Standards: Why parts ‘fit’: The role of IEC: The International Electrotechnical Commission is busier than ever on the eve of its 75th anniversary

A Japanese engineer designs miniature fuses guided by international standards. A chief engineer of an Australian power utility places an order in the United States for overhead-line insulators knowing that they will be compatible with his installations. A U.S. communications engineer is operating a new radio transmitter knowing that he is protected by strict safety regulations against radiation, implosion and explosion, and fire. A Swiss biomedical engineer designs an improved X-ray diagnosis system using the latest international standards. A Detroit automotive engineer employs hermetically sealed nickel-cadmium cells in a prototype automobile battery knowing that the cells were manufactured in Japan according to published performance standards.