We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Engineering

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What is an Engineering Scale?

By Dantzel Cenatiempo
Updated: May 21, 2024
Views: 21,325
Share

An engineering scale, also known as an engineer’s scale, is actually a type of ruler that produces ratio drawings. Engineers typically use this scale for drafting and blueprint creation. For example, with an engineering scale it is possible to manually create a drawing that is ten times larger or ten times smaller than the original that the engineer is drawing from.

In the United States and Canada, a conventional engineer’s scale looks somewhat like a three-sided ruler and is usually made of plastic. People sometimes confuse an engineer’s scale with a normal ruler and may use it in this capacity. Each wing of the engineering scale is marked on both sides, which gives it six measuring surfaces. Although similar in appearance to an architect’s scale, the engineering scale is designed to be more precise and is able to take smaller measurements.

In North America, the six edges of the engineering scale are marked with progressively smaller measuring units. The largest is 1/10 inch (2.54 mm), followed by 1/20, 1/30, and so on all the way down to 1/60 of an inch (.4 mm) on the final side. Its delicate measurements allow engineers to use these scales for creating circuit boards and electronics parts.

Engineering scales are commonly 300 mm long, which is a little more than 12 inches. The extra space on the ends is meant to provide a safety margin. If the scale is exposed to wear and tear, its end notches will still be visible.

Knowing how to read the scale’s ratio is often key in using it. Typically, an engineering scale will have a listed ratio like 1:10 or 1:5 which means that the scale can render a drawing that is one tenth or one fifth of the original size, respectively. In some cases, modern Computer Aided Design (CAD) drafting technology has replaced the conventional engineering scale. CAD is an electronic process whereby the engineer can quickly and easily create a blueprint in 2D or 3D and change its measurements and proportions.

CAD has revolutionized the engineering world and made hand-drawing with an engineer’s scale virtually obsolete in some areas. An engineering scale can still be useful in situations where CAD drafting is either not possible or not desired, however, such as when there is no computer access. Learning how to draw by hand with an engineering scale is often considered a good foundational exercise for later CAD drafting.

Share
All The Science is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Discussion Comments
Share
https://www.allthescience.org/what-is-an-engineering-scale.htm
Copy this link
All The Science, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

All The Science, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.