Introduction

Engineering involves a wide range of activities, so it is important that there is effective communication between the people doing them. This may take a variety of forms, but it must always be done in a way which ensures that data is accurately conveyed. In engineering there is no place for ambiguity because mistakes cost money, and this ultimately affects the profit ability of a business. If a designer prepares a component drawing which has errors or which incorrectly specifies the material to be used, then the product will be manufactured incorrectly.

Time and money will have to be spent rectifying the problem. To prevent this happening again, designers need to know that they have made a mistake. Suppose you are an apprentice engineer responsible for machining the component. You would have to tell the designer that there is a problem. What information will you need and what’s the best way to present it? In this unit you will explore the principles and use of visual communication methods, technical report writing and verbal presentation. You will also investigate how information communication technology (ICT) operates in engineering settings.