Overview
ISO 15785:2002 specifies rules for the symbolic presentation and indication of adhesive, fold and pressed joints in technical drawings. The standard defines the graphical symbols, basic drawing conventions and the information that may accompany joint symbols so that assemblies are documented clearly and consistently across engineering and manufacturing disciplines.
Key Topics and Requirements
- Graphical symbols: Standard symbols identify adhesive joints (surface and inclined), fold joints, and pressed joints. Symbols and their dimensions are shown in Annex A.
- Line conventions: Joint symbols are drawn with a continuous wide line (per ISO 128-24). Leader and reference lines use a continuous narrow line with an arrow or fork as required (per ISO 128-22).
- Placement and spacing: The distance between the symbol and the reference line must be at least 2d, where d = 0.1 × h (h = lettering height per ISO 3098-0).
- Supplementary information: Reference lines may carry:
- Cross-section dimensions (width, height, punch diameter) to the left of the symbol;
- Material designations or other characteristics to the right;
- Additional joint requirements in a forked reference line.
- Adhesive joint specifics:
- Adhesive itself is not graphically indicated on the symbol.
- Continuous adhesive around a part is shown by adding a circle at the leader/reference intersection.
- Adhesive limited to an area is indicated by a long-dashed double-dotted narrow line (type 05.1.8 per ISO 128-24).
- Pressed joints: When pressing occurs at multiple locations, the positions of pressings must be dimensioned on the parts being joined.
Applications and Who Uses It
ISO 15785 is used by professionals involved in producing and interpreting technical drawings where adhesive, fold or pressed joints occur, including:
- Mechanical and design engineers
- CAD designers and drafters
- Sheet-metal and fastening specialists
- Manufacturing, assembly and quality engineers
- Technical illustrators and documentation teams
Benefits include improved drawing clarity, reduced misinterpretation during manufacturing, and consistent international communication of joint details.
Related Standards
ISO 15785 works with several ISO drawing standards:
- ISO 128-20 / 128-22 / 128-24 - line types, leader/reference line conventions
- ISO 129-1 - dimensioning principles
- ISO 2553 - symbolic representation for welded joints (symbols in ISO 15785 align where configurations match)
- ISO 3098-0 - lettering and sizing (used to calculate line width d)
- ISO 17659:2002 - multilingual terms for welded joints (definitions)
Keywords: ISO 15785:2002, technical drawings, symbolic presentation, adhesive joints, fold joints, pressed joints, graphical symbols, drawing conventions.
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