STANDARDS: The Search for a Red Thread

摘要

Thread standards are among the oldest standards in the world, all categories included. Today DIN, ISO and UTS have emerged as the dominant standards among countless others, creating a potential minefield where a wrong choice can lead to expensive joint failures. It may seem counter-intuitive that something with basically just a few functions has generated so many standards. In general, a screw thread has two main functions: to convert rotary motion into linear motion as in the case of power threads, and to hold parts together preventing opening or sliding of the clamped parts as in the case of threaded fasteners.