INDUSTRIAL STANDARDISATION

Evening Star, Issue 23100, 28 October 1938, Page 1

INDUSTRIAL STANDARDISATION

EFFICIENT SYSTEM VITAL ADJUNCT TO CIVILISATION Standardisation in industry, its growth, and tho effects of its establishment, were dealt with last night by Mr Percy Good, deputy-director of the British Standards Institution, at a meeting convoked by the Institution of Engineers (Otago branch) and also attended by members of the Dunedin Manufacturers’ Association, the Otago Builders’ Association, the New Zealand Institute of Architects, and the New Zealand Standards Institute. Mr W. D. Richards, chairman of the Otago branch of the New Zealand Institution of Engineers, presided. New Zealand had accomplished a great deal in tho direction of standardisation, said Mr Good. In England the work had largely been based on support from industry, and it was felt that more support should be forthcoming from the Government, as was the case here. The fact, however, that there had been an income of,about £30,000 per annum from the industries showed that the aims of the institution were fully appreciated. This appreciation he had not found so marked among the general public in Australia and New Zealand, and many had been surprised at his statements that standardisation was an essentia) adjunct to civilisation. The only way for the civilised races to survive, ho said, was on the basis of their technical industries. The last century had seen the growth of a more humanising element in industry, and it was essential that there should be a more reasonable basis for it. The scope of standardisation had widened until it covered an astounding sphere. Standards were becoming recognised as more and more necessary factors in all stages of production. Without them it was difficult to make comparisons. They represented a uniform measuring rod to enable the workers to discuss their task among, themselves, and as soon as this was being done, there was a great rise in the general standard. WHEN QUALITY DROPS. In the early stages, the desire for standardisation had come largely from the engineers, but now new trends were becoming marked. Industry found itself faced with the fact that qualitysuffered through unrestrained competition, and this loss of quality destroyed public confidence. The speaker said he knew of several major industries whose existence was threatened because of this fact. Even goods issued by reputable firms under an assured brand were affected by this loss of confidence. This pointed unmistakably to the neccssity of an independent association to set standards. New Zealand was in a fortunate position in regard to standardisation, he continued. In England, industries could be seen which wore actually deformed, and, because of their age, it was impossible to correct the faults. In the early stages there was every chance of correction, and this vyas the case with nearly every industry in New Zealand. If they were developed through co-operation in research and standardisation, they should have every opportunity to make good progress. With the increasing use ofautdmatic methods of production, the need for standardisation was increasing. The elimination of the human factor called for materials of greater uniformity if the flow of production was to be maintained and not held up by constant adjustments. Efficiency in manufacture meant accurate and economic manufacture. BUYING COMPETENCY. It had to be realised that until recently in most fields, said Mr Good, there were expert buyers who bought goods up to a certain standard and were in a position to reject materials which were not in conformity. Now, buying was no longer in the hands of exclusively competent men since the general public were buying more and more technical products—as, for example, motor cars and radios—and it was necessary both for the producer and the purchaser that there should be some appropriate standard of product and of requirements for efficient use.

VALID GUARANTEES. In England the institution had been repeatedly asked for some system of marking to be applied. This was not wholly a new idea, since, with precious metals such as gold and silver, it had been enforced for centuries. It was logical that the present demand should anse as a consequence of the system of weights and measures. This system was to-day more or less of a convenience, and was wholly out of date as a standard of value. The Standards Institution was the modern equivalent. The provision of a marking system was, however, far from easy, although it could be partly solved in many cases It was necessary before a mark could be applied that there should be in the production of the goods a control which could guarantee that there would, be no deviation from the standard implied Anv less strict method, it had been, found, simply meant that a guarantee was of no serious validity. In conclusion, he emphasised the necessity for international equivalence of control and the importance of tho fact that standardisation had m every case resulted in an improvement in the quality of the goods concerned. He also impressed on the members of the New Zealand Standards Institute the far-reaching effect of co-operation with the institutes in other countries and the necessity of assisting at the international conferences. Mr J. G. Alexander, a member of the New Zealand Standards Institute, expressed the thanks of the meeting to Mr Good. .