Peripheral Symbols Legend CAD is a practical reference for engineers, designers, and drafters preparing process and industrial drawings. It helps users identify common symbols for conveying, separation, handling, safety, utility, and supporting equipment before placing them in a P&ID or process schematic.
Use the legend alongside your project’s P&ID conventions, equipment list, line list, and CAD layer standards. The symbol communicates equipment identity and drawing intent; it does not replace the equipment datasheet, process basis, or design review.
This Peripheral Symbols Legend CAD sheet is a helpful reference for P&ID and process/industrial drawings. It provides a clean set of commonly used peripheral equipment symbols so your diagrams stay consistent and easy to understand for engineering, operations, and maintenance teams.
The legend includes typical symbols for:
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Separators (impact, gravity, cyclone, electromagnetic, electrostatic/precipitator)
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Feeders (rotary table feeder, proportional feeder, rotary valve feeder, metering feeder)
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Injection & safety items (injector, rupture disc, spray nozzle)
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Conveying & handling (belt/roller/screw conveyors, overhead conveyor, scraper conveyor, chain conveyor)
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Vertical handling (bucket elevator, Z-form elevator, lifts, skip hoist, hoists)
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Industrial equipment (screening, bag filling machine, belt skimmer, magnet)
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Vehicles & logistics (box truck, forklifts, industrial truck, rolling bin truck, ship)
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Process/utility (gas flare, chimney, curved gas vent, firing system, flame arrestor, cyclone)
Use this CAD legend for:
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P&ID documentation sets and process schematics
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Standard symbol templates for industrial plants
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Training junior drafters and QA checks for symbol consistency
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Faster diagram creation with a ready-to-use symbol reference
How to use this CAD symbol legend
Begin by locating the equipment function represented in the drawing. Conveyors, feeders, elevators, separators, injection devices, and utility equipment can appear in different parts of a process system, so confirming the symbol against the equipment description helps prevent misidentification.
When adding a symbol to a P&ID, check that its orientation, connection points, tag, and nearby flow lines agree with the project drafting practice. Keep the symbol readable at the intended drawing scale and avoid using a graphic that suggests functions the actual equipment does not perform.
Drafting and QA considerations
- Confirm the equipment tag: Match the symbol to the equipment register or process documentation.
- Check flow direction: Conveying and separation symbols should be coordinated with material or process flow shown elsewhere on the drawing.
- Review safety items: Items such as rupture discs, flame arrestors, and gas vents should be checked against the relevant process and safety documentation.
- Preserve consistency: Use the same symbol interpretation, layer practice, annotation style, and block behavior throughout the drawing set.
- Coordinate interfaces: Verify that equipment connections agree with piping, instrumentation, access, and maintenance requirements.
Related drawing resources
This download can support internal references covering P&ID symbols, piping terminology, CAD and DWG workflows, pipe dimensions and schedules, and flange and fitting references. Linking these topics helps readers move from symbol identification to the piping and documentation information needed for a complete design review.
Download the DWG legend when a reusable CAD reference is more useful than recreating common peripheral equipment graphics. Before issuing a drawing, compare the imported content with the project’s approved symbol library and drafting requirements.
Frequently asked questions
What is a peripheral symbols legend?
It is a visual reference for equipment and supporting process items that may appear around the main piping and process equipment in industrial drawings. It helps drafters identify and apply consistent graphical symbols.
Can this DWG be used as a complete P&ID standard?
No. The DWG is a symbol reference. The project owner or engineering organization should define the approved symbol conventions, tagging rules, layers, annotations, and review requirements for each drawing set.
Does a symbol define equipment capacity or performance?
No. A symbol communicates graphical identity and drawing intent. Capacity, materials, pressure limits, operating conditions, and other design information must come from the applicable equipment and process documentation.
How should a drafter verify a symbol before using it?
Compare the symbol with the legend, equipment description, process flow, project CAD standards, and related P&ID documentation. Resolve any ambiguity with the responsible engineer or project drafting lead.
Who benefits from this CAD legend?
Process designers, piping drafters, CAD technicians, engineering reviewers, operations personnel, maintenance teams, and students can use it as a quick visual reference.