Guide · Engineering
Engineering Documentation Standards Guide
Drawing standards, GD&T discipline, revision control and the handover pack that keeps knowledge in the company when people leave.
Drawings are manufacturing instructions
A drawing exists so a specific process can produce a specific part and a specific inspection can accept it. Dimension schemes should follow how the part will be made and measured, not how it was modelled.
Tolerance against real capability
Tolerances tighter than your process capability guarantee rejections and rework. Measure capability, then specify. Blanket ±0.1 across a drawing is a decision not to think.
Revision control that survives audits
Every issued drawing needs a revision letter, a change description, a date and an approver. Superseded revisions must be withdrawn from the floor, because the most expensive drawing in any factory is the obsolete one still pinned near a machine.
- Revision letter and date on every sheet
- Change description recorded in the revision block
- Named approver for each release
- Controlled withdrawal of superseded prints
The handover pack
A complete pack contains native CAD, neutral STEP files, production drawings, bill of materials, an inspection plan and assembly notes. If any element is missing, the knowledge is still in someone's head — and that person eventually retires.
FAQs
Questions this guide gets asked.
Which GD&T standard should we follow?
ISO 1101 is standard in India and Europe; ASME Y14.5 where you supply US customers. Pick one and apply it consistently.
Do we need native files from a vendor?
Always. Without editable source you pay for a full remodel at the first revision.
How long should drawings be retained?
For the product lifetime plus any statutory liability period, typically a minimum of ten years.
More resources
Related guides and checklists.
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