPD digital product definition
DWG, dwg drawing

ED edge distance
EO, ECO, ECN engineering order
EQL, EQ equal, equally
ERC electrical rule check
EXIST. existing

f finish
FAO finish all over
FCF feature control frame
FD or F/D field of the drawing
FIM full indicator movement
FL flag note, flagnote
FL Floor Level
FN or F/N flag note, flagnote; find number
FoS feature of size
FPSO Floating Production Storage and Offloading
FS far side
FSCM Federal Stock/Supply Code for Manufacturers
FTG fitting

GCI gray cast iron

GD&T or GDT geometric dimensioning and tolerancing
GN or G/N general note(s)

HBW hardness, Brinell, tungsten tip

HDPE high-density polyethylene
HHCS hex head cap screw
HRA hardness, Rockwell, A scale
HRB hardness, Rockwell, B scale
HRC hardness, Rockwell, C scale
HRS hot rolled steel
HT TR heat treat, heat treatment
H&T or H/T or HT hardened and tempered

IAW in accordance with

ID inner diameter; identity, identification number
IED Insufficient Edge Distance
ISO International Organization for Standardization

JIS Japan Industrial Standard

KEY key
KPSI, kpsi kilopounds per square inch, that is, thousands of pounds per square inch
KSI, ksi kilopounds per square inch, that is, thousands of pounds per square inch

LDD limited dimension drawing

LH left-hand
LM or L/M list of materials
LMC least material condition

MACH machine; machined

MAJ major
MAX maximum
MBD model-based definition
MBP measurement between pins
MBW measurement between wires
MF or M/F make from
MFD manufactured
MFG manufacturing
MFR manufacturer
MIL- [U.S.] Military
MIN minimum; minutes; minor
MMC maximum material condition
MOD, MoD Ministry of Defence [U.K. and others]
MOP, MoP measurement over pins
MOW, MoW measurement over wires
MPa, MPA megapascals
MRB material review board
MS- [U.S.] Military Standard

NAS National Aerospace Standards

NC National Coarse; numerical control
NCM nonconforming material(s)
NCR nonconformance report
NEC not elsewhere classified; National Electrical Code
NEF National Extra Fine
NF National Fine
NL or N/L notes list
NOM nominal
NORM or NORMD normalized
NPS Naval Primary Standard[3]
NPT National Pipe Taper
NS National Special; near side
NSCM National Stock/Supply Code for Manufacturers
N&T or N/T or NT normalized and tempered
NTS not to scale

OAL overall length

OC on center(s)
OD outer diameter
ODA original design activity
OHL over high limit
OPP opposite
ORIG original

P
pc, pcs piece, pieces
PD pitch diameter
PDM, product data management, product data manager [app], product data
PDMS management system [app]
PH or P/H precipitation hardening, precipitation-hardened; pilot hole
PHR BRZ phosphor bronze
PL or P/L parts list
PLM product lifecycle management; plant lifecycle management
PMI Product and manufacturing information
PN or P/N part number
POI point of intersection
P.F. press fit
PSI pounds per square inch
PTFE polytetrafluoroethylene
PVC polyvinyl chloride

QMS quality management system

QTY or qty quantity

R radius
RA, Ra roughness, average; Rockwell A scale
RB, Rb Rockwell B scale
RC, Rc Rockwell C scale
REF reference dimension
REQD or REQ’D required
REV revision
RFS regardless of feature size
RH right-hand
RHR roughness height reading
RL Reduced Level or Relative Level
RMA return material authorization
RMS root mean square
RT or R/T rough turn, rough turned; room temperature
RTP release to production
RTV room-temperature vulcanizing; return to vendor
RZ, Rz roughness, mean depth

S
SAE Formerly the Society of Automotive Engineers; now SAE International
SC or S/C sharp corners
SF or S/F spotfaceslip fit
SFACE or S/FACE spotface
SHCS socket head cap screw
SHN shown
SHSS socket head set screw
SI Système international [d’unités] [International System 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
SS or S/S stainless steel; supersede
SST stainless steel
STD standard
STEP Standard for the Exchange of Product Model Data
STA solution treated and aged
STI screw thread insert
STL steel
STK stock
SW Schlüsselweite

TAP tapped hole

TB or T/B title block
TCC time-current curve
TDP technical data package
THD or thd thread
THRD threaded
THK or thk thickness
THRU through
THRU ALL Through all
TIR total indicator reading; total indicated run-out
TOS top of steel
TOL tolerance, tolerancing
TSC theoretical sharp corner(s)
TY type
TYP Typical
U

UAI use as-is

ULL under low limit
UNC Unified National Coarse
UNEF Unified National Extra Fine
UNF Unified National Fine
UNJC Unified National “J” series Coarse
UNJF Unified National “J” series Fine
UNO unless noted otherwise
UNS Unified National Special; unified numbering system
UON unless otherwise noted
UOS unless otherwise specified
USASI United States of America Standards Institute
USS United States Standard; United States Steel
UTS ultimate tensile strength; Unified Thread Standard

v finish

WC tungsten carbide
WI wrought iron
W/I, w/i within
W/O, w/o without

_X_ used to indicate the word “by”

X or ( ) number of places—for example, 8X or (8)

Y14.X —
YS yield strength

Common Engineering Drawing Abbreviations Used in

CNC Machining
Although it’s easy to illustrate all the details in a design drawing for the manufacture of
CNC milling parts or CNC turning parts, there is not enough space on a drawing to
cover all the texts and images. The abbreviations and symbols are then designed to express
the characteristics of the product. They are easy to be understood by people from any
country in concise forms. Common engineering drawing abbreviations used for CNC
machining are listed below:

AC Across corners
ALY Aluminum
ANN Anneal
AQL Acceptable quality level
AR As required
AVG Average
BASIC or BSC Basic dimension
BC or B.C. Bolt circle
BHC Bolt hole circle
BRZ Bronze
CAD Computer-aided design
CERT Certification
CI Cast iron
CNC Computer Numerical Control
CRES Corrosion-resistant
DIM Dimension
ED Edge distance
IAW In accordance with
LMC Least material condition
MBP Measurement between pins
MBW Measurement between wires
MFD Manufactured
MFG Manufacturing
MFR Manufacturer
MMC Maximum material condition
OAL Overall length
PC Piece
PD Pitch diameter
PL Parts list
PMI Product and manufacturing information
REF Reference
RZ Roughness, mean depth
SFACE Spotface
SN Serial number
STD Standard
UNC Unified National Coarse
UNS Unified National Special
YS Yield Strength

Engineering Drawing Symbols

The basic symbol types used in engineering drawings are diameter, depth, radius,
counterbore, spotface, and countersink. The following are commonly used engineering
drawing symbols and design elements.
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