on 2/11/03 5:34 AM, Mighty Chimp at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: <snip>
> Can you > give me some input on how much Australia is metric? Not from an official > perspective, but from your personal experience. How much imperial/FFU > lingers on and where? Where does industry stand? Dear Euric, My assessment of the current situation in Australia is as follows: I obtained this list of 115 occupations from a government source and applied my own assessment of their current metrication status. Please note that this is my assessment of length measurements only. The whole of Australia adopted mass measures in grams, kilograms, and tonnes quite rapidly and pounds are now only rarely heard. Australians also came to terms with millilitres, litres, and cubic metres quite quickly, too, and pints and gallons are rarely referred to, Similarly, degrees Celsius were adopted rapidly and Fahrenheit degrees are now only discussed when the temperature reaches or exceeds 38 �C. millimetres � 89 occupations These are the trades, professions and activities that chose millimetres as their small unit. Metric conversion in these activities was smooth, rapid and quiet. mm Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (Avionics) mm Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (Mechanical) mm Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (Structures) mm Automotive Electrician mm Binder and Finisher mm Blacksmith mm Boat Builder and Repairer mm Bricklayer mm Broadcast Transmitter Operator mm Business Machine Mechanic mm Cabinetmaker mm Cable Jointer mm Carpenter mm Carpenter and Joiner mm Communications Linesperson mm Computing Support Technician mm Dental Technician mm Drainer mm Electrical Engineering Technician mm Electrical Powerline Tradesperson mm Electrician (Special Class) mm Electronic Engineering Technician mm Electronic Equipment Tradesperson mm Electronic Instrument Tradesperson (Special Class) mm Electroplater mm Engraver mm Farrier mm Fibrous Plasterer mm Fitter mm Flat Glass Tradesperson mm Floor Finisher mm Furniture Finisher mm Furniture Upholsterer mm Gasfitter mm Gem Cuter and Polisher mm General Communications Tradesperson mm General Electrician mm General Electronic Instrument Tradesperson mm General Fabrication Engineering Tradesperson mm General Mechanical Engineering Tradesperson mm General Plumber mm Glass Blower mm Graphic Pre-Press Tradesperson mm Greenkeeper mm Gunsmith mm Jeweller mm Joiner mm Leather Goods Maker mm Lift Mechanic mm Locksmith mm Mechanical Engineering Technician mm Mechanical Services and Airconditioning Plumber mm Medical Grade Shoemaker mm Metal Casting Tradesperson mm Metal Fabricator (Boilermaker) mm Metal Machinist (First Class) mm Metal Polisher mm Motor Mechanic mm Optical Mechanic mm Painter and Decorator mm Panel Beater mm Patternmaker-Grader (Clothing) mm Piano maker mm Piano Tuner mm Precision Instrument Maker and Repairer mm Pressure Welder mm Printing Machinist mm Refrigeration and Airconditioning Mechanic mm Roof Plumber mm Roof Slater and Tiler mm Saw Maker and Repairer mm Sheetmetal Worker (First Class) mm Shipwright mm Shoemaker mm Signwriter mm Solid Plasterer mm Stonemason mm Textile, Clothing or Footwear Mechanic mm Toolmaker mm Upholsterers and Bedding Tradespersons mm Vehicle Body Maker mm Vehicle Painter mm Vehicle Trimmer mm Wall and Floor Tiler mm Watch and Clock Maker and Repairer mm Welder (First Class) mm Wood Tradesperson mm Wood Turner Centimetres and inches � 13 occupations Those who chose to use centimetres as their small unit are still � after 33 years � struggling to come to terms with metric measures. These people are noticeable because of their loud screaming about the difficulty of metric conversion. Characteristically, these folk are constantly doing conversions from old units to metric units and vice versa. cm and inches Apparel Cutter cm and inches Baker cm and inches Chef cm and inches Chef � Head Chef cm and inches Cook cm and inches Dressmaker cm and inches General Clothing Tradesperson cm and inches Pastry Cook cm and inches Picture Framer cm and inches Sail Maker cm and inches Screen Printer cm and inches Small Offset Printer cm and inches Tailor centimetres, feet and inches � 6 occupations See the remarks for centimetres and inches cm, feet and inches Canvas Goods Maker cm, feet and inches General Gardener cm, feet and inches Head Gardener cm, feet and inches Landscape Gardener cm, feet and inches Nurseryperson cm, feet and inches Tree Surgeon Unknown � 7 occupations I was unable to assess these occupations because I am unfamiliar with them. I suspect that people in these trades don't do much in the way of length measures. However, as I noted previously, they all measure mass in grams, kilograms, and tonnes and volume in millilitres, litres, and cubic metres. ? Butcher ? Buttermaker or Cheesemaker ? Confectioner ? Hairdresser ? Smallgoods Maker ? Supervisor, Hairdressers ? Supervisor, Meat Tradespersons > It's curious that in an international engineering meeting, English is the > accepted language. What's not accepted, however, are the units of measure > on the equipment under discussion. Engineering units still cause > difficulties in the global interchange of parts and data. Measuring units used in engineering only cause problems when conversions are involved. This happens when someone, somewhere, wants to use dual units. > All countries are now in various degrees of transitions to the metric > system. Most of the EU countries are nearly completely metric Probably about 99.9�% in Europe, The only reference to old units that I hear out of Europe is when they are referring to an historic unit � such as the pond or the akker. However these old units now have metric definitions � such as 500 grams or 4000 square metres. > whereas > other countries such as Canada, India and Australia are about half way. My guess is that Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa are about 95�% metric. The only remaining issue is for the folk who chose to use centimetres as their small unit. They are still struggling with metrication and THEY'RE A NOISY LOT! > In comparison, the USA may be about 20% metric. I have seen estimates made by others on this list that the USA is now about 40�% metric. Perhaps others would care to comment. > Many of our products and > industries have been metric for quite some time, while automotive companies > have been in this transition process for more than 20 years. In the 1970s, the world automotive industry developed the 'world car concept' that required parts to be interchangeable between all countries. This meant that Ford (for example) could source brake parts from Australia and then use them in cars made in the USA, in England, or in Europe. For this to happen, the same measuring units had to be used by everyone. My understanding is that the world automotive industry is 100�% metric and has been since the late 1970s. > Changing to the metric system presents an opportunity for companies to unify > metric standards worldwide and encourage the use of more interchangeable > parts. These can be mass produced in fewer variety which benefit > consumers and producers alike. Many companies made a lot of money out of metrication, but they tend not to trumpet this too loudly as they also argued before metrication that, 'It will be too costly � and we will probably need a government subsidy!' > To make more parts interchangeable, other factors must also be > interchangeable, such as the nominal size of a part, its tolerances, and > material quality. A bolt, for example, must have the same physical size, > tolerance, and strength class. Steel plates are interchangeable when the > thickness, size, tolerance, and the steel quality are sufficiently close > to swapping one manufacturer to another. More importantly, purchasing > interchangeable parts and components around the world provides an > opportunity to reduce manufacturing costs. There is a story about General Motors who set up a committee to monitor their metrication costs with a view of requesting government support for their metrication program. They closed it down after a short time when they realised that rationalisation of their inventory, alone, was saving them more money than the 'metric costs committee' was costing to run. Cheers, Pat Naughtin LCAMS Geelong, Australia Pat Naughtin is the editor of the free online newsletter, 'Metrication matters'. You can subscribe by sending an email containing the words subscribe Metrication matters to [EMAIL PROTECTED] --
