Standardization of hydraulic and thermal machines

Standardization focuses on global market products, test methods and management methods such as quality management and quality assurance.

International standardization is being promoted by a growing interest on the part of the USA and Japan, following the recent development of European standardization.

Standardization allows economies to evolve towards globalization:

• growing importance of international trade (capital goods, consumer goods);

• government efforts to harmonize national regulations (GATT, WTO, UN agreements, etc.).

At company level, standardization enables :

• rationalize and better manage production processes, thus generating economies of scale and productivity gains;

• raise product quality thresholds;

• simplify commercial relations;

• access to certification (or proof of compliance with standards);

• set up a quality assurance system;

• limit risks in the event of a subsequent accident.

Standardization also enables a profession or an industrial sector, such as hydraulic and thermal machinery, to develop a strategy that goes beyond the national framework. As a result, standards are of considerable economic importance to countries participating in standardization, as they promote their technology.

In the field of hydraulic and thermal machines, the major players in this global competition are now Germany, the UK, the USA and, of course, France. The involvement of international secretariats is indicative of the importance attached by industry to standardization, which, unlike regulations, is voluntary.

Standardization of hydraulic and thermal machines is currently carried out by six technical committees at international level and four technical committees at European level, since not all machines are subject to international and European standardization.

This standardization, created internationally in 1964 and 1965 by the Europeans, won over the Americans in the mid-1970s. In general, it considers more than just the interchangeability of components, which is the hallmark of mechanical standardization.

While interchangeability is an obvious element of standardization for machine assembly and replacement, the specific nature of hydraulic and thermal machines calls for a different kind of standardization. This involves fluid mechanics (hydraulics and aeraulics), strength of materials, thermics and vacuum...