Drafting practice — Should modern CAD drafters possess a thorough working knowledge of industrial and engineering drawing standards (e.g., dimensioning, tolerancing, line types)?

Introduction / Context:
Engineering drawings are legal and technical documents that communicate requirements to manufacturing, quality, and service. Whether created by hand or with CAD, adherence to recognized standards ensures clarity, interoperability, and quality control across teams and suppliers.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Modern drafters primarily use CAD tools.
• Standards include dimensioning conventions, tolerancing systems, line types, symbols, and notes.
• Drawings are consumed by multidisciplinary stakeholders (design, manufacturing, QA).

Concept / Approach:
Standards (for example, dimension placement rules, fits and tolerances, surface texture symbols, and section conventions) provide a shared language. CAD automates geometry but does not replace the need to choose correct standards, tolerance schemes, and notation that make the drawing unambiguous and manufacturable.

Step-by-Step Solution:
1) Identify the requirement: comprehensive understanding of industrial drafting standards.2) Evaluate CAD reality: software enables but does not decide standards for you.3) Conclusion: a thorough understanding is required to produce valid, inspectable drawings.

Verification / Alternative check:
Review any manufacturing nonconformance root causes: many stem from ambiguous or incorrect specifications, which proper standards use could prevent.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Incorrect: Contrary to industry practice and quality requirements.
• Only necessary for manual drafting: Standards apply regardless of tool.
• Only necessary for aerospace drawings: All industries benefit from consistent standards.
• Optional if a template is used: Templates cannot capture every design nuance.

Common Pitfalls:
Overreliance on CAD defaults; inconsistent units; missing tolerances; misuse of datums; vague notes that cause manufacturing delays.

Final Answer:
Correct