MESC

The acronym MESC stands for "Material and Equipment Standards and Code". It is a tool of the materials department for standardisation and handling of materials used in business. It was created in 1932 for internal use by Shell, but later on licensed to every company who wished to pay for it.

The system is a catalogue of specifications in the English language, to allow buyers to purchase standardised materials all over the world.

The system has a numerical "coding schedule" of 10 digits to code the materials. It consists of groups, sub- en sub-sub-groups of 2 digits each and a "Buying description" of 3 digits. Local coding is allowed for every company. The last digit for central coded materials is a 1, the last digit for local coded materials is a 9. With a single 10 digit code materials can be purchased all over the world, independent of the manufacturer or brand.

Typical example: Somewhere in the world a buyer purchases 500 metre cable according 68.68.61.301.1 He knows he gets a telecommunication cable, 110 volt, polythene isolated, lead sheeted and steelwire armed, PVC served, colour green, with conductors of high-conductivity solid plain annealed copper wire, polythene insulated and polythe inner sheeth, grouped 1x4x0,8 mm according a strict specification and known measures.

It doesn't matter if the buyer works on a Shell refinery in Oman or an BP plant in Rotterdam Europort, it only depends on the local market which supplier will supply the cable.

A cable according 68.68.61.301.9 is the same cable, but with local requirements. E.G. according the local colour standard.

The loose-leaf paper version of the MESC consisted of approximately 2 metre books.

External links

* [http://www.shell.com/home/content/globalsolutions-en/services_and_technologies/services/mechanical_engineering/products_services/cataloguing_services/cts_serv_me_mesc_170605.html MESC-catalogus by Shell]
* [http://isotc.iso.org/livelink/livelink/4602127/15._ISO__An_example_of_global_standardization_-_Shell.ppt?func=doc.Fetch&nodeid=4602127 ISO direction to Shell standards DEP and MESC]