Dimensioning

Objectives

• Use conventional dimensioning

techniques to describe size and shape
accurately on an engineering drawing
• Create and read a drawing at a
specified scale
• Correctly place dimension lines,
extension lines, angles, and notes

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 Objectives (cont.)
• Use aligned and unidirectional
dimensioning systems
• Dimension circles, arcs, and inclined
surfaces
• Identify precision ranges for typical
manufacturing operations
• Apply finish symbols and notes to a
drawing

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 Objectives (cont.)
• Dimension contours
• Use standard practices for dimensioning
prisms, cylinders, holes, curves
• List practices for dimensioning a solid
model as documentation
• Identify guidelines for the do’s and
don’ts of dimensioning

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 Understanding Dimensioning

• Drawings for products must be

dimensioned so that production
personnel all over the world can make
mating parts that will fit properly when
assembled or when used to replace
parts

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 Aspects of Good Dimensioning
• Dimensions are given in the form of
distances, angles, and notes regardless
of the dimensioning units being used
• The ability to create good dimensions
requires:
• Technique of dimensioning
• Placement of dimensions
• Choice of dimensions

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 Tolerance

• When a finished part is measured it

may vary slightly from the exact
dimension specified
• Tolerance is the total amount that the
feature on the actual part is allowed to
vary from what is specified by the
dimension

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 Lines Used in Dimensioning

• Dimension line – a thin, dark, solid line

terminated by arrowheads, indicating
the direction and extent of a dimension

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 Lines Used in Dimensioning

• Extension line – a thin, dark, solid line

that extends from a point on the
drawing to which a dimension refers

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 Lines Used in Dimensioning
• Centerline – a
thin, dark line
alternating long
and short dashes
commonly used in
locating holes and
other symmetrical
features

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 Using Dimension and
Extension Lines
• Shorter dimension lines are nearest the
object outline
• Dimension lines should not cross
extension lines
• A dimension line should never coincide
with or extend any line of the drawing
• Avoid crossing dimension lines when
possible

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 Using Dimension and
Extension Lines

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 Using Dimension and
Extension Lines
• Dimensions should be lined up and
grouped together as much as possible

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 Using Dimension and
Extension Lines
• When extension lines or center lines
cross visible object lines, gaps should
not be left in the lines

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 Arrowheads

• Arrowheads indicate the extent of

dimensions
• They should be uniform in size and
style throughout the drawing

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 Leaders

• A leader is a thin solid line directing

attention to a note or dimension and
starting with an arrowhead or dot

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 Drawing Scale and Dimensioning

• Drawings are usually made to a scale

which is indicated in the title block
• A heavy straight line should be drawn
under any single dimension value that is
not to scale
• If an entire drawing is not prepared to a
standard, note NONE in the scale area of
the title block

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 Direction of Dimension Values
and Notes
• All dimension values and notes are
lettered horizontally and should read
from the bottom of the sheet
• The exception is when dimensioning from a
baseline as in coordinate dimensioning

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 Direction of Dimension Values
and Notes

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 Dimension Units

• Dimension values are shown using the

metric system or decimal inch values
• It is standard practice to omit millimeter
designations and inch marks on
drawings and note the units in the title
block except when there is a possibility
of misunderstanding

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 Dimension Units

• Either meters or feet and inches and

fractional inches are used in
architectural and structural work
• In U.S. structural and architectural
drafting, all dimensions of 1 foot or over
are usually expressed in feet and inches

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 Millimeter Values

• The millimeter is the commonly used

unit for most metric engineering
drawings
• One-place millimeter decimals are used
when tolerance limits permit
• Two or more-place millimeter decimals are
used when higher tolerances are required

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 Decimal Inch Values

• Two-place decimals are typical when

tolerance limits permit
• In two-place decimals, the second place
preferably should be an even digit so that
when the dimension is divided by 2 the
results will still be a two-place decimal

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 Rules for Dimension Values
• Where the metric dimension is a whole
number, do not show a decimal point or
a zero
• Where the metric dimension is less than
1mm, a zero precedes the decimal point
• Where the decimal-inch dimension is
used, a zero is not used before the
decimal point of values less than 1

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 Rounding Values

• If the number following the rounding

position is a 5, round to an even
number
• If the number following the rounding
position is less then 5, make no change
• If the number following the rounding
position is more than 5, round up

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 Dual Dimensioning

• Dual dimensioning is used to show

metric and decimal inch dimensions on
the same drawing

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 Dimension Symbols

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 Placing Dimensions

• Never letter a dimension value over any

line on the drawing
• In a group of parallel dimension lines,
the dimension values should be
staggered
• Do not crowd dimension figures into
limited spaces making them illegible

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 Placing Dimensions

• Place dimensions between views when

possible, but only attached to a single
view
• Dimensions should not be placed on a
view unless doing so promotes the
clarity of the drawing

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 Placing Dimensions

• When a dimension must be placed in a

hatched area or on the view, leave an
opening in the hatching or a break in
the lines for the dimension value

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 Placing Dimensions
• Avoid dimensioning to hidden lines
• Do not attach dimensions to visible lines
where the meaning is not clear
• Notes for holes are usually placed
where you see the circular shape of the
hole
• An external cylindrical shape is
dimensioned where it appears rectangular

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 Placing Dimensions

• Give dimensions where the contours of

the object are defined

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 Superfluous Dimensions

• All necessary dimensions must be

shown but avoid giving unnecessary
dimensions
• Do not repeat dimensions on the same
view or on different views, or give the
same information two different ways

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 Superfluous Dimensions

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 Dimensioning Angles

• You should dimension angles by

specifying the angle in degrees and a
linear dimension

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 Dimensioning Arcs

• A circular arc is dimensioned in the view

where you see its true shape by giving
the value for its radius preceded by the
abbreviation R

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 Fillets and Rounds

• Individual fillets and rounds are

dimensioned like other arcs
• If there are only a few and they are
obviously the same size, giving one typical
radius is preferred
• Fillets radii can also be given in a general
note

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 Size Dimensions: Prisms

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 Size Dimensions: Cylinders

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 Size Dimensions: Holes

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 Dimensioning Various Shapes

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 Dimensioning Curves

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 Dimensioning Curved Surfaces

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 Dimensioning Rounded-end
Shapes

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 Dimensioning Threads

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 Dimensioning Tapers

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 Dimensioning Chamfers

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 Shaft Centers

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 Dimensioning Keyways

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 Dimensioning Knurls

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 Finish Marks

• A finish mark is used to indicate that a

surface is to be machined

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 Surface Roughness

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 Location Dimensions

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 Location Dimensions

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 Location Dimensions

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 Location Dimensions

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 Mating Dimensions

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 Tabular Dimensions

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 Coordinate Dimensioning

• Basic coordinate dimensioning practices

are generally compatible with the data
requirements for automated production
• A set of three mutually perpendicular
datum or reference planes is usually
required for coordinate dimensioning

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 Coordinate Dimensioning

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 Coordinate Dimensioning

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 Machine, Pattern, and Forging
Dimensions

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 Sheet-Metal Bends

• In sheet-metal dimensioning, allowance

must be made for bends

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 Notes

• It is usually necessary to supplement

the direct dimensions with notes
• Notes should be worded to allow only
one interpretation
• Notes should be lettered horizontally

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 Standards

• Dimensions should be given to make

use of readily available materials, tools,
parts, and gages
• The dimensions for many commonly
used machine elements are
standardized and can be obtained from
standard manuals or catalogs

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