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Conduct Drawing “Previews” rather than Reviews 
PDF of This Tip
What Is a Drawing Preview?
Nearly all companies require that a drawing review be conducted by the various disciplines that will use the drawing. To avoid unnecessary drawing activity and expensive changes to drawings and CAD models, drawing “previews” rather than “reviews” should be  held. Conducting a “review” is too late. Someone has already spent considerable time detailing the part drawing or file. Management should require that one or more drawing “previews” be held starting at the model stage prior to dimensioning and tolerancing the drawing or CAD file. A drawing preview involves bringing the team together to discuss critical parts and part features before any dimensions or tolerances are applied to the drawing. A preview gives the multi-functional drawing team the chance to make suggestions and changes regarding the part geometry, selection of datum features, dimensioning and tolerancing. Changes resulting from a “review” require modifying the model and the drawing causing added expense and increased total cycle time. A preview provides a way to get it right the first time. Changes are an integral part of the iterative design process, but they must occur upstream.
How a Drawing Preview Works.
You pull together the multi-functional design team which should include representatives from design, production, quality, suppliers and others as appropriate. Ideally the initial meeting should occur at the concept model phase before drawings have been detailed. With the help of a GD&T/Design Coach your Design Preview Team asks questions critical to the function, production and inspection of the parts in your assembly. Based on the answers supplied by your team, the GD&T/Design Coach explains the options found in the Standard and shows how to document the best approach on the drawing. Not only will your team get it right the first time, they will also be learning how to perform future drawing previews without the need of outside coaching. A few days of conducting a drawing preview early in the drawing cycle will save weeks or months of troubleshooting at start up.
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