Sectioning

in

Engineering Drawing

September 2023

EDITED
BY IHAGH GODWIN T.

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Sectioning in Engineering
Drawing

Copyright Free: You may distribute

without permission, and share with

anybody

Written by Ihagh G. T.

MSc, BSc, and 7 years university teaching

experience

Editor, MoTEnv

Email: godwinihagh@[Link]
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Table of Contents Page
1. What is a section and sectioning in engineering drawing?.... 4

2. Types of section in engineering drawing.……………………….. 10

3. Four steps for visualizing and creating full section views...... 11

References ……………………………………………………….………………... 16

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 Sectioning in Engineering Drawing

Section lines are very important in engineering design, drawing,

and documentation and often used to express important features

of the interior parts of engineering objects or structures; in

addition, they facilitate the dimensioning of drawings and

enhance the clarity of designs.

This eBook defines what section and sectioning are, lists the

various types of sections, and provides information on how to use

sectioning and section lines to visualize and create full section

views in engineering drawing.

What is a section and sectioning in engineering drawing?

A section can be defined as an imaginary cutting plane that is

positioned to cut through an object and reveal internal parts or

features which could fit with other potential sections to

constitute a whole object. A section can also be defined as the

area that is created by an imaginary plane that cuts through a

solid object.

Sectioning can be defined as a process that uses section lines

and imaginary cutting planes to reveal and graphically

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demonstrate hidden or interior features of an object. Sectioning is

employed in graphically demonstrating hidden parts of structures

such as interior details of floors, walls, and ceilings, and

designing complex systems.

Sectioning drawings are multiview engineering drawings that

contain graphic representations/views of sectioned parts and

reveal the interior structure of features. The main reason for

creating section views or sectional drawings is to visualize and

reveal how hidden features look.

Sectioning is used to produce sectional multi-view engineering

drawings which contain special views of a part or parts, which

reveal interior features. Figure 1 shows an imaginary cutting

plan, section line, and section views of the internal features of a

sectioned box-shaped object.

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Figure 1: Section view of internal or hidden features of an

object

Figure 2 shows a section line of sight and an imaginary cutting

plane cutting through the object to help reveal its internal hidden

features which would remain hidden and incapable of being

expressed, graphically.

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Figure 2: An imaginary cutting plane cutting through an

object to help reveal interior features

Imaginary cutting planes used by drafters or designers can be

controlled in the following ways:

 To cut completely through the object (called “full section”)

 To cut halfway through the object (called “half section”)

 To cut through features that are not aligned (called “offset

section”), or

 To cut through part of an object (called “broken-out

section”)

Figure 3 shows a section view or sectional drawing that includes

the sectioning process along with correct (A), incorrect (B), and

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normal multiview (C) graphic representations created from a

cutting plane that cut through the center of a counter-bored hole.

Figure 3: The sectioning (cutting plane) process along with

correct (A), incorrect (B), and normal multiview (C) sections

or graphic representations

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Figure 4: The sectioning line (cutting plane) and full section

in 3D

Figure 5: The sectioning line (cutting plane) and full section

in 2D

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Types of section in engineering drawing

There are several types of section views used in engineering

drawing:

 Full section

 Assembly section

 Auxiliary section

 Broken-out section

 Half section

 Offset section

 Removed section

 Revolved section

However, up to this point, we have only discussed and illustrated

full sections (as shown in preceding figures), and we will focus

only on full section because of its wide range of applications.

Generally, the choice of a particular section type is based on

one’s aims or needs. It is recommended that one should select

the section type that would be able to represent the most

important features of an object in the clearest and most concise

manner.

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For example, although full sections are widely used by many

people, sometimes it may be more befitting to use broken-out

section for small areas or a half section for symmetrical objects.

It all depends. Whenever an imaginary cutting plane cuts

completely through an object, or an object (like the melon fruit in

Figure 6) is fully cut in half, the resulting section view is a “full

section”.

Figure 6: The full section of a melon fruit (at the right)

produced by passing an imaginary plane (for example, a

knife’s blade) completely through the full melon (at the left)

Four steps for visualizing and creating full section views

It’s only possible to clearly represent a full section view of an

object by passing an imaginary cutting plane completely through

it. The steps for visualizing and creating full section views are as

follows:
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1. Select a position for the cutting plane

For example, to section the collar in Figure 7 and create a clear

section view that can show both the bored recess (or indented

enclosure) and smaller hole around the top, one must choose a

cutting plane and position to cut through the vertical centerline

in the selected front view, while at the same time imagining that

the right half of the object has been removed.

Figure 7

2. Identify the revealed surfaces

Proper identification of revealed surfaces is crucial to production

or creation of clear full section views. The 3D graphic

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representation of the remaining half of the object in Figure 7 is

shown in Figure 8. Parts of the object or surfaces on the object

(indicated by R, S, T, U, and V) have been labeled to help pictorial

or graphic views.

Figure 8

3. Draw a section view of the fully sectioned object

To draw the section view, the part of the object that is in front of

the cutting plane can be left out because only the portion that

remains after cutting is important.

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The points (represented by numbers) that would be projected to

create a section view have been identified in Figure 9. The three

surfaces produced after applying the cutting plane are bounded

by points 1-2-3-4, 5-6-7-8-9-10, and 13-14-12-11. These points

are joined together by lines and the created enclosed area is

hatched or shaded using fine parallel or crossed lines as shown

in Figure 9 which also shows visible parts behind the cutting

plane.

Figure 9

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4. Project the visible lines; add and equally space hatching

From the direction the section is viewed, the top surface or plan

of the object in Figure 7 is indicated in the section as visible line

15-16-12-11, as shown in Figure 9. One of the object's edges

appears as visible line 2-3-6-7-13-14, while the bottom surface of

the recess is indicated in the section as visible line 19-20. In

addition, the back half of the recess and the drilled hole are

indicated as rectangles in the section at 3-4-5-6 and 15-16-20-

19. Proper representation requires that these points must be

projected, with the finished view indicated at the right of Figure

10. Hatching must consist of lines that are arranged in the same

direction.

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 Figure 10

References

1. Technical Drawing with Engineering Graphics, 15th edition, by

Giesecke et al.

2. Engineering Drawing and Design by David A. Madsen, 6th

edition, by Madsen D. A. and Madsen D. P.

3. Technical Graphics Communication, 4th edition, by Bertoline

et al.

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