I have been fortunate in that from the age of seventeen I have worked in both the Imperial system of measurements and the metric system.

As I understand matters, people at large are divided over the issue and some are trying hard to retain the way I have grown used to. That is to use whichever system is appropriate for the task. If the goods are for the USA then use Imperial measurements. If for the UK ask your customer what he prefers. If for Europe I would also ask because the Imperial system is sometimes preferred.

It follows that if the metric system is what you were taught at school or used all your life it is wise to stick with it and not make cardinal errors as recently happened on space shots. If you know only the Imperial way then please use it. We may get two schools. I would see that as an advantage if in the end one has a machine measured in each kind and one way is used to check the other. But please make clear which system you are using and please also put the scales onto drawings and date them. It is important not to shut the USA out of our thinking especially if we have people in house working in the Imperial system.

That said there is also a case for a sensible mix. For example when dividing circles do not neglect twelfths. In the UK many still prefer miles per hour for traffic and some wind speeds and still think of temperature in the Fahrenheit system.

Alan Lovegreen
Lochwinnoch 19th August 2006