[USMA:26171] Re: fasteners

[Joseph B. Reid]

Further to my reponse to Paul Trusten, USMA 26166, I found from my 
archives that General Motors 1977 models were predomently metric.  GM 
decided in 1973 to go metric.  The change was virtually complete by 
1982.  The cost of conversion was $9 million, which was less than 1% 
of the original estimate.  Against this, one GM division decided to 
examine its electric wire practices.  Resizing and reduction of 
variety resulted in a cost avoidance of $1.6 million annually.

In 1980 White Motor Corporation in 1980 required that all new parts 
be designed in hard etric.  Chrysler reported that the company's 
small pick-up truck would be designed in metric.  Ford's 1980 cars 
would be metric, and 17% of all truck drawings were hard metric. 
Kenworth Truck in Seattle expected that 90% of its metric program 
would be completed in 1980.  Mack Trucks of Allentown, Pa., began 
metrication in 1975.  All new models were designed in metric. 
Intenational Harvester in March 1975 issued a metric policy spporting 
an evolutionary transition to metric during the 1980's.

In 1977 IBM announced a target date of 1982 for complete metric 
conversion, with  full metric manufacturing capability by 1978.  In 
tha area of fasteners IBN reduced the number of these from 38 00 to 
4000.
--
Joseph B. Reid
17 Glebe Road West
Toronto  M5P 1C8		Telephone 416-486-6071