Normenreihe

Normenreihe is a German term for a set of standardized, preferred numerical values used across technical fields. These series organize numbers into decades and are designed so that the difference between adjacent values is roughly constant on a logarithmic scale, allowing easy scaling and interchangeability of components and measures. The most widely known Normenreihe in electronics are the E-series (for example E3, E6, E12, E24, E48, E96, E192), which are defined under international standards such as IEC 60063 (preferred numbers) and the corresponding DIN standards.

Each series provides a fixed number of values per decade. For instance, the E12 series offers twelve values per decade, which are then scaled by powers of ten to cover a wide range of magnitudes. The primary purpose is to standardize component values to simplify manufacturing, stocking, procurement, and interoperability. By using standardized values, manufacturers can design products that are easier to assemble and replace, and engineers can select parts with predictable performance and tolerances.

Normenreihe is not limited to electronics; the concept of standardized values appears in other engineering disciplines as well, though the term is most closely associated with preferred numbers used in electrical engineering. In German-language technical texts, Normenreihe is often discussed alongside the general idea of vorgegebene Werte (specified values) as defined in DIN and IEC standards.

In summary, a Normenreihe is a hierarchical, decade-based set of standardized numbers that enables consistency, scalability, and interchangeability of values in engineering and manufacturing.