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Subject:Standards of converting to metric From:"Eric Bolton" <ERICB -at- marvin -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Thu, 3 Feb 2005 10:51:18 -0600
Does anyone know of a standard regarding the conversion of imperial
measurement to metric and how this needs to be documented? Typically,
we list a description of a part, give a length in U.S. measurement and
then list the metric conversion in parentheses and smaller font behind
the measurement.
PART B, 4 3/4" (121)
When I first started this job six years ago, I was originally told
(probably by the other writers) that we only need to give the conversion
of a measurement in its first instance in the document. In other words,
if 4 3/4" is listed at the top of the page and repeated three times
throughout the document, those last three instances would not have a
metric conversion.
Confusion ensues with longer docs or docs with multiple topics.
I have followed this practice without question until my manager brought
the subject up yesterday. I've tried contacting ANSI but have not heard
back from them. I'm thinking this was the initiative of one of our
writers not necessarily a standard followed. One suggestion was to list
the conversion formula at the beginning of the doc and call it good.
Any others?
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