A course in drafting should be a part of
your education. It will help you develop the
capacity to plan and solve problems in an
organized fashion, to interpret the ideas of
others, and to express yourself in a manner
that can be easily understood by anyone.
Exploring Drafting provides information
about drafting fundamentals and concepts.
It also provides opportunities to learn about
basic geometric constructions. These are
the mathematical tools used to solve prac-
tical problems and create the various types
of drawings that communicate informa-
tion about products. As you read and work
through the book, you will learn the drafting
methods and processes used by industry. You
will also develop and practice drafting skills
and techniques.
Exploring Drafting is current with the
latest ANSI/ASME (American National
Standards Institute/American Society of
Mechanical Engineers) practices. You will learn
how to use standard symbols to communicate
in the international language—drafting.
Exploring Drafting provides you with
the basic understanding necessary to allow
you to progress from manual drafting into
CAD (computer-aided drafting and design).
The information and activities in this text
will supply you with the solid foundation of
drafting skills and techniques you will need to
effi draw and design using most CAD ficiently
systems. It is important to note that CAD is a
tool that incorporates the concepts of manual
drafting. The principles of drafting are common
to both traditional (manual) drafting and CAD.
Exploring Drafting provides informa-
tion and activities that are consistent with
and satisfy the basic drafting standards that
have been adopted by many states and/
or school districts. The content and activi-
ties in the book also are consistent with the
International Technology and Engineering
Educators Association (ITEEA) standards for
technological literacy.
Drafting, the “language of industry,”
offers many career opportunities. Some of
these exciting and rewarding futures are
described in the chapter Careers in Drafting
(Chapter 2).
You will fi nd that the ability to draw
and to understand drafting will be of benefitfi
throughout your lifetime as a consumer, as
well as in the career you pursue. The ability to
draft and understand drawings is an ability
that most anyone will fi nd useful.
Using the Text
A number of elements in this text help
reinforce the material as it is presented. You
will encounter the following features as you
progress through the text. They are intended
to guide you through the material and help
you evaluate your progress.
Objectives
Chapter objectives are presented at the
beginningofeachchapter.Theyoutlineimpor-
tant concepts and skills that are discussed.
After completing a chapter, you should be
able to meet the objectives.
Drafting Vocabulary
Important terms are presented at the
beginning of each chapter in the Drafting
Vocabulary. In most cases, these terms will
appear in bold italic typeface within the
chapter. Before starting each chapter, look over
the list of terms. This will help you familiarize
yourself with the content. You may want to
review the terms after you finish the chapter fi
to verify your understanding of the material.
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I n t r o d u c t i o n