Final answer:
The statement that one should never dimension to a curved surface in engineering drawings is False. It is necessary to provide dimensions to curved surfaces when they convey essential information about the part's geometry to ensure accurate manufacturing and assessment.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the context of engineering drawings, the statement that one should never dimension to a curved surface is False. It is often necessary to provide dimensions to curved surfaces to convey accurate information about the geometry of a part. These dimensions might include the radius of a circle, the curvature of a surface, or the center location from which a curved feature is defined. These are essential details for manufacturing or assessing the part.
While it is typically preferred to dimension to the center lines or theoretical exact points of a feature, there are cases where dimensions to curved surfaces provide clarity about the design intent or manufacturing process. This can include dimensions to the edges of fillets, the apex of a convex surface, or other critical features that appear as curves in various views of the drawing.
What is crucial is to follow drawing standards and best practices, which can vary by industry, to ensure that the dimensions are clear, comprehensible, and useful for the purpose they are intended. The correct approach to dimensioning ensures that the part can be manufactured, inspected, and meet its intended design requirement.