ABSTRACT
The first step a manufacturer must take when they wish to make an article is to produce a drawing. First a designer will make a preliminary sketch and then a draughtsperson will make a detailed drawing of the design. Since neither the designer nor the draughtsperson will actually make the article, the drawings must be capable of being interpreted by them in their workshops. These workshops may be sited a long way from the drawing office, even overseas, and so the drawings produced must be standardised so that anyone familiar with these standards could make the article required. Engineering drawing is, therefore, a language. In this modern age of rapid communication and international buying, from pins to complete atomic power stations, it is essential for the language to be international. This is the reason why you will often see symbols used on a drawing instead of words or abbreviations.
