Topic: company standrards checking proceedure

[hyposmurf]

What company standrards checking proceedure do the drawings at your work go through?Does each individual check their own,or does the CAD manager also check every drawing that goes out?Batch standards checker?Custom programs that set standards

[Dinosaur]

A sad and sordid tale this is . . .

Our shop consists of a designer (myself), a dyslexic tracer who at least tries hard, a retreaded survey helper with less than a month exposure to AutoCAD under his belt and an engineer that screws up every drawing he works with and saves.  The basic instruction for from the boss is for everybody to make their drawing "look like Dinosaur drew it."  There is nothing written down for anyone to go by, only finished examples to look at and there is zero desire on the boss's part to make thing any more formal than they currently are, after all "it is just drafting".  To make matters worse, we have been in crisis management mode and there is little time for design compliance and no time at all to worry about QC until after the fact which hopefully gets done during the next round of comments.

[jonesy]

What company standrards checking proceedure do the drawings at your work go through?Does each individual check their own,or does the CAD manager also check every drawing that goes out?Batch standards checker?Custom programs that set standards

At our company each person is responsible for checking their own work, however saying that, it is my job as CAD manager to do random audits on files and schemes. Also team leaders can ask for an audit to be done before the drawings get issued.

I check layers, bylayer  hatches dimensions etc. I also offer advice on the presentation of the drawing. If rubbish gets sent out, you can guarantee rubbish will come back. I do not check the technical content, that is the job of the engineer, and that gets done before I check.

I am hoping to get the check standards thingy set up in the not too distant future.

[Bob Garner]

This is a lil off topic but I like to bring home a set of prints.  Then I string a bunch of closelines in my garage and hang up the drawings like laundry.  Then I casually walk amongst the drawing "laundry" and study how are the details are referenced to different sheets, etc. and if anything seems to be missing.  This gives a good overall of the entire drawing set.  Then the drawings come down for a detail check of EVERY little detail for "correctness".  I'm somewhat anal and I'll do this on my own time if I have to.  I HATE it when I make mistakes and this helps.

[Dent Cermak]

I check my work as I go along. Then I turn it over to the Drafting Supervisor (the one with ONE SEMESTER of formal drafting training.) She then "checks" it. Then the Project Manager checks it and seals it.
Hey Bob!! Tried you system. Thiught I'd modernize it a bit and use the clothes dryer instead of the line. Summitch caught on fire. 

[hyposmurf]

I mark my work off as Im going and then do a check plot,then mark everything off again for my last check,then engineer checks it.Standards its assumed we all know,they dont really get checked unless an engineer comments that they dont look correct.

[jonesy]

Standards its assumed we all know....

Ooh, dangerous. Drawings here look OK, but the things some try to get away with :realmad:

[hyposmurf]

Dangerous I know but not my call.Only been here just over half a year dont want to rock the boat.

[MickD]

What company standrards checking proceedure do the drawings at your work go through?Does each individual check their own,or does the CAD manager also check every drawing that goes out?Batch standards checker?Custom programs that set standards

Here and in another company I worked for before I started my own we had a simple and accurate checking procedure which is probably a bit detailed for some disciplines but the basics could be used in the same way. We use this method for checking structural steel detail (workshop) drawings.

1. Drawing (or set of drawings) ready and issued for checking, drawing comes with A3 copies of all reference drawings which are marked as such and given to another person for checking. These ref. drawings would have relevant details highlighted with a pink highlighter to aid the checker to locate info. When drafting we try to include as many 'relevant' reference dimensions that are exactly the same as on the ref. drawings, these are quick to see and check against the reference drawings. Designing in round numbers (ie. 500 instead of 467) makes checking a lot easier, we also try to rationalise details as much as possible so we produce less drawings therefore less checking.
Ideally you would have a dedicated checker but that's not always possible.

2. The checker then checks every item on the drawing for correctness, if it is correct it is marked with a yellow highlighter, if it is wrong it's marked in red and the correct value or a brief note to describe why or what is wrong. The drawing is also checked for general layout and drafting standards as well.

3. The checker returns the drawing to the drafter and the mark ups are discussed and agreed upon (or revoked if the drafter has good reason) and the drafter makes the changes required. The drafter marks off the fixed mark ups in orange to indicate they have been done. If the drafter has to change any of the yellow (correct items) they also mark them in orange to alert the checker of the change. This is very important!

4 The drafter re-issues a new copy of the drawing along with the previously marked up copy to the checker who then marks off the orange marks (on the original) in blue if correct. He may also see other changes that are required and mark up the drg again to be corrected and the process will loop again.

This system is very fast and accurate, the initial check may take the longest but drawings a very easy to check when they are correct . The second check usually takes only minutes as the checker only has to check the previous red/orange mark ups as all the yellow markes were correct and don't require another look.

[Kerry]

Looks like Mick and I went to the same school.

I will add ..
The check print and back-check prints are kept and filed as part of a demonstrable QA system. It's not enough just to have a signature on the drawing or register.

[MickD]

Looks like Mick and I went to the same school.

I will add ..
The check print and back-check prints are kept and filed as part of a demonstrable QA system. It's not enough just to have a signature on the drawing or register.

Yes, we do the same here. We store a printed A3 copy in a sheet protector with the checked copies underneath the last revision in an A3 ring binder folder. If there are any slight changes that are not urgent, we just mark the latest revision in the folder so when it's revised it gets done. Then the latest rev. is put on top after checking etc. The latest revision is always on top but the history is there behind it as Kerry said, we use the same process for the client/incoming design drawings filing system.

[David Hall]

Looks like Mick and I went to the same school.

Ditto to that.  We also keep the entire history of redlines as one big set until the drawings get issued.

[hudster]

We are doing that on all projects, we keep a DWF record copy of any issued drawings on the server, print off an A3 copy for marking up/reference purposes.

[BREZI]

We keep dwf's, plt's or pdf's, depends what the client wants. but we try to stick to dwf's as they are smaller.

We keep all superseded dwg files in a superseded folder.

When drawings are being revised we place a big red stamp, saying "under revison - do not issue" and leave out the checked initials and date, until the drawing has been approved by checking engineer.

[MP]

We perform a very similar process on hard copies as Mich detailed, c/w color coding. For files residing on the system we use tools like this.