Electrical and Electronics Drafter Job Description

Electrical drafters produce precise technical drawings, instruments, and information which indicate how equipment, devices, and parts are modified.

Primary objective of Electrical Drafters:

• The Electrical Drafter prepares technical drawings and plans, which are used by production and construction workers to build everything from microchips to skyscrapers.
• The Electrical Drafter is concerned with making his technical plans to an exact precision in order to accommodate the customers’ needs.
• The Electrical Drafter is concerned with the ability of the customer to read the drawings and wants to make sure that they are very explicit.

The Electrical Drafters’ drawings provide visual guidelines and show how to construct a product or structure. The Electrical Drafters’ drawings include technical details and specify dimensions, materials, and procedures. The Electrical Drafter fills in technical details using drawings, rough sketches, specifications, and calculations made by engineers, surveyors, architects, or scientists. For example, many Electrical Drafters use their knowledge of standardized building techniques to drawing the details of structures. Some use their understanding of engineering and manufacturing theory and standards to draw the parts of a machine; they determine design elements, such as the numbers and kinds of fasteners needed to assemble the machine.

Electrical Drafters use technical handbooks, tables, calculators, and computers to complete their work. Most Electrical Drafter’s use Computer Aided Design and Drafting (CADD) systems to prepare drawings to the specification needed. Consequently, some Electrical Drafters may be referred to as CADD operators. With CADD systems, drafters can create and store drawings electronically so that they can be viewed, printed, or programmed directly into automated manufacturing systems. CADD systems also permit drafters to quickly prepare variations of a design. Although drafters use CADD extensively, they still need knowledge of traditional drafting techniques in order to fully understand and explain concepts.

Drafting work has many specialties; the most common types of drafters are the following:

Aeronautical Drafters

This type of Drafter prepares engineering drawings that detail plans and specifications used in the manufacture of aircraft, missiles, and related parts.

Architectural Drafters

Architectural Drafters draw architectural and structural features of buildings for new construction projects. These workers may specialize in a type of building, such as residential or commercial, or in kind of material used, such as reinforced concrete, masonry, steel, or timber.

Civil Drafters

Civil Drafters prepare drawings and topographical and relief maps used in major construction or civil engineering projects, such as highways, bridges, pipelines, flood-control projects, and water and sewage systems.

Electrical Drafters

Electrical Drafters prepare wiring and layout diagrams used by workers who erect, install, and repair electrical equipment and wiring in communications centers, power plants, electrical distribution systems, and buildings.

Electronics Drafters

Electronics Drafters draw wiring diagrams, circuit board assembly diagrams, schematics, and layout drawings used in the manufacture, installation, and repair of electronic devices and components.

Electronics & Electrical Drafters Facts

Electronics and Electrical Drafters usually work in comfortable offices. Most Electronics and Electrical Drafters they spend long periods in front of computers doing detailed work, drafters may be susceptible to eyestrain, back discomfort, and hand and wrist problems. Most Electronics and Electrical Drafters work a standard 40-hour week. A few Electronics and Electrical Drafters work part time but not very many. The type of work that they produce usually requires a lot of time and patients. The Electronics and Electrical Drafters know this and when they start a project they expect to put a lot of quality time.

The employer is aware of the skills that it takes to do this type of project and they prefer to hire Electronics and Electrical Drafters who have completed postsecondary school training in drafting, which is offered by technical institutes, community colleges, and some 4-year colleges and universities. The employer is usually interested in applicants with well-developed drafting and mechanical drawing skills; knowledge of drafting standards, mathematics, science, and engineering technology; and a solid background in CADD techniques. Technical training obtained in the Armed Forces also can be applied in civilian drafting jobs such as the Electronics and Electrical Drafting. Additional training maybe necessary, depending on the technical area or military specialty an Electronic and Electrical Drafter has obtained while in the service. Most Electronics and Electrical Drafters are able to attend college after they are discharged to complete the necessary training.

Degrees and Training to Become an Electrical and Electronics Drafter

• Telecommunications Degree

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