CAD, Drafting & Detailing

Sheet metal detailing, also known as sketching, is often thought of as CAD (computer-aided drafting). A certified detailer is a skilled commercial HVAC trade person who will advance to provide coordination between the fabricators and the installers from various trades.

You will work with project documents and plans and specifications, take field measurements and create 3-D digital drawings that are transferred into a Building Information Model (BIM) system that is used to help manage a project. BIM is taught at many local training centers throughout the United States and Canada.

CAD can also be used to generate animations and other presentation material to assist in the installation of different components such as those found throughout an air system. It may allow for additional information such as the dimensions of a component, description of the component or reference specifications for the project as well.

Although much of your time is spent indoors working on a computer in an office environment, you will occasionally visit job sites to collaborate with job site superintendents, architects and engineers.

Our Careers

Take a look at some of the job areas SMART is proud to represent!

  • Architectural Sheet Metal
  • Bus Operators & Mechanics
  • CAD, Drafting & Detailing
  • Freight Rail
  • HVAC Installation
  • HVAC Shop/Fabrication
  • Lagging
  • Passenger Rail
  • Production / Manufacturing
  • Rail Mechanical
  • Residential HVAC
  • Service and Refrigeration
  • Roofing
  • Shipyard
  • Sign Fabrication & Installation
  • Indoor Air Quality and Energy Efficiency (TAB)
  • Transit & Commuter Rail
  • Industrial and Shop Welding
  • Yardmaster

Become a SMART Member

Take the next step on your journey towards a rewarding career. Learn how you can become a SMART member.

Member Voices

Hear about the union directly from SMART members themselves.

Meet Carol Jones

Longtime Amtrak conductor Carol Jones — who is also a local chairperson with SMART-TD Local 1361 out of New Haven, Conn. — shares her story of coming up in the transportation industry and working as a pioneering woman in the passenger rail sector.

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