Re: Metric/imperial
- From: Roger Haar <haar@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 04 Jun 2007 08:14:07 -0700
HI,
The "Metric vs Imperial" debate really should be focusing on which makes the United States more competitive in the market place. IF you are making stuff for yourself, enjoy whatever system you like including cubits and fortnights. If it is only for the USA market then one can do whatever. But if you have any interest in selling internationally, you will probably not sell much if it is not made to metric spec's and metric bolts. In countries that use the metric system, imperial bolts are very hard to find.
This story is out of Toledo, Ohio and is now about 20 years old. A company had been making manufacturing equipment of some kind. There had been enough tweaks and changes that had been tacked onto the original design, the the company decided to re-engineer the product to eliminate all the kluges. They decided to go metric with the redesign. Before they re-designed the equipment they had never sold anything to Europe. Shortly after they introduced the re-designed equipment, they started to get requests from Europe.
________________
What happened to the switch to metric that started in the late 70's? Change of presidents. If the change had happened 20 years ago, most Americans under 30 would only know metric, and those under 40 would only just remember the English system.
Thanks
Roger Haar
sparky wrote:
On May 24, 11:43 pm, "Tom Gardner" <tom(nospam)@ohiobrush.com> wrote:.Mike's post about a rifle receiver somehow started a very heated argument in
my office today about the metric system vs. imperial measurements. My point
being that the measuring system doesn't matter, as long as it is
comunicatable and intuitive. Roger's point is that metric is so vastly
superior in every way that Imperial should be abandoned and not taught in
schools anymore. I say people in the US won't change and there is no NEED
to change.
1. Why did the USA not embrace the metric system? I remember the hoopla
when I was in grade school, then it just died.
2. How did the rest of the world adjust where the US couldn't/wouldn't?
One of the big things the government used to seduce Canadians into
using the metric system was that all food items would be priced per
KG. We all know that is total BS and everything is priced at whatever
quantity is in the container, just like it was with the Imperial
system.
On the other hand the government was very happy to get the sales tax
on another set of sockets, another set of wrenches. another set of
drills, another set of taps & dies, and more yet.
The only winner was the government.
# I'd guess that half of us in the US, in metalworking, use metric regularly
if not exclusively. I can't quite THINK in metric, almost but not quite.
One of the Russian immigrant engineers I know once said: "No wonder US win
Cold War, you are all brilliant...to be able to use this fu*ked-up system!"
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