PD6481 : 1977

Contents
Page Page
Recommendations Appendix
1. Introduction 1 A. Some examples of British Standards which
2. Preferred numbers 1 list established sizes or ranges
3. Examples of the use of preferred numbers 1
4. Preferred sizes 4 Figures
5. Recommendations for the application of 1. Preferred numbers 2
preferred numbers and preferred sizes 2. Preferred sizes 3

Standards publications referred to

BS 1692 Gin blocks
BS 2045 Preferred numbers
BS 4318 Recommendations for preferred metric basic sizes for engineering
BS 4429 Rigging screws and turnbuckles
DD 29 Rules for and guide to the use of preferred numbers and preferred sizes
ISO 3 Preferred numbers — Series of preferred numbers
ISO 497 Guide to the choice of series of preferred numbers and series containing more rounded values of preferred numbers

NOTE. Further copies of the insert PD 6481C : 1977 'Preferred numbers and preferred sizes' are available in sets of 10, price group 4,
from the BSI Sales Department, Newton House, 101 Pentonville Road, London N1 9ND.

0
Recommendations for the use of preferred numbers
and preferred sizes
1. Introduction
Because of the absence of agreed rules for the application
of preferred numbers and preferred sizes, confusion has
arisen regarding their use. National (and international)
standards show inconsistencies in the choice of values for
characteristics or sizes, and these have grown to a
significant extent from the lack of clear guidance on the
circumstances where the theoretical preferred numbers
should be used or where the rounded-off preferred sizes
should be used. This document has therefore been
produced to give general recommendations on this subject.
It supersedes both BS 4318 and DD 29.
It is appreciated that designers and standards engineers may
be compelled to make use of sizes outside the preferred
ranges because of certain overriding considerations, such as
the need to comply with established standards in specific
fields of the kind listed in appendix A. Nevertheless, a
considerable area of freedom exists and a disciplined
approach to the selection of sizes would be beneficial
locally, nationally and, finally, internationally.
2. Preferred numbers
The preferred number system is internationally standardized
in ISO 3 (which is reproduced in BS 2045). It is also
referred to as the Renard or R series.
The system provides a geometric series, i.e. one in which
there is a constant ratio between each figure and the
succeeding one, within a decimal framework. Thus the R5
series has five steps between 1 and 10, the R10 series ten
steps between 1 and 10, the R20 series twenty steps and
the R40 series forty steps, giving increases between steps of
approximately 60 %, 25 %, 12 % and 6 % respectively. It is
shown in figure 1 in diagrammatic form, which illustrates
the geometric progression of the series.
The use of the preferred number series confers several
important advantages, in particular those outlined below.
(a) The series can be extended in either direction by
multiplying by the appropriate power of 10. Values can
therefore be applied to any magnitude of a quantity.
(b) All the R5 series values are found in the R10 series,
the R10 values in the R20 series, and so on. This makes
it easy to insert additional values in chosen series.
(c) The products, quotients and powers of preferred
numbers are also preferred numbers (allowing for slight
differences in rounding). This means, for example, that
the area of a square or rectangular figure whose sides are
preferred numbers is also a preferred number, while the
volume of a rectangular container whose sides are
preferred numbers is also a preferred number.
PD6481 : 1977
(d) In the R10 and subsequent series the number 3.15
is found. Since this is very nearly equal to TT, it follows
that if the diameter of a circle is a preferred number the
circumference is also a preferred number. Moreover,
since 4 is a preferred number (see figure 1, first choice),
the area of that circle is also a preferred number. This is
useful when dealing with peripheral speeds, cylindrical
and spherical areas, power transmission through cables,
flow through pipes etc.
However, the preferred number series suffer from two
disadvantages. First, the gaps between the steps become
very large at the top end of the scale, and second, they
contain values that are awkward and difficult to use in
most design and production environments. It is for these
reasons that they have not found universal acceptance for
linear measurement.
3. Examples of the use of preferred numbers
Typical examples of the use of the preferred number series
are given below.
(a) Machine tools. Belgian standard NBN 123 for
machine tools adopts the R20 series (1; 1.12; 1.25;
1.40 etc.) for the range 1 r/min to 1000 r/min, but
this series can of course be extended. The basis of this
application is that cutting speed is a function of spindle
speed, and that differences of cutting speed of less than
12 % are not significant. The preferred number spindle
speeds provide, for any given workpiece diameter, a
range of cutting speeds increasing by increments of 12 %.
(b) Lifting equipment. Norwegian Standard NS 2675
standardizes the lifting capacities of cranes, using a range
comprising the R10 series (1; 1.25; 1.6 etc.). Again, in
designing a series of sizes for cranes a significant incre-
ment between consecutive sizes is required, and a
geometric series is ideal. An example from the UK in an
allied field is BS 4429 for rigging screws and turn-
buckles; here, the range of sizes is based on safe working
loads (i.e. the principal characteristic of the articles),
and the R10 series of preferred numbers is used.
Similarly, the ranges of sizes of terminal fittings for
wire rope and chain are based on safe working loads
that increase in accordance with the R10 series. This is
also illustrated by BS 1692 for gin blocks, which are
classified by safe working loads in series of values
according to the R10 series.
It should be noted that in each of these cases the
preferred numbers are applied to the primary functional
characteristic of the product, i.e. to the spindle speeds of
machine tools, the lifting capacities of cranes, and so on.
 -o
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tO
vl

Preferred numbers
1st choice 1 1.6 2.5 i 63 1) R5

2nd choice 125 2 3.15 '

3 mo
.
| 1 I

3rd choice
||
'
||

1.1 ! 1.4 15 224

| T
2.8 3.55 4.5 5.6 7.1
I
9 R20

4th choice 1.06 1.3 2 1.7 2. 2 2 65 3. 95 4; 5 53 67 85 R40

7.5 9.5

The series may be extended in either direction by multiplying or dividing by 10,100,1000 etc.

Figure 1. Preferred numbers

 Preferred sizes
1st choice 1.2 6 ;>
1. 25 :1 i !i 1i 1! 11
10 mm

2nd choice 1.1 1.8 22

1.4 2.8 3.5 4.5 5.5 6.5 7 9
1 I
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Scale 20/1
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 I I I I I I 1 1 1 1
3rd choice 1.3 1.5 1.7 1.9 2.1 2.4 2.6 32 3.8 4.2 4.8 5.2 5.8 6.2 6.8 7.5 8.5 9.5

1st choice 1 112 1i 20 25 3I 35 40' 45 50 55 61D 65 7B 7i 80 90 1C mm

2nd choice H 14 22 28
18 32 38 42 48 52 58 62 68 72 78 85 95
1 I 1 1
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Scale 2/1
1 1 1 1 1 11 1 II II II II II 1 I I 1
3rd choice 13 15 17 19 21 2324 26 34 36 4446 5456 6466 74 76 82 88 92 98

CO

1st choice 11 0 To i: o 1: 0 V0 15 0 160 170 110 U0 21 mm

2nd choice 105 us 125 135 145 155 165 175 185 195
| i I 1 1 1 I 1 1 I Scale 2/1
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
3rd choice 102 108 112 118 122 128 132 138 142 148 152 158 162 168 172 178 182 188 192 198

1st choice 200 220 240 260 280 300 320 340 360 380 4C

2nd choice 210 230 250 270 290 310 330 350 370 390
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Scale 1/1
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 O
3rd choice 205 215 225 235 245 255 265 275 285 295 305 315 325 | 335 345 355 365 375 385 395 2
! 00
Continued similarly above 400 mm

(O
Figure 2. Preferred sizes
PD 6481 : 1977
The use of the geometric preferred number series for these
functional characteristics brings obvious advantages, with
no disadvantage in respect of detailed product design and
manufacture. The fact that a crane has a lifting capacity of
6.3 tonnes presents no particular design or production
problems that would discourage the use of the preferred
number. It is in scaling values for the primary functional
characteristics of products that preferred numbers can be
used to best advantage.
4. Preferred sizes
By contrast with the primary functional characteristics of
a product, it is necessary to consider the choice of ranges
of values for standard sizes used in product design and
manufacture.
The similarity of this problem to that outlined in the
preceding paragraph is immediately apparent and, bearing
in mind the characteristics of preferred numbers, it might
be concluded that these geometric series provide an
obvious answer. In this instance, however, slightly different
circumstances have to be taken into account. Formulating
the detailed design of the components that make up a
product is largely a question of choosing appropriate sizes
for such features as the diameters, widths, lengths etc. of
each component. The sizes chosen for some dimensions
will be determined by design conditions, e.g. maximum
permissible stress levels or rigidity. Other dimensions will
be chosen on the basis of general mechanical requirements
of the design, although in both cases such considerations
as the use of the standard articles (e.g. screw threads), use
of standard materials, tools etc. will be taken into account.
Only in very few cases will these dimensions form part of a
series, and this removes one of the primary incentives for
using preferred numbers as basic sizes in design. Further-
more, on the score of convenience and simplicity there is
an advantage to be gained from using simple, whole
numbers wherever possible, and here the Renard series are
open to serious criticism. Numbers such as 1.12, 1.6, 3.55,
6.3 etc. are far from simple and have no inherent merit as
design sizes.
A profitable field of standardization is that of variety
reduction of sizes upon which stock inventories are based.
The concept of geometric series, with the accompanying
logical presentation of levels of choice, is appropriate, but
clearly any such series have to be compatible with the
series used for basic sizes in design.
Since the numbers of the Renard series are already rounded-
off from their theoretical values, more extensive rounding
may be considered as a means of eliminating the
inconvenient numbers in the basic series. Recognizing the
practical problems of using the established series for all
purposes, ISO has developed more rounded series which
are published in ISO 497. This standard provides 'first
rounding' series, known as R'series, and 'second rounding'
series known as R"series. They are given in BS 2045. The
R"series contains none of the inconvenient values of the
original preferred numbers series. However, experience has
shown that although the R" series is more convenient for
linear measurement it does not overcome all the difficulties
touched on above. In particular, in the larger sizes the gaps
are often too big.
The R"series has therefore been adjusted in the light of
experience for linear measurement in millimetres, and the
result is shown in figure 2. It is identical with the series
Q
given in BS 4318 extended above 300 mm and with
Swedish standard SMS 8. The series is derived from the R"
series up to 200 mm and is extended arithmetically above
that in steps of 20 mm (first choice), 10 mm (second
choice) and 5 mm (third choice).
5. Recommendations for the application of
preferred numbers and preferred sizes
Taking all normal considerations into account, the recom-
mendations listed below suggest a basis for the general
application of preferred numbers and preferred sizes
throughout industry.
(a) For ranges of values of the primary functional
characteristics (outputs and capacities) of a series of
articles use the preferred number series R5 to R40
as given in figure 1.
(b) Wherever linear sizes are concerned use the preferred
sizes as given in figure 2.
The presentation of preferred sizes in choices is essential to
their own optimum use, since this gives designers and users
a logical selection while at the same time securing the
benefits of rational variety reduction. The adoption of
these recommendations provides a firm basis for the
reconciliation of the various relevant British Standards.
Appendix A
Some examples of British Standards which list
established sizes or ranges
BS 4 Structural steel sections
Part 1 Hot-rolled sections
BS 183 General purpose galvanized steel wire strand
BS 1387 Steel tubes and tubulars suitable for screwing
to BS 21 pipe threads
BS 2488 Schedule of preferred numbers for the
resistance of resistors and the capacitance of
capacitors for telecommunication equipment
BS 2871 Copper and copper alloys. Tubes
Part 1 Copper tubes for water, gas and sanitation
Part 2 Tubes for general purposes
BS 3600 Dimensions and masses per unit length of
welded and seamless steel pipes and tubes for
pressure purposes
BS 3643 ISO metric screw threads
BS 3666 Size coding scheme for women's outerwear
BS 3979 Dimensions of electric motors (metric series)
BS 4229 Recommendations for metric sizes of non-
ferrous and ferrous bars
BS 4848 Hot-rolled structural steel sections
BS 4981 System of shoe sizing and marking
(Mondopolnt)
BS 6007 Rubber-insulated cables for electric power
and lighting
 This Published Document, having been prepared under the direction Contract requirements

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was published under the authority of the Executive Board on
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Revision of British Standards
©British Standards Institution, 1977 British Standards are revised, when necessary, by the issue either of
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