4. Standards

The standards provide a common language and representation on drawings for principals and manufacturers.

There are currently DIN (Germany), MIL (USA), Afnor (France) and ISO standards [Doc. E 4 050] . In addition, certain large organizations, such as the armed forces, have their own specific standards.

Developing new or common standards can take a long time, as everyone remains attached to tried-and-tested principles and methods, and innovative processes shake up the habits of all personnel (from managers to workers).

We do not describe the standards in detail, as they are commercially available. They evolve rapidly and should only be used after careful reading of the current version.