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# Mechanics β The language of the drawing
The **technical drawing** is one of the oldest and most important languages of engineering.
* Already in antiquity and with Leonardo da Vinci, machines were recorded in drawings.
* With industrialization the drawing was **standardized** (DIN, ISO) and became the universal means of communication.
* It shows **geometry, dimensions, tolerances, materials** β and is legally binding.
π No drawing, no manufacturing, no standard, no global collaboration.
Historical development
* **Antiquity**: construction drawings of Roman engineers (Vitruvius)
* **15thβ16th centuries**: Leonardo da Vinci, highly detailed machine drawings
* **18thβ19th centuries**: industrialization, drawing becomes the mandatory basis for manufacturing
* **20th century**: standardization (DIN, ISO) makes drawings internationally valid
* **Today**: CAD & digital twins β but the drawing remains the legal basis
## Mechanics β from clear representation to complex diversity
In mechanics there were also such βsplitsβ or breaks between clarity and flexibility β albeit in a different way than in control engineering.
#### 1. Early mechanics (antiquity to 18th century)
* Plans and drawings were **rare** and were passed down more as sketches or manuscripts.
* Much was based on **craft tradition** β the knowledge resided in the masterβs head.
* Advantage: clarity in the craft, simple structures.
* Disadvantage: little flexibility and no uniform documentation.
***
#### 2. Industrialization (19th century) β **introduction of the technical drawing**
* With industrial production the **technical drawing was standardized**.
* machines, components and production steps were **clearly documented**.
* Drawing = universal language of mechanics.
* Comparable to the **relay logic in the circuit diagram**: clear, traceable, securing competence.
***
#### 3. 20th century β **CAD and flexible modeling**
* Introduction of **CAD (Computer Aided Design)** from the 1960s.
* Drawing changed from a **static standard language** to a **dynamic 3D model**.
* Advantages: enormous flexibility, fast changes, simulation.
* Disadvantage: loss of the **clear paper standard** β today much is βhiddenβ in CAD (layers, parameters, assembly logic).
* Result: clarity for the layperson lost, specialized software and expertise required.
***
#### 4. Today β **digital twins & simulation**
* Models are no longer just drawings, but contain:
* geometry
* material data
* manufacturing parameters
* simulations
* Advantage: all-in-one documentation in the model.
* Disadvantage: **No longer understandable at a glance** β similar to PLC programming: only interpretable with special tools and know-how.
***
### Conclusion: Parallel to the PLC world
* In **mechanics** there was likewise a development from **clear, standardized language (technical drawing)** toward **high flexibility but lower transparency (3D-CAD, simulation)**.
* In **electrics/logic** it was similar: **clearly documented logic in the circuit diagram** was replaced by the **flexible but opaque PLC programming** .
π In both cases, digitization led to the **general readability and unambiguity being lost**.\
π And this is precisely where the demand for a **formal, understandable language for machine behavior** comes in β as a new third pillar.
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