ISO is an international standardization organization that develops and publishes global standards for products, services, and processes. The goal of ISO is to ensure safety, quality, efficiency, and compatibility in industry, technology, and trade.
ISO standards serve to:
- Ensure product and process quality
- Guarantee the interchangeability of components
- Facilitate international cooperation and trade
- Standardize safety and environmental requirements
In mechanical engineering and for thread drives, ISO standards play a role in areas such as:
- Thread types and tolerances (e.g., ISO metric threads)
- Dimensions and geometric tolerances for nuts, spindles, and bearings
- Testing and measurement procedures
- Labeling and characteristic curves of motors, drives, and components
Examples of ISO standards in mechanical engineering
- ISO 68 / ISO 261 / ISO 965: ISO metric screw threads
- ISO 3408: Ball screws
- ISO 2768: General tolerances for linear and angular dimensions and form
- ISO 9001: Quality management systems