Mechanical design drafting
The drafting profession has four major divisions or types of drafting; mechanical, electrical, architectural and civil. They each have several specializations related or within them.
Professionals in the mechanical drafting field translate the ideas, rough sketches, specifications, and calculations
of engineers and designers into 3D models and/or 2D working drawings, which are used in making an infinite number of products, including:
- medical devices - pacemakers, catheters, X-ray equipment, monitors
- consumer products - refrigerators, kitchen appliances, toys
- automotive industry - cars, trucks, engines, motorcycles, helmets
- aerospace industry - airplanes, jet engines, NASA
- industrial supplies - hydraulic cylinders, conveyor systems, motors
,
- computer equipment - disk drives, monitors, printers, computers
- machine design - design machines that make products such as sandpaper, video
and audio tape, or machines that test products such as computer chips
- tool design - plastic molding, casting, punch & die design
Drafting professionals help develop specifications which describe what materials and manufacturing processes are to be used to make these products.
They may also calculate the strength, reliability, and cost of materials.
To prepare drawings, they traditionally used instruments such as compasses,
dividers, protractors, triangles, and drafting machines. Those have been replaced by computers with Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) software.
Century uses the latest versions of AutoCAD, Inventor and Pro/Engineer Wildfire software.
Occupational outlook
Graduates entering industry as drafters and CAD technicians may earn salaries from $28,000 -$32,000 per year. They work in manufacturing firms, engineering companies,
and industries dealing with plastics, machinery, electrical equipment, fabricated metal products and transportation equipment. With experience, they become designers and senior designers. A few of the companies that have hired Century College students include:
- 3M
- Andersen Windows
- Army Corp. of Engineers
- Boeing (Seattle, WA)
- Caterpillar Global Paving
- Federal Cartridge
- Medtronic
- Reell Precision
- Scimed Life Systems (now part of Boston Scientific)
Contact
For more information about the program, contact Jeff Jahnke at
651-773-1730