What is the name of the governing body on industrial standardisation (standardization) in USA?

[Jim Gregory]

In Britain it is the BSI.
In Germany it is DIN.
The ISO is multi-national.
The European Union now has the CEN.

What is the closest central technical authority in the USA?

 

[John Larkin]

In Britain it is the BSI.
In Germany it is DIN.
The ISO is multi-national.
The European Union now has the CEN.

I don't think we have one.

John

 

[Jim Thompson]

I don't think we have one.

John

What's a "standard"? Isn't it something to be ignored ?

...Jim Thompson

 

[John Woodgate]

I read in sci.electronics.design that Jim Gregory
<[email protected]>) about 'What is the name of
the governing body on industrial standardisation (standardization) in
USA?', on Mon, 28 Mar 2005:

In Britain it is the BSI.
In Germany it is DIN.
The ISO is multi-national.
The European Union now has the CEN.

and CENELEC

and ETSI

What is the closest central technical authority in the USA?

The US standards system is very different. The national body is ANSI,
but it doesn't do the same things as BSI or DIN.

 

[John Woodgate]

I read in sci.electronics.design that John Larkin
<[email protected]>) about 'What is the name of
the governing body on industrial standardisation (standardization) in
USA?', on Mon, 28 Mar 2005:

I don't think we have one.

Some people would say that that is effectively true. Or ineffectively.

 

[John Woodgate]

I read in sci.electronics.design that Jim Thompson
<[email protected]>) about 'What is the name of
the governing body on industrial standardisation (standardization) in
USA?', on Mon, 28 Mar 2005:

What's a "standard"? Isn't it something to be ignored ?

SMILE when you say that! Oh, you did!

 

[Tim Shoppa]

It depends on the subfield. SAE for auto hardware, AN/NAS/MS for civil
and military aircraft hardware/plumbing, IEEE/ANSI for electronics,
etc.

The wonderful things about standards is there are so many to choose
from.

Tim.

 

[Rob Gaddi]

In Britain it is the BSI.
In Germany it is DIN.
The ISO is multi-national.
The European Union now has the CEN.

What is the closest central technical authority in the USA?

FEMA, but generally only after the fact.

 

[Tim Shoppa]

FEMA, but generally only after the fact.

Where I work we have a direct hotline to/from FEMA. The "alert" light
bulb on the phone is always blinking. Our joke is that
they think everything's an emergency

Tim.

 

[Pooh Bear]

In Britain it is the BSI.
In Germany it is DIN.
The ISO is multi-national.
The European Union now has the CEN.

What is the closest central technical authority in the USA?

You'll need to me more specific. Some standards are initially set by
relevant trade or trade related organisations and may later be more
widely adopted.

ISO or IEC is your best first bet though. Even the US is adopting
International Standards these days.

Graham

 

[martin griffith]

Where I work we have a direct hotline to/from FEMA. The "alert" light
bulb on the phone is always blinking. Our joke is that
they think everything's an emergency

Tim.

any funny examples?
I've only got a couple from TUV, about 230V clearance on a pcb,
boring but annoying


martin


Opinions are like assholes -- everyone has one

 

[ryan wheil]

You'll need to me more specific. Some standards are initially set by
relevant trade or trade related organisations and may later be more
widely adopted.

ISO or IEC is your best first bet though. Even the US is adopting
International Standards these days.

Graham

and where does UL enter the picture??

 

[Jim Thompson]

and where does UL enter the picture??

UL certifies that a consumer product passes certain safety standards.

...Jim Thompson

 

[Pooh Bear]

and where does UL enter the picture??

As a commercial organisation set up by insurance interests. They're slowly
adopting IEC ideas. Effectively essential to do so for international
trade.

http://www.i-spec.com/IEC_60950/usa_canada950.html


Graham

 

[Pooh Bear]

any funny examples?
I've only got a couple from TUV, about 230V clearance on a pcb,
boring but annoying

I don't understand. What's funny about 230V clearances on a pcb ?

I *loved* UL's Hot Flaming Oil test though. They were clearly a bunch of
pyromaniacs !


Graham

 

[John Woodgate]

I read in sci.electronics.design that Rob Gaddi
<[email protected]>) about 'What is the name of the
governing body on industrial standardisation (standardization) in USA?',

FEMA, but generally only after the fact.

FEMA, whatever that is, is not a National Standards Body like BSI or
Din, and certainly not a regional or international one like CEN or ISO.

 

[Jim Gregory]

Funnily enough, in the UK we do not have an equivalent body to your UL.
Furniture upholstery has to have a fire-resistance rating. We just go by
best agreed practice in whatever field we are working in, and there will be
several BS published papers to cover the disciplines involved, from aviation
to zoology. If not, probably CEN and CEE and ISO will have stuck their
noses in by now.
Are the UL the bods who insist on the manufacturer adding thick and clumsy
fire-proof 15-Amp 3-core mains cords to a 20W AC consumption cassette deck
fitted with a line fuse just to get an "approved" rating? Must have shares
in copper mines!
One of the best standard electrical things in the UK - in my view - is the
1" cartridge-fused mains plug which protects the |*AC supply* from a faulty
cord or apparatus, and, as a spin-off, the apparatus. This is designed to
BS1363, which probably goes back 49 years and its adoption replaced unfused
2-pin and 3-pin AC plugs and wallsockets of different amperage capability.
These fuses are available in different ratings according to inrush and load
currents, from 1A to 13A.
But I'm mildly horrified that you do not have federal authorities or
governors like FCC for *every* industrial discipline.

 

[John Larkin]

I read in sci.electronics.design that Rob Gaddi
<[email protected]>) about 'What is the name of the
governing body on industrial standardisation (standardization) in USA?',


FEMA, whatever that is, is not a National Standards Body like BSI or
Din, and certainly not a regional or international one like CEN or ISO.

Federal Emergency Management Agency.

http://www.fema.gov/

John

 

[Tim Shoppa]

FEMA, whatever that is

Joke answers:

Federation of European Motorcycle Associations?

Farm Equipment Manufacturers Assocation?

is not a National Standards Body like BSI or Din

In the US, there really isn't anything like BSI or DIN.

NIST is the closest if you insist on a government agency, but they
don't really do the same thing (although they do a lot!). The
acronymical replacement of NBS with NIST might make you think that
they'll do more technological standards but they don't.

Tim.

 

[John Larkin]

Funnily enough, in the UK we do not have an equivalent body to your UL.

UL is now just another testing lab. The former "UL" standards have
been taken over by ANSI, so now there are many labs that will test
products to the standards.

But the ANSI standards have no federal enforcement behind them. Most
states have laws that require consumer products to be ANSI certified,
and enforcement is nearly nil.

Furniture upholstery has to have a fire-resistance rating. We just go by
best agreed practice in whatever field we are working in, and there will be
several BS published papers to cover the disciplines involved, from aviation
to zoology. If not, probably CEN and CEE and ISO will have stuck their
noses in by now.
Are the UL the bods who insist on the manufacturer adding thick and clumsy
fire-proof 15-Amp 3-core mains cords to a 20W AC consumption cassette deck
fitted with a line fuse just to get an "approved" rating? Must have shares
in copper mines!

I don't see that here. Small appliances have skinny 2-wire zip cords.
Things like lamps and radios have never had to have fat cords here.

One of the best standard electrical things in the UK - in my view - is the
1" cartridge-fused mains plug which protects the |*AC supply* from a faulty
cord or apparatus, and, as a spin-off, the apparatus. This is designed to
BS1363, which probably goes back 49 years and its adoption replaced unfused
2-pin and 3-pin AC plugs and wallsockets of different amperage capability.
These fuses are available in different ratings according to inrush and load
currents, from 1A to 13A.

But I'm mildly horrified that you do not have federal authorities or
governors like FCC for *every* industrial discipline.

And I'm mightily pleased that we don't.


John