 |
 |
||||||
[October 2004]
ISO/CEN Harmonisation: Background and Update
The BSI programme of standards making for advanced technical ceramics began in 1984, to be subsumed into CEN actions in 1989. Since then, over 100 CEN standards have been produced for this materials sector including powders, monolithic ceramics, long-fibre composites and coatings.
Work in ISO TC206 under a Japanese Secretariat began later, in 1993, and since 1999 has published globally agreed documents which in many cases are not exactly technically equivalent to CEN standards. This has led to a need to harmonise standards where this is practicable, in order to avoid problems of dual testing practices needed for global trade.
This job is a tough one and in some cases Europe is agreeing to differ from the ISO version in order to maintain existing practices or to exclude some permitted by ISO versions.
CEN TC184 Working Group 3, monolithic ceramics, is currently working on two new potential standards: on C-ring testing in both tension and compression; and on guidelines for proof testing - following the working group's decision to move towards developing component orientated standards.
For more information on the ceramic standards programme, e-mail Roger Morrell at the NPL Materials Centre at: roger.morrell@npl.co.uk
ENDS