Punctuation in notes

[EngJW]

Well, we thrashed it out before about using capital letters in drawing notes. What do you all do about adding commas and periods? Some of our drawings have periods after everything, even in notes attached to a dimension, and some use none at all. For example:

1. Same as P/N XXX except as shown. Can be made from P/N XXX.

or

1. Same as P/N XXX except as shown
Can be made from P/N XXX

or

1. Same as P/N XXX except as shown, make from P/N XXX

I tend to leave them off of single statements and add them if there is more than one sentence in a note. I didn't see anything in ANSI Y14.5 but that is the only standard I have.

 

[ewh]

As far as notes, I believe that you are supposed to follow the standards of the language in which they are written. This means to use complete, grammatically correct sentences and correct punctuation. I don't know which standard covers this, but I am sure someone else here will help out.

 

[MadMango]

I use periods to terminate notes, just so there is no confusion in thinking there was more content in the note that may have been removed.

[green]"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."[/green]
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[drawoh]

EngJW,

If I am adding some little tidbit to a dimension, I do not worry too much about grammar. If I am placing a note on a drawing, I write it out in full sentences and paragraphs with commas and periods, in block capitals, of course. As you might already have guessed, I can touch type.

All those non-typists out there have to get their work done too. I would be tolerant of point form notes, as long as they are correct, and I can make sense of them.

JHG

 

[MESC1]

If you are writing complete sentences, then use proper punctuation.
I don't think paragraph form is required, but on the same document, all written data should probably be in the same format.

I was told never to use periods in abreviations on drawings. (We try to never use abreviations, but for some things spelling it out would be silly.)
For instance;
INC instead of Inc. (Incorporated)
NC instead of N.C. (Normally Closed)


Thanks
SC

 

[ewh]

There are exceptions to no periods in abbreviations (never say never), when the abbreviation can be confused with a word, ie "no." instead of "no" for number.

 

[MESC1]

That's why we spell words out most of the time.

"NO" could mean; no, normally open, number, etc.

Thanks
SC

 

[ctopher]

Good points from everyone!
I use periods and commas when needed in drawing notes, but not anywhere in the drawings body. I also do not use periods with abbreviations.
If a note is referenced somewhere in a dwg, i.e. "1. Blah blah blah (the 1. has a triangle around it)", the triangle in the body has only "1" ... without a period.

Chris
Sr. Mechanical Designer, CAD
SolidWorks 05 SP3.1 / PDMWorks 05
ctopher's home site (updated 06-21-05)
FAQ559-1100
FAQ559-716

 

[EngJW]

How about "drill thru" or "drill through?" Which is the right one, or are both ok? My spell checker doesn't recognize thru; however, it is in the dictionary.

 

[MadMango]

I don't think "thru" is required anymore. The hole feature is assumed to go through all material unless otherwise specified, with either a depth symbol or other notes such as "near side only".

[green]"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."[/green]
Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943.
Have you read faq731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?

 

[ewh]

Per ASME Y14.5M-1994, para 1.8.9 states "Where it is not clear that a hole goes through, the abbreviation THRU follows a dimension."

 

[ctopher]

correct ewh. For example, if there is a section view showing the thru hole, no need to indicate thru with the dim. If not obvious, indicate "THRU".

Chris
Sr. Mechanical Designer, CAD
SolidWorks 05 SP3.1 / PDMWorks 05
ctopher's home site (updated 06-21-05)
FAQ559-1100
FAQ559-716

 

[drawoh]

EngJW,

You should not say DRILL on drawings.

I try to avoid saying THRU. Regardless of what ASME Y14.5M-1994 says, the specification should be made unambiguous, somehow. Adding drawing views is trivial with 3D CAD. Sometimes, saying THRU is the only way.

JHG

 

[EngJW]

Agree. We quit saying drill, ream, grind, etc.

Not always that easy to add another section. The letters might get in the way of other dimensions, you might not have much room on the sheet for another view, or you might have to create a partial section and clean it up. THRU is the lazy man's way out. My specialty.

 

[ewh]

As long as the meaning is clear, THRU is appropriate.

 

[wes616]

Geez.... I tend to always use THRU, and as far as punctuating abbriviations goes, we use the "Global Engineering - DRM" for our drawing standards guidebook (ASME Y14.100-2000)

SEC24.4.2 - Use of periods. Periods are used with abbriviations which spell whole words to provide clarity and avoid misinterpretation.

 

[wgchere]

Sometimes adding "THRU" is just stupid. A piece of sheet metal, for example--unless you're calling out a special feature (dimple, partially punched) it's hard to be anything BUT "THRU." Yet I have had checkers insist on putting "THRU" after every hole in a piece of .060 thick sheet metal!

And I like a tight drawing, but sometimes you can be TOO minimalist in your approach. Generally, if it needs it, I put "THRU" on a callout because I don't want to force the reader to hunt all over the dwg for a view. Besides, a thru hole doesn't require a view and neither does a hole of depth. The only time I require a view is when the depth is defined from a surface other than the surface of entry--like a hole that stops .250 from the side it would break through.

As for having to change the dwg if the hole changes (I think that was the objection) I use SolidWorks, and use the "Hole Wizard" and the "Hole Callout" function whenever I can. The "Hole Callout" function reads the depth data from the hole in the model and puts all the data in the hole callout. Then, if it changes the drawing updates automatically.