GM Ignition Switch - Saga
We have watched the GM Ignition Switch saga play out in the US Congress. In April 2014, GM delivered 200,000 pages of evidence to government regulators. This error will cost GM billions of dollars in damages.
Here is the 57-cent part, made in Mexico that caused the problem. The torque in the screw is long strong enough to prevent accidental movement.
The MAXit Checker can understand engineering language and validate texts to a controlled language. Our customers like Proton (Malaysia) and Johnson Controls use MAXit to validate their specifications.
Linguistic Gem ...
A friend in the UK, sent us this gem of a Phrasal Verb. Many clients who have attended our Writer Training classes learned that a verb with a preposition is a phrasal verb and creates a problem. Obviously the station master at Penrith missed the class.
In STE, the correction for "sucked off" is "the suction can pull you from the platform".
The MAXit Checker will remind writers to remove these offending phrasal verbs.
Global Aerospace Trends
The Tesla, an electric car won the highest award for quality. We are amused that in the New York City, with 9 million people, they could not find a "charge point" or will it be a "charging station". Readers in Europe, kindly send us your terms for "charge point". If you have a picture, email it.
FACT: A garage space in Brooklyn, New York, sold for US$300,000. This amount is more than the cost of a house in Topeka, Kansas. Perhaps that is where they will keep their Tesla.
China 'Pushes' English
The summer Olympic games in Beijing offered an endless supply of Engrish. Seems China has learned the art of good signage. This Engstrom Helicopter decal is direct and SIMPLE!. China also purchased the company "to push" into the export market.
FACT: There are now more people in China learning English than the entire population of the United Kingdom. We hope companies in China will engage us to teach them Controlled English or Simplified Technical English for aerospace.