ASME is an organization that has improved industrial safety standards for over 130 years and provides certification to reputable companies who meet high industry standards. Throughout the industrial community ASME is revered as the standard to be met when manufacturing high quality industrial products.
What is ASME?
ASME is an acronym for American Society of Mechanical Engineers. It was founded in 1880 by a small, but influential group of industrialists who recognized the importance of enriching the engineering discipline through collaborationand the exchange of knowledge and skills. Though the focus was on fostering improvements in engineering, that in turn has had a positive spillover effect on construction, manufacturing, and the industrial sector as a whole.
ASME is a not-for-profit membership organization that includes a diverse mix of individual members such as project managers, industrial engineers, corporate executives, academic leaders, and even college students. ASME is as diverse as the larger engineering community itself. The organization develops engineering codes and standards, conducts research, holds conferences, releases publications, develops continuing education courses, and much more.
ASME’S Mission and Vision
ASME’s mission statement is “To serve diverse global communities by advancing, disseminating and applying engineering knowledge for improving the quality of life; and communicating the excitement of engineering.”
ASME’s vision establishes itself as the essential resource not just for mechanical engineers, but for other technical professions as well. It aims not just to better America’s engineering and technical landscape, but to bring these same benefits to all of humanity across the globe.
ASME’S Core Values
In order to maintain such a reputation of high integrity and importance, ASME holds itself to a strict set of core values. These core values govern the way it behaves and provide the organization with a moral compass it can use for guidance. These core values are:
- Embrace integrity and ethical conduct
- Embrace diversity and respect the dignity and culture of all people
- Nurture and treasure the environment and our natural and man-made resources
- Facilitate the development, dissemination and application of engineering knowledge
- Promote the benefits of continuing education and of engineering education
- Respect and document engineering history while continually embracing change
- Promote the technical and societal contribution of engineers
ASME’s Impact On The Industrial World
ASME is headquartered in New York, NY and has expanded into 158 countries since its inception 130 years ago. It has membership of 130,000 people and there are 600 student sections of ASME. Much of this growth has occurred in the last 40 years. In 1971 ASME was certifying manufacturers in only two nations, the US and Canada, and has now grown to certifying manufacturers in 75 nations. As such many of ASME’s standards have been translated into other languages include: French, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Swedish. This expansion has allowed ASME to achieve its mission of promoting public good and bolstering engineering practices globally.
ASME also holds more than 30 technical conferences every year designed to provide a meeting place within the engineering, manufacturing, and industrial sectors for professionals to connect on their concerns and opportunities. The organization also maintains a digital collection of more than 30,000 journal articles in its database as well as over 30,000 conference proceedings papers and numerous ebooks. They also shape national policy by providing engineering and technical expertise for the White House Office of Science and Technology as well as congress and other key federal agencies.
ASME’s Codes, Standards, and Certification
In 1914 ASME issued its first standard, the now-legendary Boiler & Pressure Vessel Code. Since that time it has released nearly 600 different codes and standards relating to the science, art, and practice of mechanical engineering. These are voluntary standards designed to bolster health, public safety, and the quality of life. The standards also help facilitate innovation, trade, and competitiveness.
ASME’s codes and standards are developed by over 4,700 dedicated volunteers across a range of disciplines. These volunteers include engineers, scientists, government officials, and other knowledgeable professionals. As market conditions and societal needs change, ASME revises and redevelops its standards through a process of consensus committees and sub-tier committees.
Companies who meet the standards and code requirements can receive certification from ASME. This certification communicates to customers, industry colleagues, and the community at large that the company is committed to safety, excellence, and quality in its engineering and manufacturing practices.
STI Group believes in the importance of ASME’s mission to improve the quality of life and well being of the public through excellence in engineering and manufacturing practices. As such STI Group has earned ASME “U” and “S” stamps demonstrating this commitment. We are excited to offer our customers this level of premium industrial quality in our work.
