MEL110 Graphic Science

Dimensioning

Dr. R. Ribeiro, Mechanical Engg. Dept. IITD

 Dimensioning
BIS (Board of Indian Standards SP 46: 2003) defines dimension as a
numerical value expressed in appropriate units of measurement and
indicated graphically on technical drawings with lines, symbols and
notes.
Units of Measurement: The most commonly used unit for length is the
millimetre. In civil engineering and architectural drawing, inch or foot is
often used as a unit of length. Angles are shown in degrees.
Symbols are incorporated to indicate specific geometry wherever
necessary.
Notes are provided to give specification of a particular feature or to
give specific information necessary during the manufacturing of the
object.
 Example on drawing sheet
No dimension unit to be mentioned on the drawing
At the bottom sheet mention “All dimensions in ……”

DRAWING SHEET

50

MENTION UNIVERSAL DIMENSION

HERE
TITLE BLOCK

All dimensions are in mm

 Dimensioning
Providing information on a drawing about
 Distances (size or functional dimensions)
 Sizes and positions (location or datum dimensions) of holes,
grooves and other features.
 Details relating to manufacture etc.
Manufacturing detail
Location
Roughness 0.5
15

Location 15
30 Size,
functional

Hole f15 Size specification, f – symbol for

diameter
 Different lines in dimensioning
• Oultline - Forms the shape of the object in a view (drawn dark
and continuous)
• Extension line – An extension of an outline or centerline
(drawn light and continuous, used to indicate the entity being
dimensioned)
• Dimension line – Thin continuous line terminated by
arrowheads touching the outlines, extension lines or center
lines (used to specify end points of a dimension)
Dimension line Dimension Extension
50 line

Outline
 Leader lines and notes
Leader (or pointer) line – Thin continuous line connecting a note or dimension
figure with the feature to which it applies. One end of the leader terminates in an
arrowhead or dot.
The arrowhead touches the outline while the dot is placed within the object or on
the outline
The other end of a leader is terminated in a horizontal line underlining the note

Roughness 0.5
Leader line
Material: mild steel

Leader line Hole f15 Note

 Rules for leader lines
 A leader line is never drawn horizontal, vertical or curved
 It is drawn at an angle not less than 30o to the line that it touches
 When pointing to a circle or arc, it is drawn radially

Material: mild steel

Roughness 0.5
Leader line
> 30o

Hole f15 Note

 Arrowheads and dimension line positioning
• A dimension line is placed at least 6-8 mm away from an outline and from each
other
• An extension line extends ~3mm beyond a dimension line
• Arrowhead – Placed at each end of a dimension line, its pointed end touches an
outline, extension line or a centerline. It is also placed at the end of a leader line
45o

Open Closed Closed and Oblique

w
filled stroke
Size of the arrowhead should be
proportional to the length of the
3w dimension line

~6-8mm
~3mm 50
Arrowhead
 Systems of Dimensioning

Aligned System
In the aligned system, dimensions are aligned with the entity being
measured. They are placed perpendicular to the dimension line such that
they may be read from the bottom or right-hand side of the drawing
sheet. Dimensions are placed at the middle and on top of the dimension
lines.

Unidirectional System
In the unidirectional system, dimensions are placed in such a way that
they can be read from the bottom edge of the drawing sheet. Dimensions
are inserted by breaking the dimension lines at the middle.
 Dimensioning systems

Aligned system Unidirectional system

(readable from bottom and (visible from bottom edge)
right edge of sheet)
 Dimensioning elements
A line on the drawing whose length is to be shown is called an object line. The
object line is essentially an outline representing the feature(s) of the object.
While showing an angle, the two lines forming the angle will be the object lines.
Dimensioning is often done by a set of elements, which includes extension lines,
dimension lines, leader lines, arrowheads and dimensions. These are shown in
the figure below.
 Placing of dimension

Within extension Outside extension With leader

lines lines

7o
 Chain (continuous) dimensioning
All the dimensions are aligned in such a way that an arrowhead of one
dimension touches tip-to-tip the arrowhead of the adjacent dimension. The
overall dimension is placed outside the other smaller dimensions
 Parallel (progressive) dimensioning
All the dimensions are shown from a common reference line. Obviously, all these
dimensions share a common extension line. This method is adopted when
dimensions have to be established from a particular datum surface

Smaller dimensions should always be placed nearer the view. The next smaller
dimension should be placed next and so on.
 Combined dimensioning
When both the methods, i.e., chain dimensioning and parallel
dimensioning are used on the same drawing, the method of
dimensioning is called combined dimensioning

15
 Circular holes
A hole is usually dimensioned by giving its diameter instead of radius. The dimension
indicating a diameter should always be preceded by the symbol ø
They should be dimensioned in the view in which they appear as circles

f40
 Cylindrical dimensions
 Cylindrical features should be dimensioned by giving their diameters.
 They should be dimensioned in the views in which they appear as rectangles.
CYLINDER – OUTER DIMENSION IS ALSO
CIRCULAR. CAN BE HOLLOW OR SOLID
 Number of holes with same size

 When more than one hole of the same size forms a pattern, it is not
necessary to dimension each one
 One hole is dimensioned and a note specifies the total number of holes
with that dimension

3 x f20
(or 3 HOLES, f20)
 Dimensioning arcs
An arc is usually dimensioned by giving its radius. The
dimension indicating radius should be preceded by symbol
R
The R can be placed after the dimension also
The position of center of arc is denoted by a
 19
FOR T.V.

ORTHOGRAPHIC PROJECTIONS

f30

FV 40

X O 10 Y

100
10 10
10
25

TV
25 O
30 R
f 20
PICTORIAL PRESENTATION IS GIVEN
DRAW FV AND TV OF THIS OBJECT
BY FIRST ANGLE PROJECTION METHOD
AND DIMENSION USING THE UNIDIRECTIONAL
METHOD
 Spherical features
Spherical features may be dimensioned by giving either the
radius or diameter of a sphere.
The symbols SR or Sø must precede the dimension for
radius or diameter respectively.
 Dimensioning of squares
Square features (e.g., a rod of square cross-section) are
dimensioned using symbol or SQ as shown in (i) or (ii)
 17

ORTHOGRAPHIC PROJECTIONS

FRONT VIEW L.H.SIDE VIEW

SQ30
40 20

50
10

20
X Y
30
O
75
60
F.V. S.V.

PICTORIAL PRESENTATION IS GIVEN

DRAW FV AND SV OF THIS OBJECT
BY FIRST ANGLE PROJECTION METHOD AND
DIMENSION THE VIEWS USING THE ALIGNED SYSTEM
 Dimensioning conical features
f40

Giving 2 diameters and the Giving 1 of the diameters,

perpendicular distance length of taper and taper angle
Giving 1 diameter, distance
between them
between end faces and the
taper (slope) using the conical
taper symbol
 Dimensioning of flat tapered features

Giving the height of one side, Giving the height of one side,
distance between flat ends and length of taper and slope of the
taper (slope) using a flat taper tapered face
symbol
 Dimensioning of threads
1. External metric threads are dimensioned by giving the threaded length and
nominal diameter preceded by symbol ‘M ’ (Fig. a)
2. Internal metric threads are dimensioned by giving the threaded length, depth
of drilled hole before threading and nominal diameter preceded by symbol
‘M’ (Fig. b)
 General rules of dimensioning
1. Between any two extension lines, there must be one and only one dimension
line bearing one dimension. One of the extension lines may be common to
another dimension as in parallel dimensioning.
2. As far as possible, all the dimensions should be placed outside the views.
Inside dimensions are preferred only if they are clearer and more easily
readable.
3. All the dimensions on a drawing must be shown using either Aligned System
or Unidirectional System. The two systems should not be mixed on the same
drawing.
4. The same unit of length should be used for all the dimensions on a drawing.
The unit should not be written after each dimension, but a note mentioning
the unit should be placed below the drawing.
5. Dimension lines should not cross each other. Dimension lines should also
not cross any other lines of the object.
6. All dimensions must be given.
7. Each dimension should be given only once. No dimension should be
redundant.
Dimensioning, correct vs. wrong

25
Symbols and abbreviations used in Engg.
drawing
Draw 3 orthographic views in 3rd. Angle and dimension them using
UNIDIRECTIONAL system
22
TOP VIEW

f32 24

38 57
LEFT SIDE VIEW f12, 16 DEEP R22

36

19 6
38

22 24 22 30
FRONT VIEW
Draw Front and R. S. views in IIIrd. angle with
dimensions in ALIGNED system
Complete TV and
dimension it for HW
 Draw Front and R. S. views in IIIrd. angle with
dimensions in ALIGNED system
Complete TV and
Project tangent
dimension it for HW
19 point in other
view
f15
f9

26

f18

f28
35
 ORTHOGRAPHIC PROJECTIONS
PICTORIAL PRESENTATION IS GIVEN
20 f
DRAW FV AND TV OF THIS OBJECT
BY FIRST ANGLE PROJECTION METHOD
30
FOR T.V.
Dimension using FV
UNIDIRECTIONAL RECT.
SLOT
system
50
35

10
X Y
10
30 f
60 f

TV
 ORTHOGRAPHIC PROJECTIONS
10

15
25

25
40 10

25

25

O O 80 25

F.V. S.V.

Dimension using
PICTORIAL PRESENTATION IS GIVEN UNIDIRECTIONAL
DRAW FV AND SV OF THIS OBJECT
system
BY FIRST ANGLE PROJECTION METHOD