Los Angeles herald., 1910-09-25
PLAN STANDARDIZATION
OF AUTO INDUSTRY
Building of Motor Vehicles Now
Fifth in Scale of U. S.
Industries

To meet the imperative demands OF
the automobile industry there has at
last been set on foot a definite, COM
prehensive, systematized movement
looking to the permanent standardiza-
ton of this great commercial field.
This work, inevitable In its necessity
to an industry now fifth in the scale
of industries, and one growing by leaps
and bounds, Is to be conducted by the
Society of Automobile Engineers. Fol
lowing the decision made at the ex-
traordinarily successful meeting OF the
s. A. e. at Detroit last month a stan
dardization committee of the society
has been organized.
The work of the committee involves
an immense amount of detail. Success
in such matters requires continual and
faithful attention to the many con-
siderations involved. Proper standard
ization will mean a tremendous saw
ing to the industry and the public, for
it spells efficiency, bettering quality,
reducing cost and facilitating produc-
ton. 1t means interchangeabiltty,
highly valuable to producer and user.
Standardization must necessarily be
very careful and deliberate, giving
proper balance of the many points
making up the automobile engineering
and production problems. Persistent
application for several years by the
most capable automobile engineers
working jointly has resulted in the es-
tablishment of only q few standards,
some of which have not been widely
adopted; these are known as the A. L.
A. M. screw standard and drill sizes
for same, spark plugs, solid and ad-
Unstable yoke and eye rod ends and
horse power formula. Recently the
S. A e. took over the engineering
department of the Automobile Manu-
facturers' association, so that the work
of the society now has the virtue or
being inclusive as well as continuous.
Subjects now in hand by the s. A. b.
Standardization committee are the spe-
cifcation and heat treatment of auto
mobile materials, the indeXing and d1-
costing Of automobile engineering lit
erature, the compilation and publish
ing of an automobile engineers hand
book or pocketbook, seamless steel
tubing, sheet metal, lock washers,
limits for screws and taps, round
cornered square holes and keyWays'
brake and clutch lever forgings, prac-
tice in plain and anti-friction bear
ings, wood wheel dimensions and fas-
Jennings for solid tires, shackle bolts,
carburetor f1angeS, outlets, bolt-hole
center distances, cap screws, gasoline
connections, throttle levers and holes
in same, water connections and gas
kets, automobile nomenclature, frame
sections. The matter of sheet metal
alone involves the consideration Of the
chemical composition, dimensions and
standard Of measurement of clutch
discs, brake drums, body panels, muf-
flers, radiators, tenders, hoods, sod
pans, fan blades, hub caps, dashes,
steps, running boards, miscellaneous
stampings and many other parts.
Owing to the magnitude of the still
fast-growing automobile industry 1t is
necessary that the engineering work
be carried on not only in accordance
with the best methods that have OBJ
tanned In every other industry of prime
Importance, but also in accordance
with those conditions peculiar to the
motor car business. The industry Is
clearly confronted with the absolute
necessity of taking UP the work in an
active way. This had to be done in the
railway business and in practically all
the old line industries. And the only
reason 1t has not been done in the
automobile industry is that that indus
try has grown too fast, everybody
connected with 1t having been too busy
to give the various requisite standard
izations adequate attention.