Abbreviations and Acronyms for Use in Product Definition and Related Documents

Engineering Product Definition and Related Documentation Practices

AN A MERICAN NA TIONAL S T AND ARD

ASME Y14.38-2019

[Revision of ASME Y14.38-2007 (R2013)]

ASME Y14.38-2019

[Revision of ASME Y14.38-2007 (R2013)]

Abbreviations and

Acronyms for Use in Product Definition and Related Documents

Engineering Product Definition and Related Documentation Practices

AN AMERICAN NATIONAL STANDARD

Two Park Avenue • New York, NY • 10016 USA

Date of Issuance: May 18, 2020

This Standard will be revised when the Society approves the issuance of a new edition.

Periodically certain actions of the ASME Y14 Committee may be published as Cases. Cases are published on the ASME website under the Y14 Committee Page at https://go.asme.org/Y14committee as they are issued.

Errata to codes and standards may be posted on the ASME website under the Committee Pages to provide corrections to incorrectly published items, or to correct typographical or grammatical errors in codes and standards. Such errata shall be used on the date posted.

The Y14 Committee Page can be found at https://go.asme.org/Y14committee. There is an option available to automatically receive an e-mail notification when errata are posted to a particular code or standard. This option can be found on the appropriate Committee Page after selecting “Errata” in the “Publication Information” section.

ASME is the registered trademark of The American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

This code or standard was developed under procedures accredited as meeting the criteria for American National Standards. The Standards Committee that approved the code or standard was balanced to assure that individuals from competent and concerned interests have had an opportunity to participate. The proposed code or standard was made available for public review and comment that provides an opportunity for additional public input from industry, academia, regulatory agencies, and the public-at-large.

ASME does not “approve,” “rate,” or “endorse” any item, construction, proprietary device, or activity.

ASME does not take any position with respect to the validity of any patent rights asserted in connection with any items mentioned in this document and does not undertake to insure anyone utilizing a standard against liability for infringement of any applicable letters patent, nor assume any such liability. Users of a code or standard are expressly advised that determination of the validity of any such patent rights, and the risk of infringement of such rights, is entirely their own responsibility.

Participation by federal agency representative(s) or person(s) affiliated with industry is not to be interpreted as government or industry endorsement of this code or standard.

ASME accepts responsibility for only those interpretations of this document issued in accordance with the established ASME procedures and policies, which precludes the issuance of interpretations by individuals.

No part of this document may be reproduced in any form, in an electronic retrieval system or otherwise,

without the prior written permission of the publisher.

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers Two Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016-5990

Copyright ©2020 by

THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS

All rights reserved Printed in U.S.A.

CONTENTS

Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v

Committee Roster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi

Correspondence With the Y14 Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii

1 Scope and Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

1.1 Scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

1.2 Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

1.3 ASME Y14 Series Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

2 References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

3 Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

3.1 Abbreviation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

3.2 Acronym . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

4 Abbreviations and Letter Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

5 Abbreviations List Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

6 Where and How Abbreviations Should Be Used . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

6.1 Where to Use Abbreviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

6.2 Duplicate Abbreviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

7 Basic Principles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

7.1 Abbreviations for Acronyms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

7.2 Punctuation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

7.3 Spacing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

7.4 Capitalization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

7.5 Syntactical Endings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

7.6 Word Combinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

7.7 Combining Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

7.8 Colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

7.9 New Abbreviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

8 Words and Terms and Their Abbreviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

9 Cross-Reference List of Abbreviations and Their Words and Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

10 Appendices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

10.1 Chemical Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

10.2 Engineering Societies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Nonmandatory Appendices

iii

9-1 Cross Reference List of Abbreviations and Their Words and Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

A-1 Alphabetized List of International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) Elements,

Symbols, and Atomic Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

B-1 Partial List of Engineering Societies and Industrial Associations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164

iv

FOREWORD

Subcommittee 38, Abbreviations, was formed in May 1995 as a Subcommittee of the ASME Standards Committee Y14, Engineering Product Definition and Related Documentation Practices. The Subcommittee is charged with the respon- sibility of compiling and maintaining a list of abbreviations and acronyms for use on engineering drawings and related documents.

ASME Y1.1 was revised and redesignated as ASME Y14.38. This Standard is based on ASME Y1.1 and MIL-STD-12. This revision incorporates the ASME Y14.38-2007 addenda and comments received since the release of the ASME Y14.38-2007 edition. No abbreviations or acronyms were eliminated; additional abbreviations were added from model- based initiatives and various Y14 standards that list abbreviations. The lists of periodic elements and of engineering societies and industrial associations were updated. The text was also updated to reflect the current standard content and

formatting for Y14 standards.

The successful completion of this Standard is attributed to the subcommittee members, contributing guests, and the departments and agencies of the U.S. Government.

This Standard was approved by the American National Standards Institute on November 15, 2019.

v

ASME Y14 STANDARDS COMMITTEE

Engineering Product Definition and Related Documentation Practices

(The following is the roster of the Committee at the time of approval of this Standard.)

STANDARDS COMMITTEE OFFICERS

W. A. Kaba, Chair

J. I. Miles, Vice Chair

F. J. Constantino, Secretary

STANDARDS COMMITTEE PERSONNEL

F. Bakos, Consultant

F. J. Constantino, The American Society of Mechanical Engineers

D. O. Coon, Applied Geometrics, Inc.

R. M. Courson, SAE International

K. Dobert, Siemens PLM Software

P. J. Drake, MechSigma Consulting, Inc.

S. M. Hauger, Deere & Co.

J. B. Hoskins, The Boeing Co.

J. Houck, Woodward, Inc.

R. C. Jensen, Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence

W. A. Kaba, Spirit AeroSystems, Inc.

A. Krulikowski, Krulikowski Consulting, LLC

S. P. Lege, U. S. Army

E. F. McCarthy, E. F. McCarthy Consulting, Inc.

P. J. McCuistion, Multimac DMS

J. D. Meadows, James D. Meadows & Associates, Inc.

M. E. Meloro, Northrop Grumman Corp.

J. Michalowicz, Stryker Corp.

J. I. Miles, Technical Consultants, Inc.

H. W. Oakes, USAF University of Dayton Research Institute

B. A. Wilson, Consultant

E. F. Zwettler, Sigmetrix

A. R. Anderson, Contributing Member

1. V. Burleigh, Contributing Member

2. E. Wiegandt, Contributing Member

SUBCOMMITTEE 38 — ABBREVIATIONS

J. B. Hoskins, Chair, The Boeing Co.

J. V. Burleigh, Consultant

D. M. Hagler, L3 Technologies

H. F. Kramer, The Boeing Co.

S. P. Lege, U. S. Army

1. M. Nelson, Consultant

2. W. Oakes, USAF University of Dayton Research Institute

vi

CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE Y14 COMMITTEE

General. ASME Standards are developed and maintained with the intent to represent the consensus of concerned interests. As such, users of this Standard may interact with the Committee by requesting interpretations, proposing revisions or a case, and attending Committee meetings. Correspondence should be addressed to:

Secretary, Y14 Standards Committee

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers Two Park Avenue

New York, NY 10016-5990

https://go.asme.org/Inquiry

Proposing Revisions. Revisions are made periodically to the Standard to incorporate changes that appear necessary or desirable, as demonstrated by the experience gained from the application of the Standard. Approved revisions will be published periodically.

The Committee welcomes proposals for revisions to this Standard. Such proposals should be as specific as possible, citing the paragraph number(s), the proposed wording, and a detailed description of the reasons for the proposal, including any pertinent documentation.

Proposing a Case. Cases may be issued to provide alternative rules when justified, to permit early implementation of an approved revision when the need is urgent, or to provide rules not covered by existing provisions. Cases are effective immediately upon ASME approval and shall be posted on the ASME Committee web page.

Requests for Cases shall provide a Statement of Need and Background Information. The request should identify the Standard and the paragraph, figure, or table number(s), and be written as a Question and Reply in the same format as existing Cases. Requests for Cases should also indicate the applicable edition(s) of the Standard to which the proposed Case applies.

Attending Committee Meetings. The Y14 Standards Committee regularly holds meetings and/or telephone confer- ences that are open to the public. Persons wishing to attend any meeting and/or telephone conference should contact the Secretary of the Y14 Standards Committee. Future Committee meeting dates and locations can be found on the Committee Page at https://go.asme.org/Y14committee.

vii

ASME Y14.38-2019

ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS FOR USE IN PRODUCT DEFINITION AND RELATED DOCUMENTS

1. SCOPE AND PURPOSE

   1. Scope

      The abbreviations and acronyms, hereinafter referred to as “abbreviations,” listed in this Standard are used on engineering drawings and related documentation.

      
      

   2. Purpose

      The intent of this Standard is to allow the use of approved abbreviations in lieu of the use of complete words or terminology. Abbreviations defined by this Stan- dard need not be additionally defined by the using drawing or related document. It is not the intent of this Standard to include abbreviations defined or estab- lished in other standards such as those for scientific terms and notations. However, an exception is made for those abbreviations that have widespread use and recognition, for example, AM for amplitude modulation, and FM for frequency modulation (radio).

      
      

   3. ASME Y14 Series Conventions

      The conventions in paras. 1.3.1 through 1.3.10 are used in this and other ASME Y14 standards.

      1. Mandatory, Nonmandatory, Guidance, and Optional Words

         1. The word “shall” establishes a requirement.

         2. The word “will” establishes a declaration of purpose on the part of the design activity.

         3. The word “should” establishes a recommended practice.

         4. The word “may” establishes an allowed practice.

         5. The words “typical,” “example,” and “for reference” and the Latin abbreviation “e.g.” indicate suggestions given for guidance only.

         6. The word “or” used in conjunction with a require- ment or a recommended practice indicates that there are two or more options for complying with the stated requirement or practice.

         7. The phrase “unless otherwise specified” or “UOS” shall be used to indicate a default requirement. The phrase is used when the default is a generally applied require- ment and an exception may be provided by another docu- ment or requirement.

      2. Cross-Reference of Standards. Cross-reference of standards in text with or without a date following the standard designator shall be interpreted as follows:

         1. Reference to other ASME Y14 Standards in the text without a date following the standard designator indicates the issue of the standard identified in the References section (para. 1.3.9 and section 2) shall be used to meet the requirement.

         2. Reference to other ASME Y14 Standards in the text with a date following the standard designator indicates that only that issue of the standard shall be used to meet the requirement.

      3. Invocation of Referenced Standards. The following examples define the invocation of a standard when specified in the References section (para. 1.3.9 and section 2) and referenced in the text of the Y14 Stan- dard:

         1. When a referenced standard is cited in the text with no limitations to a specific subject or paragraph(s) of the standard, the entire standard is invoked. For example, “dimensioning and tolerancing shall be in accordance with ASME Y14.5” is invoking the complete standard because the subject of the standard is dimensioning and tolerancing, and no specific subject or paragraph within the standard is invoked.

         2. When a referenced standard is cited in the text with limitations to a specific subject or paragraph(s) of the standard, only the paragraph(s) on that subject is invoked. For example, “assign part or identifying numbers in accordance with ASME Y14.100” is invoking only the paragraph(s) on part or identifying numbers because the subject of the standard is engineering drawing practices and part or identifying numbers is a specific subject within the standard.

         3. When a referenced standard is cited in the text without an invoking statement such as “in accordance with,” the standard is invoked for guidance only. For example, “for gaging principles, see ASME Y14.43” is only for guidance and no portion of the standard is invoked.

      4. Parentheses Following a Definition. When a definition is followed by a standard referenced in parenth- eses, the standard referenced in parentheses is the source for the definition.

1