Workshop drawings are essential for the shipbuilding construction phase. They provide clear visual instructions based on a detailed 3D model including part data. Creating effective workshop drawings involves selecting and organizing essential information to guide the construction process. This article outlines best practices and how MasterShip can support you in creating clear and efficient workshop drawings.
Did you know? Workshop drawings are often referred to as 'blueprints' due to the traditional use of cyanotype paper, which produced blue prints. While today we use digital methods, the term 'blueprint' still commonly refers to workshop drawings.
Making workshop drawings in MasterShip
This video provides an overview of making workshop drawings. Next to that, we have listed some of the best practices for making workshop drawings in the maritime industry.
- Start with a solid foundation: Before creating workshop drawings, ensure you have an approved and completed 3D assembly model. This serves as the basis for your drawings and helps prevent errors and rework. Use the SHIPCREATECONSTRUCTIONDRAWING command to generate an overview of sectional drawings in an array of Xrefs.
- Establish a clear drawing layout: Create workshop drawings on standardized paper sizes (A0, A1, or A2) to improve readability and consistency. A0 is commonly used and A1 and A2 are sometimes used for smaller vessels. Utilize MasterShip templates for a structured layout and to reduce errors. Layout templates can be found in the general settings folder, or the project folder.
Employ the AutoCAD command MVIEW in the 'paper space' to create views of the sectional drawings. In the 'model space', use the command SHIPLAYERSWORKDRAWINGLAYERS to help displaying only relevant layers, or turn on/off layers manually to improve clarity.
With the command VISUALSTYLES you can change the visual settings. For example defining the thickness and colors of the lines, and showing hidden lines as dashed.
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Add essential dimensions: Add dimensions directly to the 'model space' of sectional drawings. Not in the 'paper space'. This helps to stay flexible and easily adjust the layout of your workshop drawing if needed. Some other tips:
- Prioritize clarity by showing thickness direction for plates, girders, and other components.
- Place typical dimensions in the first typical frame and include non-typical dimensions for the primary construction in every other frame drawings.
- Align dimensions with frame lines or baselines and visually indicate plate thickness with an extra line segment.
- Include necessary details: Add details where required, referencing to a standardized detail list whenever possible to save time. For separate detail sections, specify in the main view where that detail belongs to. Also, ensure drawing consistency by including construction elements that cross the drawing plane (e.g. a girder passing a frame). You could do this by running the command SHIPSECTIONS in the original sectional drawing.
- Create clear part identification: Position part data blocks for plates and stiffeners using the SHIPCREATELEADER command. Maintain horizontal or vertical leader lines for a neat appearance. Connect leader lines for parts with the same ID and use small arcs to differentiate leaders when they cross.
- Complete drawing information: Fill in the drawing head block on every sheet, including draughtsman, scale, project, and version number. This information is essential for drawing management and communication.
Other considerations
Next to deploying good old fashioned paper workshop drawings, you could also deploy a digital 3D model as an interactive workshop drawing. The advantage is that the workshop could go paperless, and that drawing revisions are always up-to-date.
At MasterShip, we use the Workshop Assistant for this. We've written a blog post about this tool too.
Output and next steps
By adhering to these best practices, you will produce high-quality workshop drawings that effectively communicate design intent to the construction team.
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