Most of have experienced the problem Bernard describes below. No amount of
such burden has made any difference in pushing/easing USA to metricating.
The changeover is a political decision. A guidance from the Gov't is needed
as has been demonstrated dozens of times in the history of metricating
nations from any prior measuring system.
I have served hundreds of companies in my consulting practice and observed
the burden of the dual system we have in the US. Our engineers and
technicians have gotten used to it. For two generations now they consider
converting a part of their job. Technicians - they all have two sets of
tools. The millions of man-hours spent in walking back and forth to the tool
boxes for a tool that fits (cursing "metric" along the way) has been
accepted a long time ago. The piles of stripped bolt-heads, threads, Allen
wrenches, etc., that occur as a result of the mixed hardware exists happily,
as all that time & material loss has sneaked into the budgets a long time
ago. The leaky pipe joints, ..... I could go on and on.
The US is used to this by now. It doesn't see it a problem. Besides,
everyone "knows" that manufacturing is on its way out and servicing means
replacing, preferably by snap-on or by hardware specified as a spare-part.
And with the mentioned furniture? - they include the wrench (it is costed-in
so ?!no problem!?).
By the way, the hardship of the multitude of standards for, say, measuring
units, has been a problem since the industrial revolution. By now, it had
been solved (i.e., eliminated) mostly everywhere and with everything except
with the inch-pound places/products. The inch legacy is the worst one to
deal with, because, thru colonization, it was the widest spread one.
However, the US-based and UK-based products and practices, although inch,
are not necessarily identical. Mismatches there also cause injuries
worldwide, even death, in addition to the above mentioned inefficiencies and
irritations.
The fact that the inch-people have not been able to finalize the
harmonization of the I-P systems is a testimony of, perhaps, their giving up
on the idea in light of the obvious on-going, global harmonization on
metric. But the "obvious" is not obvious to the policy makers. Engineers,
technicians, plumbers, .... they will continue as is. They have no power to
change the company (QSI exception confirms the rule), and they are paid for
the inefficiency in the sense that although competing, they all include that
extra into the cost estimates and invoices.
The business of America is business, as was said. Repairing damages due to
the lack of the standards harmonization is also business. So, all is well
within the country. The "ostrich" nature of this policy only reveals itself
when competing with the outside. There, we in the US, adopt another form of
the "ostrich" policy - it is the low wages, stupid! While obviously true to
some extent, I believe it is the scale factor - making products in the huge,
worldwide quantities that inevitably drives the design, manufacturing and
transportation costs down. I'd say that 100 % of the word population accepts
metric product as it includes the US by now. And while a few nations may not
care one way or the other, the business strategy seems straightforward.
The biggest export from the US is food and weapons - the only two
commodities where measuring is a secondary consideration. And grain, etc.,
is shipped metrically anyway but nobody but the shippers needs to know. The
next biggest export product comes from Hollywood. About that, the less said
the better (although I'd rather have that revenue than nothing).
Do I have a solution?
No. At least not a practical one - like an enlightened-monarchy form of
government. Besides, it is hard to know ahead which monarch is enlightened.
:-)
Stan Jakuba
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bernard Rachtmann" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]>
Sent: 06 Nov 18, Saturday 13:54
Subject: [USMA:37504] Backdoor metrication
A piece furniture in my home needed some repair work recently. It is a
recliner, whose parts are manufactured in China. The chair had broken a
bolt and needed replacement. At first I assumed any bolt would slide in
as a support, but it soon became apparent that only a specific bolt
would do, obviously the bolt was metric sized.
This got me to thinking-- how many products require metric for
servicing? Anything thats imported will be designed and manufactured in
exclusively SI/metric, as well as serviced. This forces all repair
industries to maintain dual inventories. This must be a heavy cost
burden on the suppliers and they probably see the benefit of completing
metrication. I bet this will really push conversion, especially since
more and more products are imported.
This is some great progress and an area that many consumers are
unexposed to. Sure they still buy gas in gallons food in lbs, but how
are the scales calibrated? What kind of equipment checks and services
them? Its all metric behind the scenes.
So my question for the other posters is: What do you think is the
biggest driving force behind metrication today and how long do you think
it will take for a "critical mass" to be achieved, where theres far more
metric than not. It appears already underway.
Once you attain that critical mass the pieces begin falling into place
on their own. Market forces will make metric compulsory.
--
Bernard Rachtmann
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
--
http://www.fastmail.fm - Faster than the air-speed velocity of an
unladen european swallow
