Dear John and All,
I have interspersed some notes from an Australian perspective.
on 2003-09-01 03.13, John S. Ward at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I'm a scientist/engineer working for NASA. The metric system is used
> extensively at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, but inch-pounds are still
> dominant.
What do you mean by the word, 'dominant'? Could you guess what proportion of
measures (and calculations) are done in metric measures and what proportion
are done in old (USA or UK) measures? Do you know of anyone who calculates
the chemistry of fuels (for example) in kilograms and then changes their
results to pounds when they have their results. I know thatin the brewing
trade, there is a tendency to do this because the calculations are so easy
in metric and so difficult in Imperial (or USA sustomary) measures.
> Our metric technical drawings are normally drawn for metric paper sizes
> (A0-A4), and we generally follow international drawing practices for metric
> drawings. Yet strangely enough, all our printers and plotters are loaded
> with inches paper sizes, and when the metric drawings get printed they are
> usually resized to fit the inches (A, B, C, D...) size paper. Worse yet, our
> purchasing department doesn't even know what A3 paper is, and can't find a
> vendor to buy it.
Civil, electrical, mechanical engineers, and architects, in Australia,
routinely have their printers and plotters loaded with the A series of paper
sizes. I have only heard of the B series being used in a photocopier for the
Australian Ballet Company, who found that A3 paper was a little too small
for a conductor's score and A2 was a little too large � so they used the
intermediate B series size.
For architects and engineers, I believe that the 'New Metric Handbook �
Planning and Design Data edited by Patricia Tutt and David Adler is a fairly
common reference here.
> At least our metric drawings are REALLY metric, following international
> standards for the title block, tolerances, etc. But I've noticed that the
> few metric drawings we get from American companies are drawn with
> inches-style title blocks, parts, tolerancing, and paper size.
>
> So my questions are:
>
> - Are there any US companies that use metric paper sizes?
> - How common is metric paper usage (A4, A3, etc.) in recently metricated
> countries?
> - Where in the U.S. do you get affordable metric size paper, esp. A3? (I'm
> paying about $100 / ream!)
> - Are there any other American engineers besides me designing entirely
> hard-metric?
> - Do engineers in recently metricated countries draw on metric sheet sizes, or
> inches sizes?
> - Do engineers in recently metricated countries use hard-metric parts, or do
> they simply convert inch-pounds parts to metric numbers?
>
> John
John S. Ward wrote:
>How common is metric paper usage (A4, A3, etc.) in recently
>metricated countries?
I am not entirely sure whether Britain would class as 'recently metricated'.
But I will answer the questions from my experience living here in Britain.
Britain only uses the A4, A3 series now. I remember the old British sizes
('quarto' and 'foolscap') being used back in the 1970's.
My experience is that corporate photocopiers in Britain often have A4 in one
tray and A3 in the other. This allows for exact enlargement or reduction of
images A4<->A3 and there is usually an option specifically for that.
It is still fairly common to find British office furniture (filing cabinets)
and folders in the old 'foolscap' size. Foolscap is slightly larger than A4
so this is an example of backwards compatibility. However, if you buy new
office furniture now, you will often be offered cabinets designed
specifically for A4.
>Where in the U.S. do you get affordable metric size paper, esp. A3?
>(I'm paying about $100 / ream!)
You have had some US based suggestions from others. Many non-US suppliers
could beat $100 including shipping (it would be tax free).
www.mr-office.com
>Do engineers in recently metricated countries draw on metric sheet sizes,
>or inches sizes?
I am not an engineer, but I am sure that British engineers use A4, A3 etc. I
would be very surprised if you found anything but A4, A3 etc in a British
office (engineering or otherwise).
>Do engineers in recently metricated countries use hard-metric parts,
>or do they simply convert inch-pounds parts to metric numbers?
That is a big question. I think the short answer is that British engineering
is now metric by default. The vast majority of parts are also metric (hard
or soft). In some particular domains, non-metric is still very visible.
If you want to get a more precise answer, pick a part that interests you and
look at British parts suppliers on the web, or ask here and we can discuss
it.
