Standardization Activities in the United States

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Frederick H. Mueller, Secretary NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS A. V. Astin, Director STANDARDIZATION ACTIVITIES IN THE UNITED STATES A DESCRIPTIVE DIRECTORY Sherman F. Booth Miscellaneous Publication 230 Issued August 1, 1960 (Supersedes Miscellaneous Publication M169) For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington 25, D.C. - Price $1.75 I FOREWORD This volume provides a descriptive inventory of the work of about 350 American organizations involved in standardization activities. It is significant that standards and good measurement practices are disseminated in this country through the work of these many organizations. This Nation's achievement in technology—particularly in mass production and automation—is due in no small measure to such activities. The National Bureau of Standards is proud of its cooperative association with these organizations. This cooperative roll stems from one of the Bureau's important functions as set forth by the Congress: " Cooperation with other Government agencies and with pri- vate organizations in the establishment of standard practices, incor- porated in codes and specifications". Through such cooperation the Bureau's effort to develop new and better physical standards serves these organizations in their important task of developing effective industrial standards of practice. The present volume grew out of the Bureau's interest in further- ing these cooperative activities. It describes the organization and functions of the societies and Government agencies that are closely identified with standards activities. It should be of value to manufacturers, engineers, purchasing agents, and writers of standards and specifications. A. V. Astin, Director. in CONTENTS Page Foreword m I. Introduction 1 Federal Standardization Agencies 2 National Bureau of Standards 3 II. Standardizing agencies, nongovernmental 4 III. Government agencies 193 Index 205 Standardization Activities in the United States A Descriptive Directory Sherman F. Booth I. Introduction The national technical societies of the United States of America are the very backbone of its standardization achievements. This fact sets our country apart from others wherein the results of standardization stem from a mandatory rather than a voluntary basis. In this country, there is a standardization society for most all widely known product areas, such as textiles, paper, leather, ceramics, plastics, electrical equipment, rubber, cement, etc. These completely auton- omous societies operate from paid memberships and without Govern- ment interference. The membership of a society usually consists of persons whose daily activities are concerned with the product area covered by the society, and of representatives of firms doing business in that commodity area. They also attract students, young technol- ogists, and others who seek to enhance their professional stature by being abreast and a part of the standardization work in the area of their choosing. Meetings are held regularly and subjects for proposed standards are accepted for assignment to committees for consideration. Within a committee there is a free and thorough exchange of ideas, experiences, data, and other information which is educational and broadening to the participants. Thus each person has the benefit of the knowledge of his colleagues. Approved standards provide a reservoir of readily available information for immediate use in connection with the evaluation of a product, the purchase or acquisition of a product, the method by which an evaluation is undertaken, or as the subject of a challenge to improve the product or the technique of evaluation. This wealth of available scientific and technical information is also used in the uni- versities and other schools of learning; it provides a line of communi- cation between academic and practical knowledge. Standardization does not alone treat with the quality of products although this is frequently of prime importance. It also extends to other fields where it is intended to pursue or adopt a uniform material, method, technique, size, nomenclature, service, etc. Anything or any practice, abstract or concrete, concerning which it is expected to limit, regulate, specify, control—to the degree that it is intended to be habitually compounded, performed, mentioned, observed in an ortho- dox manner—-is a standard even though it may not be documented. This definition suggests the enormous breadth and scope of standardization and the limitless fields in which it may be practiced or undertaken. Standards are not static. As the rudiments of technological aspects of problems become commonplace, as greater knowledge of the chem- ical and physical characteristics of products are more widely known and accepted, a committee may again be activated to reconsider and 1 modernize or improve a previously issued standard. Such improve- ments are regular, frequent, almost routine. There are relatively few documented standards that have never been revised. Thus, standardization agencies find themselves engrossed in the problems of revising standards as well as developing new standards, and to about the same degree. Standardization is dynamic. It must necessarily follow closely upon the heels of science, research, invention, and creation if it is to serve its intended purpose. Standardization activities of the members of the technical societies are carried forward on an extracurricular basis. Each of the persons in a society who contributes to the development of standards is usually a scientist or technician who is otherwise employed full time. His contributions are frequently made at the expense of his leisure. Accordingly, under this voluntary system, standards development and production are not as great or speedy as one might expect. However, the overall effort is represented by over 350 organizations which undertake standardization in nearly as many commodity or product areas. The resultant effect is a steady flow, in the world market, of revised and newly created standards. Since most all commodity or product areas are represented by organizations which, in many cases, deal in such products, the total accomplishment has the effect of keeping each particular house in order. Manufacturing and marketing is reduced to standard expressions, values, ratings, etc., such that make competitive products more easily compared and eval- uated. This situation is very helpful to the consumer, while at the same time strengthening the competitive system. Federal Standardization Agencies While the standards issued by the standardization societies are substantial in number, and especially important in a voluntary and democratic system, they are slow in development. Thus, for its purposes in striving to maintain or achieve technologic supremacy among nations, the Federal Government has a very important stake in standardization. In the total operation of all Government depart- ments, nothing is more important to it. Accordingly, the Federal Government is a very large contributor to the national standardization picture. Even so, there are comparatively few Federal Govern- ment standards that are made mandatory by the force of law. And, for the most part, these are standards which affect health or welfare and are desired by the people. The large bulk of Federal standards are principally matters which affect only the operations of the Federal Government itself, its house- keeping and its defense program. Of these standards there are many thousands. Some 30,000 to 40,000 of these are documented and un- classified as to national security. How many others there are of a classified nature is unpublished. Suffice it to say that in these times of rapid progress, the standardization problem is an enormous one and one that is being done well. Just in the commodity areas of common items that the Government buys and uses frequently, there are about 3,500 standards of purchasing of various types. These standards limit Government purchasing to particular types, grades, qualities. They are known as Federal Specifications. Then, for the more specialized requirements of the Department of Defense, there are many, many more. So that, in the overall national standardization 2 picture, one finds that the Government is actually making the larger contribution. However, its standards are mandatory upon no one but itself, excepting in the few isolated instances previously mentioned. However, of the thousands of standards which the Government has adopted to regulate itself and its operations, this effort may not be considered as having benefits which accrue only to the good of the Government. Its standardization activities are in large measure related to manufacturing. In this manner, Government standards and standardization are introduced to manufacturers, large and small, and in this way their advantages are entered into routine production line practices and directly felt by the citizenry in their purchases of consumer goods. Thus the effect of Government standardization, which is mandatory upon itself, becomes desirable although permissive by American industry, and the advantages gained are for each to share. Out of these activities have come the framework and basis for mass production of the many things which might not otherwise be available. Due to experiences during World War I, when standard purchase specifications were not available, standardization at a lower level (commodity standards) began to take shape.

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