The Development of Standards for Insulation Systems and Insulating Materials

This paper presents the author's opinions as to the kind of standards necessary to implement the progressive policies set forth in the latest revision of AIEE No. 1, and as to the appropriate organizations to sponsor these standards. In the interest of simplicity the problem has been discussed as if the separate organizations had completely separate membership. Actually there is a large overlap of membership on the technical committees of these organizations. In addition to this personal co-ordination it is not only appropriate but desirable for the other organizations to make formal or informal recommendations to the organization with primary responsibility. Condensed, these opinions are as follows: 1. There should be a standard test procedure for each major type of insulating material, and for the insulation system used in each type of equipment, which should state how tests are to be made and how to arrive at a figure of merit. A professional organization, normally the AIEE, is appropriate for the development of these standards. 2. The product standards, both for materials and equipment, should be amended to describe the insulation classes in terms of the figure of merit, in addition to the present verbal description and, as far as practical, these two descriptions should result in equal thermal endurance. The organization now sponsoring the product standard is the appropriate organization to develop these amendments.