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Mechanical Drafters

Prepare detailed working diagrams of machinery and mechanical devices, including dimensions, fastening methods, and other engineering information.
Related: Architectural & Civil Drafters  Commercial & Industrial Designers  Electrical & Electronics Drafters  Layout Workers, Metal & Plastic  Mechanical Engineering Technologists & Technicians 
Industries: Manufacturing  Professional, Science, & Technical  Construction 

  • Summary

  • Details

    • Work Activities

    • Produce three-dimensional models, using computer-aided design (CAD) software.
    • Shade or color drawings to clarify and emphasize details and dimensions or eliminate background, using ink, crayon, airbrush, and overlays.
    • Modify and revise designs to correct operating deficiencies or to reduce production problems.
    • Check dimensions of materials to be used and assign numbers to the materials.
    • Lay out, draw, and reproduce illustrations for reference manuals and technical publications to describe operation and maintenance of mechanical systems.
    • Position instructions and comments onto drawings.
    • Review and analyze specifications, sketches, drawings, ideas, and related data to assess factors affecting component designs and the procedures and instructions to be followed.
    • Design scale or full-size blueprints of specialty items, such as furniture and automobile body or chassis components.
    • Coordinate with and consult other workers to design, lay out, or detail components and systems and to resolve design or other problems.
    • Lay out and draw schematic, orthographic, or angle views to depict functional relationships of components, assemblies, systems, and machines.
    • Compute mathematical formulas to develop and design detailed specifications for components or machinery, using computer-assisted equipment.
    • Draw freehand sketches of designs, trace finished drawings onto designated paper for the reproduction of blueprints, and reproduce working drawings on copy machines.
    • Supervise and train other drafters, technologists, and technicians.
    • Develop detailed design drawings and specifications for mechanical equipment, dies, tools, and controls, using computer-assisted drafting (CAD) equipment.
    • Confer with customer representatives to review schematics and answer questions pertaining to installation of systems.

    Skills

    • Management of Material Resources
      • Managing equipment and materials.
    • Social Perceptiveness
      • Understanding people's reactions.
    • Operations Monitoring
      • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
    • Science
      • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
    • Operation and Control
      • Using equipment or systems.
    • Persuasion
      • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
    • Management of Financial Resources
      • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
    • Writing
      • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
    • Time Management
      • Managing your time and the time of other people.
    • Installation
      • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
    • Programming
      • Writing computer programs.
    • Service Orientation
      • Looking for ways to help people.
    • Technology Design
      • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
    • Learning Strategies
      • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
    • Quality Control Analysis
      • Testing how well a product or service works.
    • Negotiation
      • Bringing people together to solve differences.
    • Reading Comprehension
      • Reading work-related information.
    • Management of Personnel Resources
      • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
    • Coordination
      • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
    • Systems Analysis
      • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
    • Instructing
      • Teaching people how to do something.
    • Equipment Selection
      • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
    • Complex Problem Solving
      • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
    • Active Listening
      • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
    • Monitoring
      • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
    • Judgment and Decision Making
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
    • Mathematics
      • Using math to solve problems.
    • Speaking
      • Talking to others.
    • Operations Analysis
      • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
    • Troubleshooting
      • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
    • Repairing
      • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
    • Systems Evaluation
      • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
    • Equipment Maintenance
      • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
    • Critical Thinking
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
    • Active Learning
      • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

    Abilities

    • Time Sharing
      • Doing two or more things at the same time.
    • Written Expression
      • Communicating by writing.
    • Multilimb Coordination
      • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
    • Manual Dexterity
      • Holding or moving items with your hands.
    • Speech Recognition
      • Recognizing spoken words.
    • Gross Body Equilibrium
      • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
    • Trunk Strength
      • Using your lower back and stomach.
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
      • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
    • Wrist-Finger Speed
      • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
    • Glare Sensitivity
      • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
    • Written Comprehension
      • Reading and understanding what is written.
    • Oral Expression
      • Communicating by speaking.
    • Speed of Closure
      • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
    • Finger Dexterity
      • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
    • Extent Flexibility
      • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Dynamic Flexibility
      • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Gross Body Coordination
      • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
    • Stamina
      • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
    • Far Vision
      • Seeing details that are far away.
    • Perceptual Speed
      • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
    • Selective Attention
      • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
    • Number Facility
      • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
    • Near Vision
      • Seeing details up close.
    • Sound Localization
      • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
    • Problem Sensitivity
      • Noticing when problems happen.
    • Deductive Reasoning
      • Using rules to solve problems.
    • Inductive Reasoning
      • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
    • Night Vision
      • Seeing at night or under low light.
    • Explosive Strength
      • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
    • Spatial Orientation
      • Knowing where things are around you.
    • Visualization
      • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
    • Hearing Sensitivity
      • Telling the difference between sounds.
    • Visual Color Discrimination
      • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
    • Speech Clarity
      • Speaking clearly.
    • Peripheral Vision
      • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
    • Originality
      • Creating new and original ideas.
    • Information Ordering
      • Ordering or arranging things.
    • Speed of Limb Movement
      • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
    • Dynamic Strength
      • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
    • Oral Comprehension
      • Listening and understanding what people say.
    • Control Precision
      • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
    • Reaction Time
      • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
    • Auditory Attention
      • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
    • Static Strength
      • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
    • Mathematical Reasoning
      • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
    • Memorization
      • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
    • Fluency of Ideas
      • Coming up with lots of ideas.
    • Depth Perception
      • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
    • Category Flexibility
      • Grouping things in different ways.
    • Flexibility of Closure
      • Seeing hidden patterns.
    • Rate Control
      • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
    • Response Orientation
      • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.

    Knowledge

    • Philosophy and Theology
      • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
    • Physics
      • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
    • Geography
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
    • Food Production
      • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
    • Administration and Management
      • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
    • Sales and Marketing
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
    • Communications and Media
      • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
    • Chemistry
      • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
    • Biology
      • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
    • Education and Training
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
    • Computers and Electronics
      • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
    • Mathematics
      • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
    • Personnel and Human Resources
      • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
    • Fine Arts
      • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
    • Therapy and Counseling
      • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
    • Transportation
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
    • Production and Processing
      • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
    • Engineering and Technology
      • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
    • Design
      • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
    • Building and Construction
      • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
    • Psychology
      • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
    • Medicine and Dentistry
      • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
    • Customer and Personal Service
      • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
    • Sociology and Anthropology
      • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
    • Law and Government
      • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
    • Telecommunications
      • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
    • Public Safety and Security
      • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
    • Foreign Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
    • Mechanical
      • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
    • Administrative
      • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
    • Economics and Accounting
      • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
    • History and Archeology
      • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
    • English Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

    Education

    Education
    Associate's degree
    Work Experience
    No work experience
    Training
    No on-the-job training
    Education and Training Opportunities

    Pay

    Washington Annual Salary
    75190/yr
    Washington Hourly Wage
    36.15/hr

    Washington Employment Trends

    Currently Employed
    1,790
    Yearly Projected Openings
    160

    Personality

    Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They do well at jobs that need:
    • Attention to Detail
    • Analytical Thinking
    • Dependability
    • Integrity
    • Initiative
    • Cooperation

    Tools

    • Compasses
    • Computer mouse
    • Curves
    • Desktop computers
    • Graphics or video accelerator cards
    • Notebook computers
    • Plotter printers
    • Pocket calculator
    • Print servers
    • Protractors
    • Scales
    • Scanners
    • T squares
    • Tablet computers
    • Touch pads
    • Triangles

    Technology

    • Computer aided design CAD software
    • Computer aided manufacturing CAM software
    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Document management software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Enterprise application integration software
    • Enterprise resource planning ERP software
    • Geographic information system
    • Graphics or photo imaging software
    • Materials requirements planning logistics and supply chain software
    • Office suite software
    • Optical character reader OCR or scanning software
    • Presentation software
    • Project management software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Word processing software

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

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