Most of the world has gone metric in its industrial measurement standards. But since we don’t necessarily “think metric” on this side of the planet, it’s understandable that you might be puzzled by the various international standards sporting esoteric acronyms such as DIN and JIS. Allow us to shed a little light on the subject so that you can order your metric fasteners with confidence.
DIN and JIS are the two primary standardization systems used by various industries worldwide. DIN, or “Deutsches Institut fur Normung e.V.,” is Germany’s national standards organization. There are DIN numbers for practically every product you can think of, from paper sizes to film speed.
JIS stands for “Japanese Industrial Standards” and is controlled by the Japanese Industrial Standards Association in accordance with the Industrial Standardization Law of 1949. The initials JIS are followed by another initial that stands for a particular industry or application, followed by a four-digit part indicator. ISO (International Standards Organization) is another international standard. JIS and ISO numbers aren’t all that widely used here in the U.S., though JIS remains the primary standard in Japan. But whatever standards you use, as long as you know what part you need, Mr. Metric can help you make sure you order the right item.
