ASME Y14.2

[drawoh]

I am setting up a new SolidWorks installation. I have set things up so that there are only two title blocks, A[ ]sized portrait with 2mm lettering, and B[ ]sized landscape with 2.5mm lettering. In the absence of E[ ]sized monitors, plotters and work tables, I figure we have everything we need to produce readable, professional drawings. Line thickness of 0.18mm for thin lines and 0.35mm for thick lines works fine.

I am looking though my copy of ASME Y14.2[‑]2008. It claims that thin lines shall be 0.3mm minimum and thick lines 0.6mm minimum. It also claims that fonts are to be 3mm minimum. This is all based on drafting boards and full sized plotters. Back in the good old days when I worked on a drafting board, I did my outlines with a 0.5mm[ ]pencil. I used 4mm or 5/32" fonts on D[ ]size and E[ ]size to assure readability. A B[ ]sized drawing with 2.5mm fonts looks professional, we can put lots of information on it, and it can be easily read printed at A[ ]size, or displayed on a cheap (1366[×]768) laptop.

How many of you out there have drafting boards and full sized plotters? ASME[ ]Y14.2 has been updated since my copy. Have they re-thought font sizes and line weights? Are they thinking about font sizes and line weights? Do I need to keep ASME[ ]Y14.2 off my QA documentation?

--
JHG

 

[CheckerHater]

ASME Y14.2‑2008 requirements are fairly loose and serve more like recommendations. The suggested line thickness is followed by:

"These approximate line widths are intended to differentiate between thick and thin lines and are not values for control of acceptance or rejection of drawings."

And lettering requirements are followed by:

"When applying lettering manually, or by typewriter, or CAD equipment which utilizes heights, spacing, or proportions other than those recommended, the lettering is acceptable when the minimum legibility and reproduction requirements of the accepted industry or military reproduction specifications are met."

So the standard recognizes the fact that modern equipment can produce legible drawing outside of standard recommendations.

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