Standards and Specifications

In this video we will cover

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What are standards and specifications?

Why do they matter?

How are standards developed?

How do scientists and engineers use standards?

How are standards organized?

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What is a standard?

According to the International Standards Organization,

"A standard is a document established by consensus of subject matter experts and approved by a recognized body that provides guidance on the design, use, or performance of materials products, processes, services, systems, or persons."

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Example of an engineering standard referenced in the literature

Examples of standards are in products we use every day

Common engineering standards

What are specifications?

Why do they matter?

How are standards developed?

• Standards are developed by a committee of volunteer experts
• Standards development organizations (SDOs) are member-supported organizations responsible for determining what standards are needed for the industries and organizations they serve

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Using standards

• When designing something new, product developers may need current standards to ensure interoperability.
• Sometimes scientists and engineers need access to older versions of standards to understand how an older product was designed or tested.
• Scientists and engineers use testing standards to make sure they are following the proper procedure for measuring and describing the specifications of their product.

How are standards organized?

A standard normally has three parts:

• the publishing organization’s acronym
• a unique identifying number for the standard
• the year that particular edition

Example of a joint issued standard