What are some hazards in embracing fastener engineering standards from other countries?
A word of caution to any company considering adoption of standards developed by another country: Engineering standards are just a single component in a very complex commercial system. Each country has its own unique commercial system. And, until the total commercial system of a particular country is thoroughly understood, it’s not particularly useful to compare your engineering standards with the standards of that country. Example: Any North American company that adopts and applies DIN (German) standards in design, procurement, and manufacturing will experience several difficulties which can run the gamut from “minor” to “serious”. The primary concern is a differing view of the engineering standards themselves. Europe and Japan do not share North American definitions and attitudes. One example is the word, “standard”. For hex fasteners in European auto engines and transmissions, European designers stated they only used first choice ISO diameters and pitches for standard fasteners. Yet,
