ENGINEERING STANDARDS AND THE SOUTH AFRICAN INSTITUTE OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS
P. Eccleston, Chairman, Central Branch, S.A.I. Mech. Eng.

CODES AND STANDARDS

Codes and Standards aid engineers in their work. But what is a Standard? And what is Standardization? The definitions have been provided by the International Standards Organization (ISO) which has its headquarters in Geneva, and of which South Africa is a founder member.

Standards are the opposite of chaos. They are simple rules to avoid disorder.

Standardization means we create a couxon technical language with our neighbors, nationwide and internationally.

Standards promote better communication, they are important in the exchange of goods and services, and they also aid economic development.

Whilst the concept of standardization is an old one, the idea of the organized preparation of standards is comparatively new.

Mid last century, the importance of interchangeability and standardization had been recognized by the industrially developing countries. In England especially, the industrial revolution had given rise to many complicated conditions which could only be rationalized by the introduction of standardization. As a result of these developments, the British Engineering Standards Committee was established in 1901. This committee was later to become the British Engineering Standards Association (BESA) and still later the British Standards Institution (BSI).

In South Africa as in Britain, standardization originated during the first few years of this century. Gold mining was expanding rapidly, and the demand arose for the importation of engineering and mining equipment on a large scale. The diversity, of types and sizes which had to be imported soon created the need for standardization.

In an attempt to simplify its purchases, the Transvaal Chamber of Mines in 1905 appointed a committee to consider the standardization of equipment. It is interesting to note the committee established eight sub-committees to deal with the following aspects of the business:

  1. pipes and fittings

  2. shafting

  3. mine materials

  4. tracks and rails

  5. mill materials

  6. building and structural materials

  7. weights and measures

  8. glass fittings and wire ropes

    - the program thus developed proved to be too ambitious.

Little progress was made and the committee stopped functioning.

The need for standardization remained undiminished and in 1906, The Chemical, Metallurgical and Mining Society of South Africa appointed a committee to study the standardization of battery screening.

In 1908, the President of the Transvaal Institute of Mechanical Engineers suggested that a committee should be formed to consider the testing of Portland cement, for which a specification had been issued by BESA in 1904. The first meeting of the committee, then called the Committee of Standardization of South African Materials, was held in 1909. One of the principal objectives of the committee was to consider how existing standard specifications for materials might be modified to suit the climatic conditions of South Africa, more particularly with regard to Portland cement, which was becoming important to South African industry.

In 1911, this committee changed its name to the South African Engineering Standards Committee. A few years later, it came to an important decision to act as the South African branch of the British Engineering Standards Association.

BESA became the BSI in 1934 and the South African Standards Institution was born from this development. The main activity of the Institution was coordinating the efforts of producers and users for the improvement and standardization of engineering and industrial materials. It was soon to become apparent that work on a voluntary basis could not continue due to the rapidly developing industrialization within South Africa at that time. What was needed was an Act of Parliament to bestow adequate financial support to produce an efficient standardization mechanism working on a full time basis. Thus the Standards Act was promulgated, Act No.24 of 1945, and the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) came into existence. In terms of this Act, SABS was to be controlled by a board appointed by the Minister of Economic Affairs and known as the Council of the SABS.

SPECIFICATIONS AND CODES OF PRACTICE

Competition drives manufacturers in many cases to sacrifice their most economical production methods in order to make not only their own particular design, but also that of a competitor. This results in small uneconomic production runs. The distributor's problem is even more complicated since he has to tie up capital in stocking a large variety of different types and sizes of the commodity. The consumer really needs something efficient, easily replaceable and economical. He may become too selective if unnecessary varieties are available on the market. If these conditions were allowed to continue unchecked, needless waste of time, material, labour and capital would result.

Control is difficult because of the communication gap between producer, distributor and consumer. It is one of the functions of a standards organization to improve communications between the parties by drawing them together in order to produce specifications which have two main objectives. Firstly, simplification, by reducing unnecessary variety, whether in dimension or quality. Secondly, is the inclusion of quality and performance criteria by which a product may be judged. Here, the requirements of producers and users are coordinated to rationalize production and distribution, and to bring about more equity in the purchase and sale of the commodities.

The consumer is given the advantage of being able to purchase products by reference to the standard specification and be assured that requisite performance and quality standards are maintained.

UNCONTROLLED VARIETY OF CODES AND STANDARDS

All technologically developed countries have established National Standards Institutes and a plethora of nationalistic standards have been developed. The problem is worsened in the area of large specialized constructions e.g.. power stations, refineries, mines, steel works etc. where the nature of the work is the development of an expensive probably unique plant and machinery. Here national standards are supplemented with a whole host of specialist user and contractor produced standards to facilitate operability, availability, maintenance, reliability and construction. Many of these supplementations relate to individual preferences based on wants and not needs. Others prescribe the methods of design and manufacture, instead of allowing industry the opportunity of applying the latest technology and materials.

The effect of all these specifications is to increase costs or inhibit viable local manufacture.

The current economic situation in South Africa has led the SAIMechE to seek a solution to the problem. Indeed, the Institution is not alone in undertaking this task. ESKOM has already launched its National Rationalisation of Specifications program(l), to which the SAIMechE warmly supports.

ESKOM sees this as a "User" driven project based on "rationalizing" specifications. A rationalized specification is based on a set of common generic requirements obtained by analysing specifications for equipment of similar type or application in current use.

The SAIMechE sees its role as a catalyst in drawing together all the players in the solution of the problem, since it has within its rank members from all the teams. Currently, it has taken the initiative to form a committee to examine specialist problems to act as pathfinders in the subject of harmonizing and rationalizing standards.

The major problem of a voluntary organization undertaking this work is one of commitment and continuity. The goals therefore must be set in the short term with the effect of influencing industry and government in the longer term.

WHAT IS IN IT FOR THE ENGINEERING COMMUNITY

ESKOM (l) have succinctly summarized the advantages as follows:

National Benefits

User Benefits

Manufacturer Benefits

RELATIONSHIP WITH SABS AND ESKOM

There is no conflict of interest nor duplication of work with the SABS. Indeed, the standards to be considered are not necessarily covered by SABS and members of SABS have already been consulted to ensure no conflict of interest and proper coordination.

Efforts are currently being made to integrate with the ESKOM initiative.

REFERENCES

    (1) Hunt D and Duffield D. "National Rationalization of Specifications", ESKOM ENGINEERING GROUP, ESKOM MEGAWATT PARK, 1991

APPENDIX A

SOME ISO DEFINITIONS RELATING TO STANDARDISATION

1 Standardization

1.1 General terms

1.1.1 standardization:

An activity giving solutions for repetitive application, to problems essentially in the spheres of science, technology and economics, aimed at the achievement of the optimum degree of order in a given context. Generally, the activity consists of the processes of formulating. issuing and implementing standards.

NOTE - An important benefit of standardization is improvement of the suitability of goods and services for their intended purposes.

1.1.2 consensus:

General acceptance implying the absence of strong opposition by an important part of the interests concerned to substantial issues.

1.1.3 variety control:

The selection of the optimum number of sizes, other characteristics or types of a product, required to meet prevailing needs.

1.1.4 fitness for purpose:

The ability of a product, a process or a service to fulfill a defined purpose under specific conditions.

1.1.5 performance characteristic:

A characteristic of fitness for purpose in direct relation to the behaviour of the product in use, without stating features related to manufacture.

1.1.6 performance test:

A test for assessing a performance characteristic directly or through simulation of the influencing factors occurring in use, sometimes under more severe conditions.

1.1.7 descriptive characteristic:

A characteristic of fitness for purpose stating features related to the manufacture of the product (usually describing constructional details with dimensions and material composition)

1.1.8 interchangeability:

The suitability of a product (products) to be used in place of another product (products) to fulfill the relevant requirements.

NOTE - The functional aspect of interchangeability is called "functional interchangeability", and the dimensional aspect, "dimensional interchangeability".

1.1.9 compatibility:

The suitability of products or systems to be used together under specified conditions to fulfill the relevant requirements without causing unacceptable interactions.

1.1.10 tolerance:

The permissible variation of the specified value of a quantity.

NOTES

  1. According to needs, "tolerance" may be expressed as:

    1. the difference between permissible maximum and minimum values: or

    2. the difference between permissible maximum value and the nominal value, and the difference between the permissible minimum value and the nominal value (plus and minus tolerances).

  2. The term "tolerance" also has the meaning of the permissible portion, in a lot of products not in conformity with the relevant requirements.

1.1.11 code:

A symbolic mode agreed upon for representation of objects or concepts. It generally consists of letters, numerals, signs, symbols, colors, or a combination thereof.

NOTE - The term "code" also has the meaning of a compilation of technical or other provisions and in this sense is used in expressions such as "code of practice" or "boiler code".

1.1.12 designation:

A name, symbol, code, or a combination thereof identifying products, groups of products or other subjects, concrete or abstract.

1.1.13 marking:

Application of indications on a product or on a package primarily for the purpose of identifying the product and/or certain features of the product.

NOTE - Such indications may include: marks of origin, identification marks, marks of conformity, characteristics of the product, etc. Marking may also be applied to equipment employed in transferring a product to the user; for example, dispensers such as petrol pumps.

1.2 Standards and regulations

1.2.1 technical specification:

A document which lays down characteristics of a product or a service such as levels of quality, performance, safety or dimensions. It may include or deal exclusively with terminology, symbols, testing and test methods, packaging, marking or labeling requirements.

1,2.2 standard:

A technical specification or other document available to the public, drawn up with the cooperation and consensus or general approval of all interests affected by it, based on the consolidated results of science, technology and experience, aimed at the promotion of optimum community benefits and approved by a standardizing body.

NOTES

  1. A document which satisfies all the conditions given in the definition may sometimes be called by other names, for example: "recommendation".

  2. In some languages the word "standard" is often used with another meaning than in this definition, and in such cases, it may refer to a technical specification which does not satisfy all the conditions given in the definition, far example: "company standard".

1.2.2.1 harmonized standards:

Standards of the same scope that have been approved by different standardizing bodies and which ate either technically identical or recognized as technically equivalent in practice.

NOTE - Harmonization of standards is generally carried out in order to prevent or eliminate technical barriers to trade in the region of the world in which they are applied.

1.2.2.2 mandatory standard:

A standard of which the application has been made mandatory by a regulation.

1.2.2.3 national standard:

A standard adopted by a national standards body.

1.2.2.4 international standard:

A standard adopted by an international standardizing body.

1.2.2.5 regional standard:

A standard adopted by a regional standardizing body.

1.2.3 code of practice:

A document describing recommended practices for the design, manufacturing, setting up, maintenance or utilization of equipment, installations, structures or products.

NOTE - The term "specification" is currently used in many national standards bodies with the same meaning as the term "technical specification" save that it does not include codes of practice.

1.2.4 regulation:

A binding document which contains legislative, regulatory or administrative rules and which is adopted and published by an authority legally vested with the necessary power.

1.2.5 technical regulation:

A regulation referring to or including a standard or a technical specification.

NOTE - A technical regulation may be supplemented by technical guidance which outlines some way(s) to fulfill the regulation.

1.2.6 reference to standards:

A method of drafting a regulation in such a way that a detailed statement of technical specifications is replaced in the text by referring to one or more standards.

1.2.6.1 reference to standards by exact identification:

A method of reference to standards by designating one or more specific standards in such a way that later revisions of the standard or standards will not be applied unless the regulation is modified.

NOTE - The standard is usually designated by its title, number and edition or date.

1.2.6.2 reference to standards by undated identification:

A method of reference to standards by designating one or more specific standards in such a way that later revisions of the standard or standards will be applied without the necessity of modifying the regulation.

NOTE - The standard is usually designated only by its title and number.

1.2.6.3 general reference to standards:

A method of reference to standards by referring in a general way to present or future standards.

NOTE - This general way normally means that the relevant regulation includes a general clause so that all the present or future standards in a specific field are regarded as meeting the aim of the regulation.

1.2.6.4 exclusive reference to standards:

A reference to standards stating that the only way to meet the relevant requirements of a technical regulation is to follow the standards referred to.

1.2.6.5 indicative reference to standards:

A reference to standards stating that one way to meet the relevant requirements of a technical regulation is to follow the standards referred to.

1.3 Types of standards

1.3.1 basic standard:

A standard having a wide ranging coverage or containing general provisions for one particular field.

NOTES

  1. A basic standard may function as a standard of direct application, or as a basis for other standards.

  2. The term "fundamental standard" is sometimes used to stress the fundamental character of a basic standard.

  3. The term "general standard" is sometimes used to stress the general applicability of a basic standard.

1.3.2 product standard:

A standard specifying some or all of the requirements to be met by a product or a group of products in order to ensure their fitness for purpose.

NOTES

  1. A product standard may include, in addition to requirements, directly or by reference, aspects such as terminology, sampling, packaging and labeling, and sometimes processing requirements (process standards as such are covered by the term "code of practice").

  2. A product standard can either be complete or not, according to whether it specifies all or only a part of the necessary requirements.

1.3.2.1 performance standard:

A product standard specifying requirements for one or more performance characteristics.

1.3.2.2 descriptive standard:

A product standard specifying requirements for one or more descriptive characteristics.

1.3.2.3 variety control standard:

A standard aimed at variety control generally containing a series of selected values or attributes of a product.

1.3.3 service standard:

A standard specifying some or all requirements to be met by a service in order to ensure its fitness for purpose.

NOTE - Service standards may be established in fields such as dry-cleaning, laundering, hotel trade, car servicing, communication (post, telegraph, telephone), insurance, banking, trading.

1.3.4 safety standard:

A standard aimed at the safety of people and goods.

NOTE - A safety standard generally contains requirements based on the optimum assessment of a number of factors, including non-technical factors such as human behaviour, that will lead to the highest practical degree of safety.

1.3.5 interface standard:

A standard specifying requirements concerned with the compatibility of products or systems at their points of communication.

1.3.6 standard on supplier's data:

A standard containing a list of characteristics for which values and other data are to be stated by the supplier

1.3.7 terminology standard:

A standard concerned exclusively with terms, usually accompanied with their definitions and sometimes by explanatory notes, illustrations, examples, etc.

1.3.8 testing standard:

A standard concerned exclusively with test methods, sometimes supplemented with other provisions related to testing, such as sampling, use of statistical methods or sequences of tests.