482 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[May 1, 1920. 



For instance : 



\1) A long transition period will be required for changing 

 Vlrom one system to the other. As matter of fact old units 

 ■never disappear. Even in France after 83 years of compulsion 

 the old units are still largely used in the textile industry. The 

 same is true of many South American countries. 



(2) A long transition period means the daily use of a dual 

 isystem. Not only will familiarity with both systems be neces- 

 sary but it must also be remembered what relation similar units 

 in the two systems bear to each other. As for instance : 1 

 pound = 0.4536 kilogram and 1 kilogram = 2.2046 pounds. 



(3) A great confusion between the two systems is bound to 

 occur, because education is a slow process. This means of 



Turning to the factory proper where rubber goods are made, 

 a variety of machines, methods and processes are encountered 

 which will all be affected. These are washers, dryers, mixers 

 and grinders, masticators, cement churns, calenders, spreaders, 

 presses and vulcanizers, tubing machines, etc. All this ma- 

 chinery will have to be made to the metric system ; its sizes, 

 capacities and output will carry metric designations, and the 

 goods turned out will be called for in metric dimensions. New 

 machines will be built to fit the new metric dimensions to which 

 the goods may have been changed, but the older machines still 

 hale and hearty may in some cases be obliged to work to re- 

 duced capacities, should it not be possible to enlarge them to 

 increased metric dimensions. And should these dimensions be 



•course errors, claims, expense and misunderstandings, if not 

 worse. 



(4) The discarding of all measuring tools and weighing ap- 

 pliances. This means not only the changing of habits for every 

 individual, man or woman, but it also brings home to them the 

 expense involved. The cost to the transportation companies, 

 the industries and all merchants cannot be calculated. 



(5) The recalculation and establishing of new prices for 

 every commodity raised and manufactured to conform to the 

 new standards of length, weight and volume. 



(6) All standard goods called for in the new language will 

 be expressed in odd dimensions, as a 7-inch channel will become 

 a 177.8-millimeter channel. To avoid odd dimensions it can be 

 made a 175-millimeter channel, using the multiple of 25 as is 

 ■done abroad. The result will be the restandardizing of goods, 

 a prospect almost hopeless, when the time and effort required to 

 establish the present standards are considered. 



(7) The cost involved in the change becomes appalling and 

 the time required will cripple the industries for years, during 

 which time they will be further handicapped by a flood of im- 

 portations, thus playing into the hands of foreign competitors. 



SPECIFIC RESULTS FOLLOWING ADOPTION OF METRIC SYSTEM. 



The metric system in relation to the rubber industry will now 

 te considered. 



Factory Equipment: Factories for the production of rub- 

 ber goods use a certain amount of standard equipment such as 

 boilers, steam engines, electric generators and motors, pumps, 

 hoists, valves, shafting, hangers, pulleys, pipes, screws, bolts, 

 nuts, etc. Once the metric system is compulsory, replacements 

 and additions are obtainable only in the new sizes. To fit these 

 to the existing lay-out will be a task for any master mechanic, 

 even should he be a metric enthusiast. Break-downs under such 

 conditions will take on a more serious aspect. 



reduced from present ones the same observation fits the case. 

 Only maximum output per machine spells economic production. 

 Compounds: While the machines themselves with their 

 upkeep, repair and replacement present a problem, a more 

 serious one is encountered in the question of rubber compound- 

 ing. The ingredients are mixed according to weight. This 

 means, to begin with, the changing of all scale-beams and run- 

 ners or weights. The number of compounds used in the rubber 

 industry is legion. Not only do different types of articles re- 

 quire different compounds, but the same article, an automobile 

 tire for instance, is made from several compounds. A typical 

 one follows : 



Auto Tire Tread— Black. 



Pounds. Kilograms. 



Fine Para 45 = 20.412 



Zinc oxide 25 = 11.34 



Carbon black 10 = 4.536 



Mineral rubber 6 = 2.7216 



Aluminum flake . 11= 4.9896 



Sulphur 3= 1.3608 



100 

 The equivalents in kilograms are given for all pound figures 

 in the 100-pound batch. The size of batches varies from about 

 100 to 300 pounds, according to the capacity of the mixers. 



The composition of a compound is the result of extended ex- 

 perience along the path of which many failures have made 

 themselves felt. It is, therefore, not a matter to be trifled with. 

 To translate the figures in use into metric values— and thou- 

 sands will have to be so recalculated — means the use of decimal 

 fractions of a kilogram. The fact that these are called "grams" 

 does not alleviate the situation, for what superintendent would 

 feel safe in giving his workmen such metric figures to work to? 

 The smaller the batch the greater the danger of inaccuracy. 



