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Technical Manuals

Technical manuals, by their nature, tend to have relatively standard structures and content, but that’s not to say that writing them is a simple or routine exercise. In fact, producing effective technical manuals is one of the more demanding activities we undertake. Authors need to be technically competent, experienced in a relevant discipline, and capable of writing clear, accurate and unambiguous text. It also helps to have had experience of being on the receiving end of manuals – good and bad. Fortunately, we have such authors.

Just as we expect to learn about software by actually using it, so we expect to get our hands dirty becoming familiar with the hardware.

Our belief is that you can’t write a totally accurate repair or maintenance procedure unless you do the operation yourself.

So, wherever possible, we do. At various times, we’ve dismantled and reassembled everything from lawnmowers to remote-controlled demolition robots, and from air conditioners to airborne surveillance systems.

Above all, we appreciate that manuals are there to do a job - not to be read for the sake of it. Consequently, a major objective is to make them as concise and relevant as possible by including only that which is necessary to understand the equipment to an appropriate level, and to maintain and repair it efficiently. We do not believe in ‘padding’ manuals by, for example, including detailed circuit descriptions for units that cannot be repaired to component level. Similarly, we would not normally explain how to strip down an assembly if the individual components are not available as spares.

Our experience of writing technical manuals includes:

Data switching and telecom systems
Process machinery
Gas, water and electricity metering equipment
Radio and television broadcast equipment
Industrial refrigeration and air conditioning systems
Domestic appliances
Industrial equipment and plant machinery
Dealing room systems
Integrated systems equipment
Theatre sound and lighting systems

Typically, a technical manual will comprise some or all of the following elements:

An overview of the equipment
Detailed component/assembly descriptions
Detailed circuit or mechanical descriptions
Maintenance schedules
Maintenance procedures
Disassembly/reassembly procedures
Setting-up and calibration information
Fault-finding information and/or charts
Spare parts lists

In addition to writing the text, we can also provide all necessary illustration facilities, including 2-D and 3-D line drawing, and both conventional and digital photography.

As with other documents, we provide a range of delivery options for technical manuals. It is still very common for them to be required in hard-copy, and we routinely produce them in a variety of different forms, ranging from the standard A4 ring binder approach, through to robust, plastic-encapsulated form to withstand frequent handling and harsh environments. Increasingly, however, we are producing manuals for delivery on CD ROM or via a company intranet or an internet website. Given the size of some manuals and, in many cases, the need for frequent updates, the savings to be made from switching to electronic delivery can be particularly significant.

I have had the pleasure of working with PDA for many years on a number of different projects. In all instances they have demonstrated an ability to become truly involved with the products and systems on which they have worked. They are able to operate on VERY speculative material and still produce a first class range of documents and videos. I have been delighted with PDA’s performance, particularly where they have been given the freedom to exercise their considerable creative talents.

Chris Beale, Business Development Director, Actaris Metering Systems

REDBOX DESIGN