CAD Drafting to AS 1100 for Mechanical Engineering Drawings

Send us a sketch, a photo or an old drawing, and we turn it into a clear CAD drawing you can build from. Drafting Central is an Australian owned and operated mechanical engineering and drafting business based in South East Queensland, with more than 35 years of mechanical engineering and drafting experience.

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What AS 1100 is

AS 1100 is the Australian Standard series for technical drawing. Two parts matter most for mechanical work:

  • AS 1100.101, Technical drawing: General principles, which covers the basic rules for how a drawing is laid out and presented.
  • AS 1100.201, Technical drawing: Mechanical engineering drawing, which covers practice for mechanical engineering drawings.

Both parts are the 1992 editions. Standards change, so always check the current status on the Standards Australia website before you rely on a clause.

What we draw

  • Workshop and fabrication drawings
  • Sales and assembly drawings
  • 3D models, and 3D PDF where it is part of the job
  • Product manuals
  • Drawings made from sketches, phone photos, old paper drawings or existing parts (reverse engineering and 3D scanning)

See all of our mechanical drafting and 3D modelling work.

Dimensioning to AS 1100

Dimensions are what the workshop builds from, so this is where a drawing has to be clearest. When we dimension a drawing we follow AS 1100.101 (section 8, dimensioning) and AS 1100.201 for mechanical work. In practice that means:

  • The units are stated, for example “DIMENSIONS IN MILLIMETRES”.
  • Diameter (Ø) and radius (R) symbols go in front of the dimension.
  • Dimensions and notes read from the bottom or the right-hand side of the sheet.
  • Tolerances are given: a general tolerance note, or a tolerance on each dimension that needs one, with the tolerance figures the same height as the dimension.
  • Notes are clearly either general (for the whole drawing) or local (for one feature).
  • Screw threads are specified to the thread standard, and “DO NOT SCALE” is shown.

Clause numbers are from the 1992 editions, so check the current edition before you rely on one. Our free Drawing Check List under AS 1100 gives the clause for each of these points.

Files you can send us

Photos and phone pictures, PDF, DWG, DXF, STEP and STP, IGES, Autodesk Inventor, Solid Edge, and ZIP files. A sketch is enough to start. You get back checked PDF drawings, and 3D PDF or other formats when the job needs them.

How it works

  1. Upload your job, online or with the quote form. A phone photo is fine.
  2. We confirm and quote. You get a reply by email, usually within one business day.
  3. Check and approve online. Mark up your drawing on screen and send corrections, or approve it.
  4. Download your approved drawing. It is kept private to you.

A free AS 1100 check list

Use our free Drawing Check List under AS 1100 to see the main requirements one by one: title block, projection, scale, parts list, tolerances and more, with the clause for each.

Questions we get asked

Do my drawings have to follow AS 1100?

Not by law in every case, but many Australian clients, fabricators and workshops expect drawings that follow it, because everyone then reads the drawing the same way. If you are not sure what your project needs, ask us when you get your quote.

Which parts of AS 1100 do mechanical drawings use?

Most mechanical work follows AS 1100.101 (general principles) and AS 1100.201 (mechanical engineering drawing). Other parts cover architectural, survey and structural drawings.

What do I need to send?

A sketch, photo, PDF or CAD file is enough to start. The more you can tell us (dimensions, materials, quantities, what it is for), the quicker and more accurate the quote.

Can you work from my existing CAD file?

Yes. We work from DWG, DXF, STEP, IGES, Autodesk Inventor, Solid Edge and more.

How long does a quote take?

You get a reply by email, usually within one business day.

How do I dimension a drawing to AS 1100?

Show the units (for example “DIMENSIONS IN MILLIMETRES”), put the diameter and radius symbols in front of the dimension, keep dimensions readable from the bottom or right-hand side of the sheet, and give either a general tolerance note or a tolerance on each dimension that needs one. The details are in AS 1100.101 section 8 and AS 1100.201 section 2. Our free check list shows each point with its clause.

Upload your job or get a quote