Engineering Drawing Abbreviations and Symbols - Wikipedia

12/21/2017 Engineering drawing abbreviations and symbols - Wikipedia
Abbreviation
Definition Description
or symbol
0-9
A
AC Commonly used when measuring the corners of a hex drive, such as a hex
across corners
nut.
AF Commonly used when measuring the flat surfaces of a hex drive, such as a
across flats
hex nut.
A dimension that establishes a distance away from the finished floor.
AFF above finished floor Example would be the top of a coffee table to the shag of the carpet, not
where the bottom of the tables feet dig in.
AISI The AISI acronym is commonly seen as a prefix to steel grades, for
American Iron and
example, "AISI 4140". The SAE steel grade system was formerly a joint
Steel Institute
AISI-SAE system.
Al or AL aluminium
ALY alloy
AMER American Referring to the United States
AMS Aerospace Material Standards in materials science and engineering maintained by SAE
Standards International and widely used in the aerospace manufacturing industries.
AN- A prefix for standard hardware (catalog hardware) ID numbers. Came from
the era of circa 1890s-1945, when the U.S. Army and Navy were leading the
way on product standardization for logistics improvement, yielding the
United States Military Standards system. Today industry and ISO also do a
Army-Navy
lot of this standardization specification, freeing the U.S. DOD and military to
do less of it (as explained at United States Military Standard > Origins and
evolution), although many MIL standards are still current. (See also MS- and
NAS.)
ANN anneal, annealed
ANSI American National
And the many standards that it issues, for example, ANSI Z87.1.
Standards Institute
APPROX[2] approximately
AQL The threshold of defectiveness that is allowable in a group of parts. It is

trivial to say that no one wants any error, and that everyone wants uniform
acceptable quality
perfection; but in the real world, it almost never happens. The intelligence
level
behind defining AQLs is in figuring out how much error is tolerable given the
costs that would be incurred by any efforts to further reduce its incidence.
AR An abbreviation used in parts lists (PLs, LMs, BoMs) in the quantity-per-
assembly field when a discrete count is not applicable. For example, in an
as required assembly with a bolted joint using four bolts, the PL quantity column will say
"4" for the bolt PN, "4" for the nut PN, and "AR" for the liquid threadlocker
that will be applied.
AS 1. Aerospace Standards, technical standards maintained by SAE
Aerospace Standards; International and widely used in the aerospace manufacturing industries.
Australian Standards Standard aerospace hardware sometimes has the AS- prefix in the catalog
numbers. 2. Australian Standards, standards per Australian industry.
AS, APS, approved product When only certain companies are approved by the CDA to manufacture the
APV, AV, supplier, approved product (that is, to make what the drawing depicts/defines), they are called
APSL, AVL vendor, approved- by names such as "approved supplier", "approved product supplier",
product-supplier list, "approved vendor", or "approved product vendor". The list of such
approved-vendor list companies (which usually changes over time) is called an APSL, AVL, or
similar names. Vetting the companies on this list requires the CDA to audit
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engineering_drawing_abbreviations_and_symbols 2/17
(and possibly periodically re-audit) the companies, which incurs an

overhead expense for the CDA. Therefore, smaller companies will often cite
larger companies' lists in order to avoid the cost of duplicating the effort.
ASA American Standards
Former name for ANSI (1920s-1960s).
Association
ASME American Society of
And the many standards that it issues, for example, ASME Y14.5.
Mechanical Engineers
ASSY or ASY referring to an assembly of parts rather than just one (sub)part ("piece part",
assembly
"detail part").
ASTM Formerly the American
Society for Testing and Maintains technical standards, especially regarding materials science and
Materials; now ASTM engineering and metrology.
International
AVG average
AWG American Wire Gauge
B
BASIC A basic dimension is one that is the theoretical value without any tolerance
range. It does not serve as an acceptance criterion. It is thus similar in some
respects to a reference dimension. The reason why a basic dimension does
not carry a tolerance is that its actual value will fall (acceptably) wherever it
is put by other features' actual values, where the latter features are the ones
basic dimension with tolerances defined. A common and simple example is hole location: If a
hole's centerpoint location has a position tolerance, then the centerpoint's
coordinates do not need (and should not have) separate tolerances applied
to them. Thus they are instead given as basic dimensions. In modern
practice basic dimensions have a rectangular box around them, or
sometimes the word "BASIC".
BC or B.C. bolt circle
BHCS button head cap screw Like an SHCS but with a button head.
BHN Brinell hardness
number
BoM or BOM Also called a list of materials (LM or L/M). Overlaps a lot in concept with a
bill of materials parts list (PL or P/L). There is no consistently enforced distinction between
an L/M, a BoM, or a P/L.
BoP or BOP bought out part A part which is outsourced from an external supplier, or "bought out".
BP, B/P blueprint "per B/P" = "per drawing"
BRZ bronze
BSC basic dimension See basic dimension info above.
C
CAD computer-aided
design, computer-
aided drafting;
cadmium [plating]
CAGE Commercial and A CAGE code is a unique identifier to label an entity (that is, a specific
Government Entity government agency or corporation at a specific site) that is a CDA, ODA, or
[code] MFR of the part defined by the drawing. One corporation can have many
CAGE codes, as can one government, because each division, department,
and site (campus) can have its own CAGE code. The same CAGE code can
change owners over the years. For example, a CAGE code that formerly
referred to a certain Martin Marietta site will now refer to Lockheed Martin at
that same site (although the buildings may have been replaced and the
signage may say different names).
C-C or C-TO- centre-to-centre; on
Defines centre-to-centre distance of two features, such as two holes.
C centres
CBN cubic boron nitride A material from which some cutter inserts are made.
CDA The CDA is the entity (whether it be a corporation, a unit of a national
military or ministry of defence, or another civilian government agency) that
currently has design authority over the part design (definition). It may be the
entity who first designed the part (that is, the ODA), but today it is also likely
to be a designated successor entity, owing to mergers and acquisitions
(M&A) activity (e.g., ODA company was bought by CDA company); contract
letting (e.g., an Army engineering department ODA turns over the design
activity to the prime contractor that makes most or all of the parts, turning
current design activity
that contractor into the new CDA); privatization (e.g., a government
privatizes the design and manufacture of materiel, and a state arsenal [state
armory] ODA transfers design authority to a private armory [defense
contractor] ODA); or patent licensing (e.g., a patent-holding inventor [ODA]
licenses one or several companies to manufacture products using his
intellectual property, in which case the "same" part could end up with
multiple design authorities, although they may not be considered the
official/nominal CDA).
CERT or cert certification For example, certification of metallurgical content and processes
CG centerless ground,
centerless grinding
Center mark Defines the center of a circle or partial circle.
CH chamfer
CHAM chamfer
CI cast iron No longer a commonly used abbreviation. Better to spell out for clarity.
CL or ℄ 1. Center line, the central axis of a feature. 2. Class, for example, "paint per
spec XYZ revision C type 1 class 2" may be abbreviated as "paint per spec
center line; class XYZ REV C TY 1 CL 2" or even in some cases "paint per spec XYZ-C-1-2".
(The latter practice is not uncommon but is cryptic for workers with minimal
training and experience. The first two options are better practice.)
CNC computer numerical
control
CR Radius of an arc or circle, with no flats or reversals. This strict version of
radius definition is specified in demanding applications when the form of the
radius must be controlled more strictly than "just falling within the
dimensional tolerance zone". It is poor engineering to specify a CR instead
controlled radius
of an R simply on the theory of enforcing good workmanship. CR is for
critical features whose performance truly requires near-perfect geometry.
Like most such characteristics, its presence increases the price of the part,
because it raises the costs of manufacturing and quality assurance.
CRES Largely synonymous with stainless steel, unless specific grades, specs, and
corrosion-resistant
distinctions are made on the drawing. Some people treat CRES as a subset
[steel]
of the stainless steels.
CRS cold rolled steel; on
Defines centre-to-centre distance of two features, such as two holes.
centres
C/T Correlation / Tracking
C'BORE or
CBORE or counterbore
CSK or countersink
CSINK or
CTN, ctn carton

D
depth, deep, down Defines the depth of a feature.
⌀[2] Diameter of a circle. In a feature control frame (FCF), the ⌀ symbol tells you
diameter that the tolerance zone for the geometric tolerance is cylindrical.
Abbreviations for "diameter" include ⌀, DIA, and D.
D Abbreviations for "diameter" include ⌀, DIA, and D. For delta usage, see for
diameter; delta
example "delta notes".
DIA[2] diameter Diameter of a circle. Abbreviations for "diameter" include ⌀, DIA, and D.
DIP ductile iron pipe

DIM dimension,
dimensioning
DO, do ditto Seen occasionally in older drawings instead of repeating a given dimension.
DOD, DoD [U.S.] Department of
See also MOD.
Defense
DPD digital product
A synonym of MBD.
definition
DWG, dwg drawing Referring to the engineering drawing
E
Drilled holes, and fasteners are commonly required to have a minimum
ED edge distance
edge distance (min ED).
EO, ECO, An order from the engineering department (to be followed by the production
ECN department or vendor) overriding/superseding a detail on the drawing, which
engineering order gets superseded with revised information. Also called by various other
names, such as engineering change order (ECO), engineering change
notice (ECN), drawing change notice (DCN), and so on. See also REV.
EQ For example, "⌀10 4X EQ SPACED ON BC" means "drill four holes of 10mm
equal, equally
diameter equally spaced around the bolt circle."
ERC electrical rule check
F
f An italic f (Latin small letter f) written on a line representing a surface was an
old way of indicating that the surface was to be machined rather than left in
the as-cast or as-forged state. The "f" came from "finish" in the sense of
"machine finish" as opposed to raw stock/casting/forging. Later the ASA
finish
convened upon a letter V (specifically a sans-serif V) touching the surface.
Soon this evolved into the "check mark" sign with accompanying number
that tells the reader a max roughness value (RMS, microinches or
micrometres) for the machined finish, to be measured with a profilometer.
FAO finish all over A note telling the manufacturer that all surfaces of the part are to be
machined (as opposed to leaving any surfaces as-cast or as-forged). Not an
obsolete usage, but not seen as commonly as it was decades ago; not least
because parts that once would have been spot-faced castings are now
likelier to be contoured from billet with CNC milling. But more importantly,
best engineering practice today, reflecting design for manufacturability and
avoidance of spurious cost drivers, is either to specify specific, quantifiable
requirements for surfaces with specific needs (such as RMS roughness

measurements in microinches or micrometres, plus any plating or painting
needs), or to leave finish out of the part definition (and thus at the
manufacturer's discretion) because it is not important to fit, function, or
criticality. This same spirit is behind the shift in military standards from
writing requirements about methods to writing them instead about
performance, with the method to reach that goal being up to the ingenuity of
the designer.
FCF The rectangular box (with several cells) that conveys geometric tolerances
in GD&T. It typically tells you what sort of geometric condition (e.g., parallel,
perpendicular, round, concentric), followed by what size (and maybe shape)
feature control frame the tolerance zone is, and finally which datums it relates to, the order of
gaging against them, and what material condition applies to them (LMC,
MMC, or RFS). A diameter symbol (⌀) tells you that the zone for the
geometric tolerance is cylindrical.
FD or F/D The [main] field of the drawing, as opposed to other areas of it, such as the
parts list (P/L), general notes (G/N), flagnotes (F/N or FL), title block (T/B),
rev block (R/B), bill of materials (B/M or BoM or BOM), or list of materials
field of the drawing (L/M). Rationales for drawing changes that are noted in the rev block often
use these abbreviations for brevity (e.g., "DIM 14.00 was 12.50; added
default TOL info to T/B; added leader lines to F/D; added alternate hardware
IDs to P/L; added alternate alloy to L/M").
FIM full indicator
See also TIR.
movement
FL A note that is called out in specific spots in the field of the drawing. It is
flag note, flagnote numbered with a stylized flag symbol surrounding the number. A general
note applies generally and is not called out with flags.
FL Floor Level Floor Level of an existing or proposed building or concrete pad
FN or F/N 1. Flagnote: A flagnote is a note that is called out in specific spots in the field
of the drawing. It is numbered with a stylized flag symbol surrounding the
number (or sometimes a delta symbol). A general note applies generally
flag note, flagnote; find
and is not called out with flags. 2. Find number: "FN" meaning "find number"
number
refers to the ordinal number that gives an ID tag to one of the constituents in
a parts list (list of materials, bill of materials). Thus "fasten using FN7" refers
to a fastener that is "find number" 7 in the list.
FoS A type of physical feature on a part. An FoS is a feature that can have size
associated with it, usually involving the opposition of two surfaces (e.g., the
two diametrically opposite sides of a hole wall; the two opposite walls of a
slot or flange). Features of size (FoSs) in reality always have actual sizes
feature of size and forms that differ from their theoretical size and form; the purpose of
tolerancing is to define whether the difference is acceptable or not. Thus
material condition (LMC, MMC, somewhere in between, or RFS) is
important in GD&T. ) A given geometric tolerance may be defined in relation
to a certain FoS datum being at LMC or at MMC.
FS far side The drawing notations "near side" and "far side" tell the reader which side of
the part a feature is on, in occasional contexts where that fact is not
communicated using the rules of projection alone. Contexts of usage are
rather limited. One example is hole locations; "3X AND 3X FAR SIDE"
defines symmetrical groups of 3 holes on both sides of a part (6 total),
without having to redefine equivalent hole center coordinates on two
separate views, one for each group. This is not only a convenience for the
designer but also a method of error prevention, because it provides a way to
avoid forking geometric definition that ideally should be kept unforked to
prevent discrepancies. For example, the groups defined above cannot
accidentally become asymmetrically discrepant in a future revision by the
revisor failing to revise both groups equally (because their definition is
unified in only one place). Another example is part marking locations. An
area for part identification marking can be circled on a top view but assigned
to either the top or bottom of the part simply with a "near side" or "far side"
notation—which obviates adding any otherwise-unneeded bottom view to

the field of the drawing.
FSCM Federal Stock/Supply
An older name for "CAGE code". Also NSCM (National Stock/Supply Code
Code for
for Manufacturers).
Manufacturers
FTG fitting
G
GCI gray cast iron
GD&T or geometric
A standardized language for defining and communicating dimensions and
GDT dimensioning and
tolerances.
tolerancing
GN or G/N Most engineering drawings have a notes list, which includes both general
general note(s)
notes and flag notes.
H
HBW hardness, Brinell, See Brinell scale. (The "W" comes from the element symbol for tungsten, W,
tungsten tip which comes from the German Wolfram.)
HHCS hex head cap screw
HRA hardness, Rockwell, A
See Rockwell scale.
scale
HRB hardness, Rockwell, B
See Rockwell scale.
scale
HRC hardness, Rockwell, C
See Rockwell scale.
scale
HRS hot rolled steel
HT TR heat treat, heat
treatment
H&T or H/T hardened and A form of heat treatment in which the metal is first hardened and then
or HT tempered tempered. Compare N&T.
I
A common need in engineering drawings is to instruct the user to do activity
X in accordance with technical standard Y. For example, "Weld all
subassemblies IAW AWS XYZ.123" means "Weld all subassemblies in
accordance with American Welding Society standard number XYZ.123" (the
number is hypothetical in this example). The word "per" is functionally
equivalent to "IAW" in such contexts; thus "rivet all sheet metal per MIL-
IAW in accordance with PRF-123456" or "[...] IAW MIL-PRF-123456". Part of the motivation behind
the choice of words "in accordance with" is that they do not allege that any
particular activity is explicitly specified by standard XYZ.123 (which "per"
could be interpreted as alleging, at least in connotation); rather, these words
merely instruct the user that whatever s/he does must not contradict the
standard in any way. But this is a subtle connotative distinction, and "per"
and "IAW" are denotatively equivalent.
ID inner diameter;
identity, identification
number
Drilled holes commonly have a required minimum edge distance, if the
Insufficient Edge
IED inspection finds that the edge distance is below minimum, then commonly
Distance
reported as having an IED condition.
ISO International And the many standards that it specifies, for example, ISO 10303
Organization for
Standardization
J
K
KEY Drawing callouts marked "KEY" define "key characteristics" that are
key considered especially important for fit, function, safety, or other reasons.
They are thus subjected to higher inspection sampling levels.
KPSI, kpsi kilopounds per square
inch, that is,
See discussion at synonym KSI.
thousands of pounds
per square inch
KSI, ksi KSI (or ksi), also abbreviated KPSI or kpsi, is a common non-SI
kilopounds per square measurement scale for ultimate tensile strength, that is, the number of units
inch, that is, of tensile force that a material can endure per unit of cross-sectional area
thousands of pounds before breaking. In the SI system, the unit is the pascal (Pa) (or a multiple
per square inch thereof, often megapascals (MPa), using the mega- prefix); or, equivalently
to pascals, newtons per square metre (N/m²).
L
LDD An implementation of model-based definition that still uses a 2D drawing,
Limited Dimension
but only containing critical information. All information missing from the
Drawing
drawing is to be pulled from a 3D model of the part or assembly.
LH Referring to handedness, such as the helix handedness of screw threads or
left-hand
the mirror-image handedness of a symmetrical pair of parts.
LM or L/M Also called a bill of materials (BoM, BOM). Overlaps a lot in concept with a
list of materials parts list (PL or P/L). There is no consistently enforced distinction between
an L/M, a BoM, or a P/L.
LMC A material condition in GD&T. Means that a feature of size (FoS) is at the
limit of its size tolerance in the direction that leaves the least material left on
the part. Thus an internal feature of size (e.g., a hole) at its biggest
least material
diameter, or an external feature of size (e.g., a flange) at its smallest
condition
thickness. The GD&T symbol for LMC is a circled L. (See also MMC and
RFS.) A given geometric tolerance may be defined in relation to a certain
FoS datum being at LMC or at MMC.
M
MACH machine; machined
MAJ major As in major diameter, or major characteristic (for sampling level)
MAX[2] maximum
MBD Definition of the part via a 3D CAD model rather than via a 2D engineering
model-based definition drawing. Drawings may be printed (plotted) from the model for reference
use, but the model remains the governing legal instrument.
MBP measurement threads, splines, gears (internal, female) (synonymous with MBW) (see also
between pins MOP, MOW)
MBW measurement
threads, splines, gears (internal, female) (see also MBP, MOP, MOW)
between wires
MF or M/F When one part number is made from another, it means to take part A and
make from machine some additional features into it, creating part B. The parts list or
L/M, in the "material" field, will say "M/F PN 12345".
MFD manufactured
MFG manufacturing
MFR manufacturer May be the same entity as the CDA or ODA, or may not be.
MIL- [U.S.] Military A prefix for the names of various United States Military Standards and
Specifications, for example, MIL-STD-*, MIL-SPEC-*, MIL-DTL-*, MIL-PRF-
*, MIL-A-*, MIL-C-*, MIL-S-*, MIL-STD-1913, MIL-STD-1397.
MIN[2] minimum; minutes;

minor
MMC A material condition in GD&T. Means that a feature of size (FoS) is at the
limit of its size tolerance in the direction that leaves the most material left on
the part. Thus an internal feature of size (e.g., a hole) at its smallest
maximum material
diameter, or an external feature of size (e.g., a flange) at its biggest
condition
thickness. The GD&T symbol for MMC is a circled M. (See also LMC and
RFS.) A given geometric tolerance may be defined in relation to a certain
FoS datum being at LMC or at MMC.
MOD, MoD Ministry of Defence
See also DOD.
[U.K. and others]
MOP, MoP measurement over threads, splines, gears (external, male) (synonymous with MOW,
pins measurement over wires)
MOW, MoW measurement over
threads, splines, gears (external, male) (see also MBW, MBP, MOP)
wires
MPa, MPA The common SI measurement scale for ultimate tensile strength (UTS), that
is, the number of units of tensile force that a material can endure per unit of
cross-sectional area before breaking. There is only one correct casing for
the symbol, cap-M-cap-P-small-a, which, like any SI unit of measurement
megapascals symbol, properly should be preserved even when surrounding text is styled
in all caps (which latter is a frequently employed tradition in engineering
drawing). But it is not uncommon to see "MPA" through carelessness. Users
are not confused regardless. In non-SI terms, the unit for UTS is the KSI (or
ksi), which see herein.
MRB A committee that reviews some nonconforming materials which are
material review board submitted as potentially still usable/saleable (if the nonconformance does
not hinder fit or function).
MS- Standards established by the U.S. military and widely used in the aerospace
[U.S.] Military manufacturing (military and civil) and other defense industries. Standard
Standard hardware sometimes uses the MS- prefix in the catalog numbers. (See also
AN- and NAS.)
N
NAS Standards maintained by SAE International and widely used in the
aerospace manufacturing industries. The "National" formerly implicitly
National Aerospace
referenced the USA, but today NAS and other standards are used globally.
Standards
Standard hardware for aerospace work sometimes uses the NAS- prefix in
the catalog numbers. (See also AN- and MS-.)
NC National Coarse; The [U.S.] National Coarse series of pre-1949 corresponds today to the
numerical control Unified National Coarse (UNC) of the Unified Thread Standard.
NCM This abbreviation is used in a machine shop when recording
nonconforming
nonconformances (out of tolerance, etc.). For example, "An NCM tag was
material(s)
tied to the scrap part."
NCR A report listing nonconformances (out of tolerance, etc.). Helps to analyze
nonconformance
system weaknesses (such as worn-out equipment, operators in need of
report
more training, or risky practices).
NEC not elsewhere In the sense of "not elsewhere classified", the abbreviation is well-known
classified; National within certain fields, but not others; to avoid confusion, spell out. The
Electrical Code National Electrical Code is a standard for electrical work.
NEF The [U.S.] National Extra Fine series of pre-1949 corresponds today to the
National Extra Fine
Unified National Extra Fine (UNEF) of the Unified Thread Standard.
NF National Fine The [U.S.] National Fine series of pre-1949 corresponds today to the Unified
National Fine (UNF) of the Unified Thread Standard.
NL or N/L A list of notes that appears somewhere on the drawing, often in the upper
notes list
left corner.
NOM[2] nominal
NORM or referring to normalization, a stress-relieving heat treatment. See also HT

normalized
NORMD TR.
NPS Naval Primary (Not to be confused with annotating strait pipe. This should be abbreviated
Standard[3] NPSM, NPSL or NPSH[4])
NPT National Pipe Taper A subset series of the Unified Thread Standard.
NS 1. National Special, a screw thread series; see Unified Thread Standard. An
extensible series, covering various special threads. 2. Near side: The
National Special; near drawing notations "near side" and "far side" tell the reader which side of the
side part a feature is on, in occasional contexts where that fact is not
communicated using the rules of projection alone. Contexts of usage are
rather limited. See "far side" for examples.
NSCM National Stock/Supply
An older name for "CAGE code". Also FSCM (Federal Stock/Supply Code
Code for
for Manufacturers).
Manufacturers
N&T or N/T normalized and A form of heat treatment in which the metal is first normalized (stress-
or NT tempered relieved) and then tempered. Compare H&T.
NTS not to scale See also Engineering drawing > Scale.
O
OAL overall length
OC That is, centre-to-centre; defines centre-to-centre distance of two features,
on center(s)
such as two holes.
OD outer diameter
ODA The entity that originally designed a part. Compare to CDA, the entity that
original design activity
currently has design authority over the part design (definition).
OHL This abbreviation is used in a machine shop when recording
over high limit nonconformances. For example, "part scrapped because ID is OHL." See
also ULL.
OPP opposite See Part number > Symmetrical parts for explanation.
ORIG original
P
pc, pcs piece, pieces
PD pitch diameter
PDM, PDMS product data
A database(s) and related application(s) that facilitate all aspects of
management, product
managing data files—e.g., TDPs, TDP versions, drawings, model datasets,
data manager [app],
specs, addenda, certs, memoranda, EOs, ECOs, DCNs, RFQs, quotes,
product data
POs, e-mails, faxes, photos, word processor documents, spreadsheets. See
management system
also PLM.
[app]
PH or P/H precipitation
hardening,
precipitation-
hardened; pilot hole
PHR BRZ phosphor bronze
PL or P/L A list, usually tabular and often on the drawing (if not accompanying the
drawing on a separate sheet), listing the parts needed in an assembly,
parts list
including subparts, standard parts, and hardware. There is no consistently
enforced distinction between an L/M, a BoM, or a P/L.
PLM product lifecycle
management; plant See also PDM.
lifecycle management
PN or P/N part number
POI A point that makes easier the layout, toolpath programming, or inspection of
the part. It is the intersection point of lines that may not meet on the finished
point of intersection part, such as the tangent lines of a curve or the theoretical sharp corner
(TSC) that edge-breaking and deburring will remove. See also SC, TSC,
and AC.
A fastening or mating between two parts which is achieved by friction after
P.F. press fit
the parts are pushed together.
PSI pounds per square
A unit of measurement for pressure. See also KSI.
inch
PTFE polytetrafluoroethylene Also well known by the brand name Teflon.
PVC polyvinyl chloride
Q
QMS A system in place to ensure that quality of manufacture is produced and
quality management
maintained; a system to prevent defective parts from being made, or, even if
system
made, from getting into finished inventories.
QTY or qty quantity
R
R Radius of an arc or circle. Flats and reversals (falling within the dimensional
radius tolerance zone) are tolerated unless "CR" (controlled radius) is explicitly
specified.
RA, Ra roughness, average;
See surface roughness; see Rockwell scale.
Rockwell A scale
RB, Rb Rockwell B scale See Rockwell scale.
RC, Rc Rockwell C scale See Rockwell scale.
REF or ( )[2] The dimension or note is given only for reference and thus is not to be used
as a part acceptance criterion (although it may be used as an aid to
production or inspection). The dimension may also be surrounded by
parentheses to signify a reference dimension. When a dimension is defined
reference in one view but also mentioned again in another view, it will be given as
reference in the second case. This rule prevents the mistake of defining it in
two different ways accidentally; the "main" (non-reference) mention is the
only one that counts as a feature definition and thus as a part acceptance
criterion. See also basic dimensions, which are similar in some respects.
REQD or For example, "4 REQD" written next to a fastener means that four of those
required
REQ'D fasteners are required for the assembly.
REV revision Engineering drawings and material or process specifications are often
revised; the usual revision control convention is to label the versions A, B,
C, D, etc.; a revision block (rev block) is a tabular area on the drawing
(typically in the upper right corner) that lists the revision letters, a brief
description of the changes and reasons, and approval initials and dates.
Revisions beyond "Z" start the alphabet over again with doubling, e.g., AA,
AB, AC, AD, and so on. In the days of manual drafting, redrawing was
expensive, so engineering orders (EOs, ECOs, DCNs, ECNs) were not
always incorporated into a next-letter revision. They thus accompany the

drawing as part of the TDP. With the dissemination of software usage (CAD,
CAM, PDMSs), revision control is often better handled nowadays, in
competent hands at least. In recent years the revision control of engineering
drawings has even been standardized by ASME, in their standard
Y14.35M.[5]
RFS A material condition (or more precisely, freedom from such) in GD&T.
regardless of feature
Means that a given geometric tolerance is true in relation to a certain datum
size
regardless of its actual size (LMC ≤ actual size ≤ MMC).
RH Referring to handedness, such as the helix handedness of screw threads or
right-hand
the mirror-image handedness of a symmetrical pair of parts.
RHR roughness height
See surface roughness.
reading
Reduced Level or
RL Surface Level
Relative Leve
RMA return material
See also RTV.
authorization
RMS RMS in general is a statistical technique to define a representative value for
a group of data points. With regard to surface roughness, it means that the
root mean square heights of the individual microscopic peaks and valleys shall be averaged
together via RMS to yield a measurement of roughness. See also herein f
as a finish mark.
RT or R/T Rough-turned means turned on a lathe but not finished to a final machined
rough turn, rough
dimension and surface roughness. Can apply to bar stock or to parts in-
turned; room
process. Room temperature is sometimes abbreviated "RT" within tables of
temperature
specs for finishing operations (plating, painting, etc.).
RTP The issuance of a drawing from the engineering/design activity to the
production activity. In other words, the event when a draft becomes a
release to production
completed, official document. A stamp on the drawing saying "ISSUED"
documents that RTP has occurred.
RTV room-temperature 1. RTV sealants, a way to seal joints. 2. Return to vendor, send parts back
vulcanizing; return to to a vendor for rework or refund because they are nonconforming. Such
vendor RTV often requires an RMA.
RZ, Rz roughness, mean
See surface roughness.
depth
S
SAE Formerly the Society
of Automotive And the many standards that it issues, for example, the SAE AMS and SAE
Engineers; now SAE AS standards series.
International
SC or S/C Dimensions may be given as "across sharp corners" although the corners
get radiused. In other words, distances may be given from intersection
sharp corners points where lines intersect, regardless of edge breaks or fillets. This is
usually implied by default, so "S/C" often need not be explicitly added. But in
some cases it clarifies the definition. See also TSC, POI, and AC.
SF or S/F spotface
SFACE or
spotface
S/FACE
SHCS socket head cap A cap screw with a socket head (usually implying a hex socket, driven with a
screw hex key.
SHN shown See Part number > Symmetrical parts for explanation.
SHSS socket head set screw A set screw with a socket head (usually implying a hex socket, driven with a
hex key.
SI Système international
[d'unités] [International The metric system in its current form (latest standards).
System of Units]
SN or S/N serial number
SOL ANN solution anneal,
solution annealed
SPEC or
specification
spec
SPHER ANN spheroidize anneal
SPOTFACE Spot facing
SR spherical radius Radius of a sphere or spherical segment.
SS or S/S 1. Stainless steel, see also CRES. 2. Supersede/supersedes/superseded,
stainless steel;
refers to when one document (specification, standard, drawing, etc.)
supersede
replaces (supersedes) another (see also revision control).
SST A somewhat unusual abbreviation; spell out for clarity. "SS" or "CRES" are
stainless steel
more likely to be recognized with certainty.
STD Standard
STEP Standard for the
A standard format defined by ISO 10303 for MBD data generation, storage,
Exchange of Product
and exchange.
Model Data
STA solution treated and
aged
STI screw thread insert
STL steel
STK stock A nominal dimension for the stock material, such as bar stock
T
TAP Tapped hole Usually implies drilling a hole if the hole does not already exist.
TB or T/B An area of the drawing, almost always at the bottom right, that contains the
title of the drawing and other key information. Typical fields in the title block
include the drawing title (usually the part name); drawing number (usually
the part number); names and/or ID numbers relating to who designed and/or
manufactures the part (which involves some complication because design
and manufacturing entities for a given part number often change over the
years due to mergers and acquisitions, contract letting, privatization, and the
buying and selling of intellectual property—see CDA and ODA); company
name (see previous comment); initials/signatures of the original draftsman
title block (as wells as the original checker and tracer in the days of manual drafting);
initials/signatures of approving managers (issuance/release-to-production
information); cross-references to other documents; default tolerancing
values for dimensions, geometry, and surface roughness; raw-material info
(if not given in a separate list/bill of materials); and access control
information (information about who is authorized to possess, view, or share
copies of the information encoded by the drawing, e.g., classification
notices, copyright notices, patent numbers). Drawing revision (versioning)
information is not always included in the title block because it often appears
in a separate revisions block.
TDP technical data The complete package of information that defines a part, of which the
package drawing itself is often only a subset. It also includes engineering orders
(drawing change notices), 3D model datasets, data tables, memoranda, and
any special conditions called out by the purchase order or the companies'
terms-and-conditions documents.
THD or thd thread
THK or thk thickness
THRU Optionally applied to a hole dimension to signify that the hole extends
through the workpiece. For example, THRU may be stated in a hole
Through
dimension if the hole's end condition is not clear from graphical
representation of the workpiece.[6]
THRU ALL Similar to THRU. Sometimes used on hole dimensions for clarity to denote
Through all that the hole extends through multiple open space features as it goes
through the whole workpiece.[7]
TIR total indicator reading; For measurements of eccentricity and other deviations from nominal
total indicated run-out geometry
TOL tolerance, tolerancing
TSC theoretical sharp
See discussion at SC and POI.
corner(s)
TY For an explanation of "type" abbreviated as "TY", see the example given at
type
"CL" meaning "class".
TYP[2] Other features share the same characteristic. For example, if the drawing
shows 8 holes on a bolt circle, and just one is dimensioned, with "TYP" or "
(TYP)" following the dimension label, it means that that hole is typical of all 8
holes; in other words, it means that the other 7 holes are that size also. The
latest revisions of Y14.5 deprecate "TYP" by itself in favor of the specifying
Typical
of a number of times, such as "2X" or "8X". This helps avoid any ambiguity
or uncertainty. TYP or Typical was describe in Mil-Std-8, the directing body
prior to adoption of the dimension tolerance interpretation Y14.5 series. Its
last revision was C in 1963, but can still be found in many older aircraft
drawings.
U
UAI use as-is One of the possible MRB dispositions. Others include scrap and rework.
ULL This abbreviation is used in a machine shop when recording
under low limit nonconformances. For example, "part scrapped because OD is ULL." See
also OHL.
UNC Unified National
A subset series of the Unified Thread Standard.
Coarse
UNEF Unified National Extra
A subset series of the Unified Thread Standard.
Fine
UNF Unified National Fine A subset series of the Unified Thread Standard.
UNJC A subset series of the Unified Thread Standard, with controlled root radius
Unified National "J"
and increased minor diameter. For applications requiring maximum fatigue
series Coarse
resistance amid chronic vibration (such as in aircraft).
UNJF A subset series of the Unified Thread Standard, with controlled root radius
Unified National "J"
and increased minor diameter. For applications requiring maximum fatigue
series Fine
resistance amid chronic vibration (such as in aircraft).
UNS Unified National Special is a subset series of the Unified Thread Standard. It
Unified National
is an extensible series, covering various special threads. The unified
Special; unified
numbering system is a vaguely named standard for naming alloys by
numbering system
principal element percentages.
UON unless otherwise A little-used (thus not well recognized) abbreviation. To avoid confusion,
noted spell out.
UOS unless otherwise A fairly well-known abbreviation, but to avoid confusion, spell out.
specified
USASI United States of
America Standards Former name for ANSI (1966–1969).
Institute
USS U.S. Standard threads became the National series (e.g., NC, NF, NEF),
United States which became the Unified National series (e.g., UNC, UNF, UNEF); see
Standard; United Unified Thread Standard. As for U.S. Steel, it was once the largest steel
States Steel company on earth, often an approved supplier, and not infrequently a sole
source; hence its mention on drawings.
UTS ultimate tensile
strength; Unified
Thread Standard
V
v A letter v (Latin small letter v) written on a line representing a surface is a
way to indicate that the surface is to be machined rather than left in the as-
cast or as-forged state. The older symbol for this was a small script (italic) f
(see herein f). Later the ASA convened upon a letter V (specifically a sans-
finish
serif V) touching the surface. Soon this evolved into the "check mark" sign
with accompanying number that tells the reader a max roughness value
(RMS, microinches or micrometres) for the machined finish, to be measured
with a profilometer.
W
WC The "W" comes from the element symbol for tungsten, W, which comes from
tungsten carbide
the German Wolfram.
WI Both the material and the abbreviation are obsolete, or nearly so. Spell out
wrought iron
the words if this material is to be mentioned at all in modern drawings.
W/I, w/i within A little-used abbreviation. Better to spell out for clarity.
W/O, w/o without Better to spell out for clarity.
X
_X_ used to indicate the When the letter X is preceded by a space, this means "by". For example, a
word “by” chamfer may be called out as 12 X 45°
X[2] or ( ) When a dimension is used in multiple places either of these prefixes can be
added to the dimension to define how many times this dimension is used.
This example signifies eight places. There should be no whitespace
between the numeral and the letter X. (Note on character encoding:
number of places—for
Although in typography (including Unicode) the letter X and the
example, 8X or (8)
multiplication sign (×) are distinct characters with differing glyphs, it is a
longstanding tradition in engineering drawing that the letter X is
interchangeable with the multi sign, unless otherwise specified by the CAx
systems used.)
Y
Y14.X Calls out the drawing standard that this drawing is following. For example,
— ASME Y14.5 and Y14.100 are commonly used standards that define all of
the symbols and drafting conventions used.
YS yield strength
Z
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12/21/2017 Engineering drawing abbreviations and symbols - Wikipedia

AQL The threshold of defectiveness that is allowable in a group of parts. It is

(and possibly periodically re-audit) the companies, which incurs an

Center mark Defines the center of a circle or partial circle.

CTN, ctn carton

depth, deep, down Defines the depth of a feature.

DIP ductile iron pipe

requirements for surfaces with specific needs (such as RMS roughness

notation—which obviates adding any otherwise-unneeded bottom view to

MIN[2] minimum; minutes;

NORM or referring to normalization, a stress-relieving heat treatment. See also HT

always incorporated into a next-letter revision. They thus accompany the

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