BSI was instrumental in the formation of ISO, the International Organization for Standardization, in 1947 and of its European equivalent, CEN, in 1964. In 1998 a revision of the Charter enabled the organization to diversify and acquire other businesses, and the trading name was changed to BSI Group. It subsequently extended its standardization work and became the British Engineering Standards Association in 1918, adopting the name British Standards Institution in 1931 after receiving its Royal Charter in 1929. In 1901 the Institutions of Civil Engineers, Mechanical Engineers, Naval Architects and the Iron and Steel Institute created a committee, to standardize iron and steel sections for bridges, railways and shipping. For the first time many fabricators could work to identical drawings. Creating these standards became possible in 1840 when the blue print process was invented.
With the coming of the steam age it became clear that standard parts and components would be required to allow mass manufacture.
Before the industrial revolution it was common place for workmen to work from prototypes. The UK was the first country to adopt a national standard for technical drawing. But did You know that it is no longer current ? BS 308 is the old familiar standard that many engineers grew up with.
