Standardization in mechanical engineering

Standardization is now an almost inescapable reality for the manufacture and marketing of most industrial products in France, Europe and the rest of the world, but the approach to French and international standards systems can be complex and time-consuming in some cases. It requires a certain amount of prior knowledge.

The aim of this article is to provide the essential knowledge required by mechanical engineers to use the standards tool profitably. In particular, it shows:

• standardization is never neutral, reflecting technology, knowledge and regulations. As such, it is of commercial advantage to those who have mastered it;

• that standardization integrated into a product's life cycle, right from the specifications stage*, is a beneficial action for all levels of the company, from design, manufacturing, marketing, use and maintenance to environmental management.

At the crossroads of all industrial sectors, the role of mechanical engineering is to invent and produce parts, machines and systems that can be highly complex. Mechanical engineering comes into play as soon as a material product is planned. As such, it is a necessary step in virtually every field and, as such, is a cross-disciplinary discipline. There's even a saying that electronics wouldn't exist without mechanical support. In any case, for the mechanic :

• multidisciplinary knowledge, both general and normative;

• a high level of standardization skills, enabling us to master the interfaces and interactions involved in a product's lifecycle through systemic analysis.

* Cahier des charges: document in which the customer expresses his needs in terms of service functions and constraints (NF X 50-150 and NF X 50-151).