BSI British Standards launches drawing practice guide to help students survive in the real world

BSI British Standards has launched PP 8888-1, A guide for schools and colleges to BS 8888:2006, Technical Product Specification. This guide highlights the relationship between the process of quality management of products designed and manufactured in the classroom, and good industrial practice. By raising students’ awareness of these links, they will be better prepared to participate in the rapidly changing technologies of today’s world.

The guide explains how to ensure that design concepts conform to current international technical drawing practices through the use of general principles, indications of dimensions and the employment of technical product documentation and specifications as specified in BS 8888:2006. This demonstration of effective communication tools between designers, manufacturers and quality managers will help prepare students for the real world of commerce and provide relevance to their everyday studies.

This Guide to BS 8888 includes sections on all the main areas contained in current syllabi, such as orthographic layouts, dimensioning, sectioning, assembled views, exploded views and part lists. All examples are taken from BS 8888:2006.

What does PP 8888-1 contain?

· Design brief; function; specifications
· Orthographic layouts
· Dimensioning and sectioning
· Assembled views, exploded views and parts lists
· An introduction to communicating product design
· Layout of drawing; line work; lettering; numerals; style
· Projection and presentation method
· Representing standard components
· Dimensioning of technical drawings
· Glossary

Phil Childs, Chairman of the BSI Technical Committee responsible for Technical Product Specifications, said, “PP 8888-1 provides an insight into the requirements of BS 8888 so that both students and teachers can understand the rudiments of technical drawing. It should help show why it is necessary to convey the Engineer’s intent in a consistent pictorial manner so that both the maker and verifier of the component can understand it.”