c. The problem of education and publicity on the metric system. e. The possibility of arranging loans to small businesses to assist them f. The capability of the scale industry to make a changeover. 3. The estimated number of new metric test weights that would be required showed 5,800 units for weights and measures enforcement jurisdictions and 15,600 units for service agencies. 4. Members estimated that 94.1, 5.2, and 7 percent of the scales now used by industry indicate or record in the customary system (avdp. weight), the metric system, or other measurement systems, respectively. CONCLUSIONS No attempt will be made to draw conclusions. The information presented herein is a compilation of answers as received from the membership and reflects their views on the metrication problem. SERVICE AGENCIES 23 INTRODUCTION This appendix will identify the major cost areas that service agencies (either owned by device manufacturers or independent) will face due to metric adaptation of weighing and measuring devices to record and/or indicate in metric units.24 It should be understood that the major cost areas will only be identified, and that estimated costs herein were not developed by a detailed cost analysis and are included only as an aid to the reader so that he may better understand the extent of the economic impacts of metrication upon these agencies. Service agencies in general will face costs arising from the need: (1) to purchase new and/or adapt present testing equipment in/to metric units; (2) to establish education programs for their personnel to understand the metric system (SI); and (3) to be able to adapt devices now in use where practical, to indicate or record in metric units. EQUIPMENT - GENERAL The equipment used by servicemen is similar to or the same as that used by weights and measures inspectors. Thus, the equipment problems due to metrication faced by service agencies will be about the same as those encountered by weights and measures jurisdictions.25 The following conditions apply to the discussions that follow: 26 1. Service agencies will have to purchase new small metric weight kits to be able to efficiently test small capacity devices. 2. Because of the cost involved in either replacing large mass standards or adapting them to convenient metric units, correction weights should be used. 3. Provers, except glass, can usually be adapted by replacing the scale plate. This can be done at a nominal cost of about $10 each. EQUIPMENT-SCALE SERVICE AGENCIES The cost of metrication to scale service agencies could easily be over $1 million. In fact, one scale manufacturer estimates its costs would be at least $200,000 to re-equip its service personnel and repair shops.27 Even though there is no accurate breakdown of the different types of test weights now used by repairmen, the National Scale Men's Association estimates that 23 See comments section of app. I-1. 24 Costs arising from other types of metrication have not been included. 25 See II-3, p. 61. 26 For a more complete discussion of these conditions, see II-3, p. 62. (Cost Analysis: Introductory Comments). 27 See comments section of app. I-1, p. 41 for more details. there are over 15,000 individual weights of all types now in use.28 However, it is reasonable to assume that most of these weights are of the small mass type in convenient U.S. customary units. High costs would therefore arise due to the fact that these mass standards would become obsolete under a metrication program and new metric standards would have to be purchased to take their place. EQUIPMENT-METER SERVICE AGENCIES It does not appear that meter service agencies would face severe cost problems in adapting their testing equipment, mostly nonglass provers, to indicate in metric units. Provers, as mentioned previously, can usually be adapted for $10 each, irrespective of type. Even though there is no accurate accounting for numbers or types of provers now used by repairmen, it is doubtful that there would be more than 6,000 provers (of all types); weights and measures jurisdictions have only 5,123 nonglass provers, and it is reasonable to assume that since the total personnel forces of both the meter service agencies and weights and measures jurisdictions are about the same, the total number of provers used would be about the same also. As a result of the above deduction, it is estimated that the total equipment adaptation cost would be around $60,000. TRAINING-SCALE AND METER REPAIRMEN Service agency personnel will have to undergo a training program that will enable them (1) to understand and use the metric system of measurement in their work and (2) to be able to adapt presently used devices, where possible, to indicate and/or record in metric units. It now appears that the cost of educational materials to be used in these training programs will be small compared to the man hours spent by repairmen in such programs. Using (1) the training time estimated for weights and measures officials as a guide, i.e., 50 to 80 hours of instruction per man, and (2) 6,000 servicemen as a base, the total amount of time spent on training would be between 336,000 and 480,000 hours. The total economic cost would be, using $15 per man per hour as an average estimate of labor and overhead, between $5,040,000 and $7,200,000. CONCLUSION The impacts of the above costs will, it appears, fall most heavily on independent service agencies, especially the scale ones. These agencies may not have the financial resources to incur such costs unless they are spread over a reasonable period of time, say 5 to 10 years. 28 See app. 1-3, p. 53. GLOSSARY 1. Customary System: the system of measurement units (yard, pound, second, degree Fahrenheit, and units derived from these) most commonly used in the United States. Often referred to as the "English system" or the "U.S. system." Our customary system is derived from, but not identical to, the "Imperial system"; the latter has been used in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, but is being abandoned in favor of the metric system. 2. Metric System: the measurement system that commonly uses the meter for length, the kilogram for mass, the second for time, the degree Celsius (formerly "Centigrade") for temperature, and units derived from these. This system has evolved over the years and the modernized version today is identified as the "International System of Units," which is abbreviated "SI." 3. International System of Units (SI): popularly known as the modernized metric system, it is the coherent system of units based upon and including the meter (length), kilogram (mass), second (time), kelvin (temperature), ampere (electric current), and candela (luminous intensity), as established by the General Conference on Weights and Measures in 1960, under the Treaty of the Meter. A seventh base unit, the mole (for amount of substance) is being considered as another SI base unit. The radian (plane angle) and the steradian (solid angle) are supplemental units of the system. 4. Metrication: any act tending to increase the use of the metric system (SI), whether it be increased use of metric units or of engineering standards that are based on such units. 5. Planned Metrication: metrication following a coordinated national plan to bring about the increased use of the metric system in appropriate areas of the economy and at appropriate times. The inherent aim of such a plan would be to change a nation's measurement system and practices from primarily customary to primarily metric. 6. Cost of Metrication: that increment of cost, monetary or otherwise, directly attributable to metrication over and above any costs that would have been incurred without metrication. 7. Benefits of Metrication: monetary and other advantages accruing as a result of increased use of the metric system. 8. Measurement Standard: a device or physical phenomenon that is used to define or determine a characteristic of a thing in terms of a unit of measurement established by authority. Examples are gage blocks, weights, thermometers, and mean solar day. 9. Engineering Standard: a practice established by authority or mutual agreement and described in a document to assure dimensional compatibility, quality of product, uniformity of evaluation procedure, or uniformity of engineering language. Examples are documents prescribing screw thread dimensions, chemical composition and mechanical properties of steel, dress |