2015-03-11

What is difference between design and drafting?

Design – It is conceptualization of an idea based on theory and actual practice or experience. 
Drafting – It is putting the conceptualized idea in paper which would be the basis or reference in its implementation. 

Design - It is the complete process of calculations and drawing.
Drafting - It means drawing. It is the part of design.

Design - It is knowledge base concept 
Drafting – It is art.

Design - It is a raw idea conceptualized through gathering of facts, ideas and research; a product of an initial study. 
Drafting – It is when putting such design into its detailed drawing/plan, complete with dimensions ready for implementation.

A designer is someone with subject matter knowledge and is experienced enough to make decisions influencing a design. 
A draftsman delineates a design without influencing that design.

Drafting is the visual representation of a Design.

Difference can be explained by just a simple example..
A rivet is required to join two plates for a particular load. so, now engineer will decide the diameter and material for the rivet, this is design....but a draftsman will draw this rivet for manufacturing.

Design is more of a process to create or evolve an idea to resolve a problem which involve - engineering principles or fundamentals, innovation, aesthetics, ergonomics, market research and many other things that may come depending on the domain. 

 It is a technique to present your ideas - it be just 2D Drafting or 3D drafting or simple hand sketching or a digital sketching. All these are just drafting techniques. 

Design includes sizing of an equipment, identifying the important components which form a part of the same, the material of construction (MOC) or the mechanical properties like tensile strength, hardness etc, wall thicknesses, need for any protective coating, type of auxiliary equipment needed, drive equipment ratings like motor kW, Gear Box ratings, size of shafting, pulleys, belts, bearings, protective equipment & instrumentation etc. The Designer may utilize necessary Programs for reducing the drudgery of manual calculations or avoid any mistakes which are likely while using Excel sheets. 

After the calculations are done, components & aux equipment are decided & sizes are fixed by the Designer, the draftsman draws these details with CAD (earlier it was done manually), so that the Designer's ideas are visually translated on the drawing The drawing generally shows Part Nos., Bill of Material, quantities, weights, MOC, welding / bolting / flange details etc so that any Engineer can interpret how the equipment is to be manufactured. The drawing also shows the mounting details of the equipment & the drive for the knowledge of the Civil Engineer drive details for the Electrical Engineer & Instrumentation mountings for the knowledge of C & I Engineer.