The Economic Aspects of Standardization

By K. H. CONDIT
Editor, American Machinist

the practical point of view all. At this stage considerable stand-

FROM
1~ there is but one criterion
by which ardization is not only possible but
to judge a piece of
industrial standard- highly desirable.
ization and that is its economic justi-
fication. Much of the effort expended STYLE FACTOR
on standardizing in the past has been Another factor that has a strong
wasted because there was no economic bearing on the economic justification
justification for the project. The re- of standards work is the style factor.
sults, therefore, were not accepted by Much of the opposition to any kind of
industry and the standard was not standardization comes from generally
worth the paper on which it was written. unthinking &dquo;individualists&dquo; who view
One of the factors involved in de- with the utmost alarm the possibility
termining the economic value of a that they will be compelled by a grim-
standard is its timeliness. Disregard jawed, mechanically eflicient standard-
of this factor has brought many a bit of izer to wear clothes cut to a standard
valuable engineering standardization pattern, made of a standard material
to grief. Take as an example one of and indistinguishable from those worn
our best instances of standardization by everyone else. They fear that they
work, the modern automobile. Today will be forced to eat standardized food,
the gear-shifting arrangements on prac- drink standardized drinks and live in
tically all cars are alike; the crank- standardized houses. They forget that
shafts all rotate in the same direction; they go to work over standardized
many minor parts are interchangeable railroads, read standardized news-
on cars of different makes but of approx- papers to learn what is happening in
imately the same size. We take all the world, and carry on their businesses
this as a matter of course now, but it is with such highly standardized equip-
only recently that it has been made ment as the telephone and the type-
possible. Consider, for a moment, writer.
what would have happened had similar The distinction between what should
standardization been attempted in be standardized and what should not
1903, only 25 years ago. The auto- must be made on an economic basis.
mobile then was in its early develop- As to clothes there is a definite limit.
ment stages. Most of the designs were A man’s coat is pretty well standard-
experimental and were subject to radi- ized as to general shape, arrangement
cal changes each year, and sometimes of pockets and number of buttons, but
oftener. Any effort to standardize not as to material or the finer points of
then would have resulted either in the cutter’s art. His wife’s clothes,
failure or in a retarding of development on the contrary, are apparently stand-

quite as bad. Now that the art has ard only in the distance her skirt must
reached a high state of advancement, be from the floor. On this point the
annual changes are relatively minor in dictators of style are positive, although
character, and many parts, bolts and they revise the standard periodically.
nuts, for instance, are not affected at He may have a feeling when he is
39
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40

presented with a bill for what seems little progress has been made with ball
like an inordinate number of costumes bearings and screw threads.
that a little standardization might be No such serious handicap affects the
very well justified on economic grounds, standardization of test codes on an in-
but he realizes that peace of mind is ternational basis. Considerable prog-
also worth a lot. ress has been made in this direction and
At the same time, there is probably the machinery is set up to continue it.
more standardization here than some Until international trade is conducted
of us realize. For example, one cloth- on a basis less strongly flavored with

ing maker in New York makes nothing nationalism, and industrial education
but blue serge suits of one weight of has made more progress than it has as
material. There is always a market yet, there will apparently be little
for a staple of this nature and he can economic justification for extensive
therefore keep his plant working stead- standardization.
ily and turn out a good product at a
price very much below that possible NATIONAL STANDARDIZATION
for the maker who works up all kinds Coming down to the next grade,
of goods in a variety of styles. national standardization, we find fewer
Here is the point overlooked by the handicaps to be overcome. Size stand-
thoughtless worrier. If the standard- ardization becomes feasible by reason
ization he fears does not meet with of standardization of the system of
general approval-if people will not measures in each country. The vari-
buy such standardized goods-the ous industries in any particular country
whole attempt is a failure. It is not are more nearly abreast of each other
justified economically. in their respective states of develop-
Up to this point we have discussed ment, but there is still much to be
standardization in general terms; now desired in this direction.
we can particularize. Standardization Economic justification of standards
has various stages or grades, each one work in a given country depends on the
of which has economic aspects peculiar public acceptance of the work of
to itself. The grades might be desig- the various organizations engaged in
nated as international, national, in- standardizing, and this again depends
dustry, corporation and company. on the extent to which the general

public is ready to discard tradition and

INTERNATIONAL STANDARDIZATION
accept innovation. Education and
Very little has been accomplished in persuasion must be employed to en-
international standardization, for ob- courage adoption of any type of stand-
vious reasons. The manufacturing ard because there is no satisfactory
arts are at different stages in different means of enforcing adoption. The
countries, and what is acceptable in emphasis here is on the word &dquo;satis-
the advanced country is not in the factory&dquo; because legislation can be
backward one. employed as a means. That it is not
Size standardization is almost im- universally satisfactory as a medium is
possible because of variations in meas- clear from the difficulties encountered
uring units. The great bulk of the in enforcing prohibition legislation, an
manufacturing is done in Great Britain unpopular enactment.
and the United States to English units, What success in national standardiz-
while the minor part is done in many ation has been achieved in this country,
other countries to metric units. A and it is considerable, has been the

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 41

result of a gathering of those interested, difficult to show savings due to standard-

under the direction of an impartial ization in dollars and cents, the tre-
chairman, at which concessions were mendous profits of the corporation are
made and a general agreement was attributable, in some part at least, to
reached. Those concerned in such a savings resulting from standardization.
meeting had a mutual interest in the Even in this type of standards work
undertaking and were seeking the same there are differences of opinion to be
objective. It should be said that the ironed out. There are many com-
standards so arrived at have been of panies in the General Motors organiza-
little moment to the consumer except tion, and some of the individuals in-
to reduce the cost to him of the product volved have had to be talked into
standardized. Because he suffered no acceptance of the corporation standards.
inconvenience and has enjoyed an im- If all else fails, the individual com-
provement in quality of product or a pany can always do standardizing
decrease in price, he has been willing within itself that will be economically
to accept such standards and so assure justified on its balance sheet. There
their economic justification. is a New England manufacturer of
thread who endeavored unsuccessfully
INDUSTRIAL STANDARDIZATION for three years to get his competitors
Stepping now into the wider circle of together on a simplification project
industry standardization we find a that would have saved all of them
smaller group of interested individuals much money. At last, in disgust, he
or organizations and a correspondingly gave it up and attacked his own list of
simpler task of reconciling differences. types and sizes, cutting out the small
Under present conditions the trade sellers ruthlessly. At present he is the
association is the medium through only manufacturer in the group that is
which such standardization is generally operating profitably. Clearly there is
accomplished. Projects not subject to economic justification for this kind of
national standardization because of the standardization.
disaffection of certain groups or indus- In the discussion of international
tries are readily handled in the other standardization two kinds of standards
groups as individual actions. The were mentioned, test code or proce-
result is not the perfect one that might dure standardization, and dimensional
come from a national movement but it standardization. There is a third,
is a step in the right direction and repre- quality standardization. What, briefly,
sents a saving for some part, at least, are the economic aspects of these three
of industry and the consuming public. types of standards?
Industry standardization sometimes
fails because two or three reactionary QUALITY STANDARDIZATION
companies or individuals refuse to When we buy a boiler built to pass
come along with the majority. In the tests prescribed in the Boiler Test
that case it is perfectly possible for a Code we know what pressure it will
large corporation in the industry to stand and what to expect from it.
carry on its own standardization work. Similarly, when we buy an electric
Perhaps the most notable example is motor we know it will stand certain
the General Motors Corporation. It conditions of service satisfactorily or
has an efficient standards committee we can return it. A building must
and can point with pride to its accom- comply with the local building code,
plishments. Although it is extremely from which we are certain what loads

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42

it will carry. Buying under these ble, to a large extent, by the large
conditions we are relieved from the demand for a uniform product, thus
expense of testing the product or permitting the employment of expen-
structure for ourselves. It is safe for sive special machinery. Interchange-
our men to work with, near, or in such able manufacture is founded on dimen-
products or structures. We are saved sional standardization, and is the
certain expenses that we should have to keystone in the arch of modern indus-
meet were the items not built according trial production. Its economic justifi-
to standard code. cation is obvious.
Quality specifications are well estab-
lished and economically essential to ECONOMIC STANDARDIZATION
industry. In certain cases materials In conclusion let us consider one
are bought on the trade name only, other economic aspect of standardiza-
largely because the manufacturer has tion. Any form of standard that is so
built up so high a reputation for quality rigid as to resist revision and improve-
that checking him up has been found meant successfully is not economically
unnecessary. The trend, however, sound. Such a standard deserves
is toward purchase to a rigid specifica- every bit of the suspicion with which
tion to be sure that variations in mate- standards in general are viewed by
rials will not upset the fine balance of some people. A standard must repre-
operations in the modern manufactur- sent the best that industry has to offer
ing plant. Part of the economic justi- and it must persist as a standard only
fication lies in the freedom from dis- until something better has been proved
organizing uncertainty. A larger part feasible. Then it must yield its place
lies in the ability to purchase a standard to the improvement.
material in larger quantities. Standards that cannot readily be
revised will be dealt with harshly by
DIMENSIONAL STANDARDIZATION economic laws. They had better not
Dimensional standards have been have been established in the first place
reduced to exceedingly close limits of because their fall is likely to pull down
recent years. Accuracy of manufac- useful structures along with them.
ture that would have been prohibitively Evidently, therefore, the economic
expensive not long ago is common aspect of an industrial standard is the
practice now and has been made possi- critical one in its existence.

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