Dear Terry, on 2003-08-31 23.03, Terry Simpson at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > Industrial Heating > Pittsburgh, PA 15220 > http://www.industrialheating.com/ih/cda/articleinformation/features/bnp__fea > tures__item/0,2832,25919,00.html > "Industrial Heating can't force the implementation of the metric system any > more than the Federal Government can. But, as an engineering trade magazine > with an international distribution, we must meet the needs of engineers, > scientists and managers both in the U.S. (where the English system of units > still predominates in many areas) and overseas (where the metric system is > the standard). We get editorial material containing solely English, solely > metric and a combination of units of measurement. But we don't want you to > have to do the conversions. So, until the metric system is the sole system > of measurement in the U.S., (which is not likely to happen in my working > lifetime), we've made it our policy to provide both systems of measure where > appropriate."
Your posting about Industrial Heating in Pittsburgh set me to thinking about possible routes to metrication. It seems to me that there are four main ways to go, with many others falling somewhere between these routes. My four ways are: 1 The Worst Way To use this method, you essentially aim to use 'hidden old units'. Let me explain how to do this. Firstly, you convert all the old values in your work directly to metric, eg. if one of your spare parts requires an 18 inch component, you call this a 457.2 millimetre component, or a 45.72 centimetre component, or better yet you list both 457.2 mm, and 45.72 cm, and 18 inches, and 1' 6" in your catalog. Secondly you provide all of your staff with extensive conversion charts and booklets (that include the 457.2 mm value as well as some 69 432 others 69 427 of which your staff will never use!) designed to fit neatly in the bottoms of desk drawers and to paste firmly on the insides of office cupboard doors in these positions these charts and booklets can delay your metrication program for many years. These two simple techniques should delay metrication by upwards of 100 years and they should cost the company heaps as they are clearly based on the idea of giving an illusion of metric progress while we retain our individual mindsets. Regard 100 years as the absolute minimum for this path. Consider the New York Stock Exchange as an example; by hiding the new (in 1793) decimal currency behind the old (in 1792) 'pieces-of-eight' in quoting stock prices, they were able to delay decimalisation from 1793 until 2001 a delay of 208 years very impressive. Think also of the oil industry's barrells and you will begin to see the delays that are possible. 2 The Nearly Worst Way This technique places its trust in dual measurements. You supply all staff with dual sided rulers and tapes, and copious quantities of conversion charts. You insist that all documentation is done using dual measurements, although it is rare for companies using this route to specify which takes precedence presumably on the basis that the random generation of precedence by each member of staff is the best policy for the company as it gives each member of staff freedom of choice. You can probably plan for this technique to take your company around 75 years to 100 years for its conversion. As an example consider the Kodak company who made their decision to use 16 mm B&W film in 1910 and 16 mm color movie film in 1929; they also decided to use photographic paper based on 10 inches by eight inches sizes with multiples and sub-multiples of this inch size. This dual measurement has delayed metrication at the Kodak company for 93 years so far, but in 2002 they began yet another metrication effort they might make the transition within the 100 years I suggest for this technique. 3 The Second Best Way Use centimetres. This way you can keep those lovely fractions in your vocabulary. Remember that using millimetres exclusively, almost completely removes the need for fractions (together with their attendant extra time and costly errors). Do not form a company-wide measurement policy let each department form their own. In this way the manufacturing departments will eventually use millimetres as others do in their crafts; the office staff will eventually use inches and centimetres as others who sew and knit use these measures; the sales staff will change their measures according to how they see their customers in terms of conservatism/progressiveness in any case the sales staff often don't really care to know about measures (other than sales figures at the end of the month). It's hard to guess how long this pathway takes. I have direct experience of the textile industry in Australia and they are still struggling (while making snail-like progress) with metrication after 30 years my guess is that it will take them at least another 20 years, so my estimate for the 'Second Best Way' is between 50 and 75 years. 4 The Best Way Use other people's experience. Find out where metrication has been successful anywhere in the world and simply copy their techniques. Form a measurement policy by saying things like 'Of all the length measures available in the metric system, our company has chosen to use millimetres, metres, and kilometres' and 'The centimetre will not be used in calculations and they will never be written down'. 'It is the policy of our company to use rounded metric values of components wherever we can we believe that this will lead to a simplicity that will reduce errors in production, administration, management, and sales'. These quotations are adapted from Australian building literature of the 1970s. Using this technique the whole of the Australian building industry had essentially metricated in under a year, and if you count the laggards, definitely had completed the process in under two years. It seems to me that Industrial Heating Magazine has clearly chosen the 'Nearly Worst Way' to metrication I wish them well but there's no need to put the champagne on ice just yet, it's a long time till 2103. Cheers, Pat Naughtin LCAMS Geelong, Australia Pat Naughtin is the editor of the free online newsletter, 'Metrication matters'. You can subscribe by sending an email containing the words subscribe Metrication matters to [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- > > > > -- > Terry Simpson > Human Factors Consultant > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > www.connected-systems.com > Phone: +44 7850 511794 > > >
