The seventeenth edition of the UK’s technical product documentation and specification, BS 8888:2017, was created especially for mechanical engineers, engineering designers, and design engineers working in the UK. The 2017 edition is a helpful tool for everyone working in engineering and manufacturing companies, especially when it comes to such sectors as defense, aerospace, automotive, rail, and nuclear sectors. It is also aimed at independent design consultancies or design agencies handling, as well as for the users of the former national standard, BS 308.

BS 308 was the world’s first engineering drawings standard. Its first edition was published in 1927 and since that time it is widely used in the UK. Furthermore, the document was so useful that a great number of other countries are following the UK’s standards even today. Some of them are publishing similar documents with national standards for the local industries that work with the ISO system.

What does the standard cover?

The UK’s national framework standard for engineering drawings and geometrical tolerancing covers all the requirements in the field of technical specification of products and their components. It contains the instructions for engineering drawings, including the symbology and important information that has to be included in drawings, whether it is manually produced (2D), 3D, or computer-aided design (CAD).

The 2017 edition includes all the international standards you need to prepare a proper technical product specification. Its main aim is to help the UK industry to have a better understanding of ISO system of geometrical product specification. The edition contains about 200 ISO standards, including standards on documentation, specification, and verification.

According to a market research conducted by BSI, most of the organizations in the UK are still using the BS 308, so the latest edition will show some new ISO standards. Everything that engineers need on a regular basis is included in the BS 8888, providing the easier accessibility and easier usage.

The 2017 edition

BS 8888:2017 includes proper and updated technical product specifications to meet the increasing number of international standards, which are updated in the last edition as well.

In comparison to the 2013 edition, BS 8888:2017 was totally restructured to make information more accessible. It meets the latest requirements of designers and engineers who used BS 308. Some important information on international standards, the updated information about the use of 3D models and CAD (computer-aided design) was added. BS 8888:2017 also contains additional information for surface texture and datum.

For full documentation and specification go to bsigroup.com