ANSI vs ASME: Difference and Comparison

The American National Standards Institute and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers are both non-profit, private organizations that mainly focus on creating consistency in voluntary standards for products and services.

These two play a vital role in the development of standards that are necessary to govern the industry, due to which many people tend to mix them up And think that they are the same.

Key Takeaways

  1. ANSI (American National Standards Institute) is a nonprofit organization overseeing voluntary consensus standards development in the United States.
  2. ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) is a professional organization that develops technical standards, primarily for mechanical engineering.
  3. ANSI accredits various organizations, including ASME, to develop and maintain standards.

ANSI vs ASME

The difference between ANSI and ASME is that ANSI approves the standards of the procedures, goods, systems, and supplies for the United States, while ASME is more likely to look after the setting of codes and standards for mechanical devices. The team of ASME comprises skilled engineers and companies, whereas ANSI has government agencies, organizations, or individuals as members of the organization.

ANSI vs ASME

ANSI is the American National Standards Institute that was founded in the year 1981 which mainly looks after the standards and codes for the products, procedures, systems, and services. That is offered in the United States.

ANSI aims to solidify the US position in the global market by creating high-standard products and services.

ASME is the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and stands as the leading international organization for the development of standards and codes that are used to manage the mechanical engineering industry.

ASME is considered to be one of the oldest organizations in existence that are known for developing standards and codes for the mechanical industry.

Comparison Table

Parameters of ComparisonANSIASME
Stands forAmerican National Standards Institute.American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
DefinitionANSI is a non-profit, private organization that looks after the standards of goods and services for the US.ASME is a leading private organization that is the developer of standards and codes for the mechanical industry.
Founded Founded in the year 1918.Founded in year 1880.
FunctionANSI coordinates standards and regulations for the US population. ASME promotes arts and sciences practices of multidisciplinary engineering around the globe.
AimANSI focus on solidifying the US position in the market.ASME focuses on developing solutions for mechanical problems.

What is ANSI?

ANSI is a non-profit, private company that looks out for voluntary standards development for goods, services, procedures or processes, and systems in America.

Also Read:  Spin-Off vs Reboot: Difference and Comparison

ANSI blends the international standards into the US standards for American products to be used across the globe. ANSI was founded in 1918 when a group of engineers and government agencies founded the AESC.

There are government agencies, companies, and educational and international organizations in ANSI, which equals more than 30 million skilled professionals worldwide.

ANSI does not create or develop any standards, but they look after the development and usage of the standards by approving the procedures of the organizations that develop them.

Their approval indicates that the standards were developed to meet the needs of the organization.

ANSI also approves the standards that are developed by other organizations or corporations, government firms, etc.

These standards make sure that the products and their characteristics are consistent, people use the same terms and definitions, and everything is tested in the same manner.

They also accredit those organizations that create products or personnel certifications considering all the requirements mentioned in the international standards.

Other than all these activities, ANSI encourages the global market to use US standards and educates the masses about US policy.

What is ASME?

ASME is an American Society of Mechanical Engineers that is known for promoting arts and sciences of multidisciplinary mechanical engineering all across the globe through training, teaching, codes and standards, government relations, and other outreaches.

Therefore, ASME is an engineering society, research development company, standards organization, education and training provider, and non-profit organisation focusing on mechanical engineering in northern America.


More than 110 000 members in more than 150 nations are working in ASME across the globe. In 1850, Asme was founded by Alexander Lyman Holley, Henry Rossiter Worthington, and a few others.

Also Read:  RedWeek vs Vrbo: Difference and Comparison

They created this organization in response to the numerous failures of steam boiler pressure vessels. One of the world’s largest technical publishing operations is conducted by ASME, as they are known for standards and codes for mechanical devices.

They also hold many technical conferences and numerous professional development courses every year. Along with all these programs, they also sponsor many outreach and education programs.

ASME is known to be the oldest organization in America for developing up to 600 codes and standards that covers several technical aspects, which include fasteners, plumbing fixtures, pipelines, elevators, and power plant systems and their components.

Government agencies touch many standards by ASME; therefore, these standards are voluntary and used in more than 100 countries In different languages.

Main Differences Between ANSI and ASME

  1. ANSI stands for goods and services in the US market, while ASME stands for mechanical devices. 
  2. ASME was founded in 1880, while ANSI was founded in 1918.
  3. ANSI primarily focuses on approving standards for goods and services, whereas ASME focuses on mechanical devices.
  4. ANSI aims to strengthen the US position in the market, while ASME focuses on developing solutions for mechanical problems.
  5. ANSI was created to lead the standardization system in the US, whereas ASME was created due to the numerous failures of boiler vessels.
  6. ANSI has approved up to 9500 standards, whereas ASME has created up to 600 standards.
References
  1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0019057894900167
  2. https://inis.iaea.org/search/search.aspx?orig_q=RN:21015328

Last Updated : 13 July, 2023

dot 1
One request?

I’ve put so much effort writing this blog post to provide value to you. It’ll be very helpful for me, if you consider sharing it on social media or with your friends/family. SHARING IS ♥️

6 thoughts on “ANSI vs ASME: Difference and Comparison”

  1. The article should have mentioned which are the 600 standards developed by ASME and the 9500 standards approved by ANSI. The readers would appreciate specific examples.

    Reply
  2. The post makes it clear that ANSI and ASME serve different functions. This is useful for people who may have been confused by the distinction between the two organizations.

    Reply
  3. The historical perspective provided about the origins of ANSI and ASME is very interesting. This is important information to understand their roles and significance.

    Reply
  4. Both organizations have global impact. It’s a good thing that ANSI focuses on international standards, and ASME focuses more widely on promoting mechanical engineering across the world.

    Reply

Leave a Comment

Want to save this article for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own articles box!