2001-03-18
None of the products that my company buys that are European or Asian in
origin are redesigned in FFU for the American market. They are as metric
here as they are there. However, in some cases, and these cases are
decreasing, there is a tendency to convert SI to FFU in catalogues. This
only creates the weird decimal sizes in inches that to a trained eye are
soft FFU of hard metric (e.g. 1.97 in for 50 mm; 0.98 in for 25 mm; etc.).
Even tapped holes for fasteners are metric. This requires American
companies who use these products to at least keep some metric series
fasteners on hand.
It does seem that American companies would rather keep dual inventories then
to harmonise on metric sizing. In some cases, we were able to replace old
inch size fasteners with metric ones where there was a duplicate. These
were in cases where there was no tapped hole, but a screw was fastened by a
washer and nut. We replaced the inch size, as an example #8-32 x 3/8 with
an M4 x 0.7 x 10 mm. We had to use the M4 on certain assembles, and the
#8-32 only had two applications. We had to buy large amounts of both sizes
to meet minimum quantities required by our vendor. One we got rid of the
8-32, we met the requirements without having to buy more then we needed.
But, we are a small company where every penny counts. Others might not want
to take the time or bother to streamline their operations. They would
rather whine and threaten then to adopt sensible measures.
And if the EU ban leads to a trade war, so be it. Let's hope the metric
side wins. Why should the EU and the world have to suffer because the Us is
stubborn? Let the US suffer for a change and see what price must be paid
for going against the grain.
John
Keiner ist hoffnungsloser versklavt als derjenige, der irrtümlich glaubt
frei zu sein.
There are none more hopelessly enslaved then those who falsely believe they
are free!
----- Original Message -----
From: "Adrian Jadic" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Sunday, 2001-03-18 11:11
Subject: [USMA:11687] RE: What...
> I agree with you and Andy that this is the best thing to do at this point
in
> history.
>
> I am requesting contractors to work from metric only drawings with metric
> only tape measures. Sometimes it works and sometimes they are doing their
> best to clever their way out of my request. My shop has mainly metric
> components. In spite this, people think more that I am missing a bolt
> (metric or not) rather than pursuing a noble and/or economically viable
> cause for America.
>
> The downside of the step by step scenario is that at a similar pace,
> companies that are traditionally metric (ex. European) and want to enter
the
> US market, are not only labeling their products ifp first and metric in
> brackets but many times redesigning their product to even ifp sizes. I am
> also fighting that, but are they listening?
>
> My dilemma is what would trigger mass acceptance in US. The carpenter and
> the plumber will still build their houses and if Home Depot will cut the
> plywood to metric only sizes you will find a lot more protests than they
> have now cutting it in ifp only, and there will be other stores eager to
cut
> them in whatever the customer wants.
>
> Even if the highways are built from metric only drawings they still
display
> miles and mph. Starting now to build them to metric standards certainly
> helps a lot the transition when the time comes, but it will not make the
> transition. I don't think that any state governor will decide to change
the
> signs without wishing himself out of the political arena.
>
> Americans, unlike any other nation are more eager to oppose rather than
> back-up a Government initiative.
>
> Or, let's put it this way: If any of us were a counselor to a President
> which is 100% pro-metrication and wishes to implement it, what would we
tell
> him to do?
>
> In WW2 the President had to close the ear on the reports that the Japanese
> were attacking, in order to get the public's cooperation to enter the war.
> Would the metrication change need similar efforts?
>
> Metrication laws are in effect but no major media or network is backing
them
> up for a reason I don't understand. EU ban on dual labeling has more
chances
> to start a commercial war rather than to convince the American public to
> switch. All the people I spoke about the NASA mishap take it with a smile
in
> a forgiving way: "that damn' system is so weird that even the rocket
> scientists don't understand it".
>
> Our company prefers to have double stock for Canadian paint cans and
> domestic paint cans rather than switch to metric only labeling. And I
> believe that even if metric only was already accepted in all states we
would
> still do this to please the customer.
>
> ===It has to be a nation-wide trigger!. What has the potential to do
> this?===
>
> For me, I think that enhancing the NAFTA agreement and eventually adding
> more nations would have the potential to trigger the switch. I can picture
> open borders like you see now in Europe with multiple language labeled
> products. This will conform to American multiculturalism, and world trade.
>
> >A
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Nat Hager III [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> Sent: Sunday 18 March 2001 09:06
> To: U.S. Metric Association
> Subject: [USMA:11686] RE: Fwd: What... (was: USMA digest 488)
>
>
> That's exactly my philosophy Andy. That's why I so closely follow things
> such as product labeling and highway construction. It's the *little*
things
> that are going to get metric from where it is now to the point of
"critical
> mass", where things begin to avalanche.
>
> The key is to get the %metric GNP from the current 40% (as I've heard
quoted
> many times) up to around 60-70%. Then the message is out in US industry
that
> there's no future in continuing with ifp standards, and the process
> accelerates.
>
> With that in place the public areas just get dragged along, kicking and
> screaming if necessary.
>
> Nat
>
> >
> > What would trigger the final decision by U.S. to go
> > metric?
> >
> > My hunch is it is the kind of thing where one more
> > little item, one more little victory, one more
> > business switching, one more industry converting,
> > etc., all adds up, until suddenly the entire pile of
> > little things builds up to making something big
> > happen. I see it as something like continuing to add
> > one more feather and one more onto the scales until it
> > suddenly tips our way.
> >
> > Andy Johnson
> > http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/metricAmerica
> > --- Adrian Jadic <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> > > From: Adrian Jadic <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > > To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > > Subject: [USMA:11683] What... (was: USMA digest 488)
> > > Date: Sat, 17 Mar 2001 19:42:56 -0500
> > > Reply-to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > >
> > >
> > > I must be in one of my pessimism low points (or
> > > highs.. depends how you see
> > > it).
> > > I certainly share your views and I also believe it
> > > is an achievable goal. I
> > > am not a Don Quixote myself.
> > >
> > > I did not mean to discourage, I was just asking a
> > > hopefully proactive
> > > question:
> > > ====WHAT? ...would (or could) really trigger the
> > > switch?====
> > > Like you, I am doing my best to speed it up in any
> > > way I can, but it just
> > > helps, it doesn't trigger.
> > >
> > > Large companies, the pharmaceutical and automobile
> > > industry have switched
> > > but this is, more or less internally due to market
> > > needs. People don't see
> > > the bolts in the car nor the drawings it was made
> > > from. Cars still display
> > > mph.
> > > As for the drugs, many don't understand anyway
> > > what's written on the
> > > packages or they don't care because they are sick
> > > and want to get "fixed"
> > > (to quote an expression that my wife hears daily).
> > > We still have
> > > Thermometers in F, scales in lbs. ...and nurses
> > > Celsius-free.
> > >
> > > How about the masses, people (as John mentioned
> > > today) who are loudly crying
> > > "Never!". The healthy plumber or carpenter who are
> > > building houses for a
> > > living in "the greatest country in the world"? What
> > > would convince these
> > > guys to forget about their "two-by-four" and the
> > > half-inch pipe?
> > >
> > > Obviously, the Mars disaster due to sloppy
> > > metrication, did not trigger any
> > > mass reaction despite the financial loss. The
> > > carpenter is probably
> > > thinking: "we should have not messed with those
> > > "metrics" in the first
> > > place, our system is just fine!".
> > > NASA made a big report with a lot of brushed-up
> > > recommendations but nobody
> > > asked the Chief Engineer to resign. This tells me
> > > that even NASA is still
> > > not entirely convinced. How about if we had lost
> > > astronauts?
> > >
> > > I prefer to stop here and let everybody join the
> > > discussion if they wish to.
> > >
> > > I am convinced that sometimes it is useful to sit
> > > back and look at the big
> > > picture although it might look pessimistic. It helps
> > > me focus better.
> > >
> > > So, what would/could trigger a large scale
> > > metrication in the US?
> > >
> > > A.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Andy Johnson [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> > > Sent: Saturday 17 March 2001 15:29
> > > To: U.S. Metric Association
> > > Subject: [USMA:11681] Fwd: Re: USMA digest 488
> > >
> > >
> > > Now...if you were to convince me as a certainty that
> > > the U.S. is not going to go metric in my lifetime,
> > > then I would lose interest in the cause. I am not
> > > interested in metrication as a game or as a hobby
> > > but
> > > as a very definite achievable worthwile political
> > > goal.
> > > Elaborate if you can, if you will, about how you see
> > > it, please. As for me, I am sure we will be metric
> > > someday, and I hope I can speed it up a bit.
> > >
> > > Andy Johnson
> > >
> > > --- Adrian Jadic <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> > > > From: Adrian Jadic <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > > > To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > > > Subject: [USMA:11677] Re: USMA digest 488
> > > > Date: Sat, 17 Mar 2001 12:42:26 -0500
> > > > Reply-to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > > >
> > > > I agree that anti-metric thinking is deeply
> > > > engrained in our society but,
> > > > (and I apologize for my pessimism) I believe that
> > > a
> > > > tragedy won't be enough.
> > > >
> > > > Just look at the gun laws. There was a Columbine
> > > > tragedy and several more
> > > > before and after that. Results.. nothing.
> > > >
> > > > For Australia a tragedy was enough to trigger a
> > > mass
> > > > approval of the gun
> > > > ban. Similarly, it did not take much to convince
> > > > them of the metric
> > > > advantages in spite of their English heritage.
> > > Here,
> > > > it seems we need
> > > > something more.
> > > >
> > > > The question is WHAT? Personally, I believe that
> > > > something has to shatter
> > > > the American self confidence before the many would
> > > > accept that there is time
> > > > for a serious/radical change.
> > > >
> > > > I have lived for extended periods in several
> > > > countries and only here I found
> > > > this strong mass conviction that "We are the
> > > best".
> > > > When the human spirit
> > > > reaches that level there is no place for change.
> > > > History proved this many
> > > > times.
> > > >
> > > > A.
> > > >
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > From: Paul Trusten [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> > > > Sent: Friday 16 March 2001 22:50
> > > > To: U.S. Metric Association
> > > > Subject: [USMA:11674] Re: USMA digest 488
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > You are quite right; it is a risk management
> > > issue.
> > > > But I'm afraid that
> > > > anti-metric thinking is deeply ingrained in this
> > > > society, and nothing will
> > > > change until a tragedy happens.
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > > __________________________________________________
> > > Do You Yahoo!?
> > > Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail.
> > > http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/
> > >
> >
> >
> > __________________________________________________
> > Do You Yahoo!?
> > Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail.
> > http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/
> >
> >
> >
>
