Acronym for the Deutsches Institut für Normung or the German Standards Institute, possibly the world’s most influential setter of technical standards. A very large number of DIN standards have ultimately been adopted as ISO standards. DIN standards are typically followed by a number, which indicates the technical standard that the product should comply with.
The best known DIN is 476 which established international paper sizes such as A3, A4, B1, B2, C1, etc., and was subsequently adopted by ISO as ISO 216. Another well-known example of a DIN standard – for which the acronym DIN is still used, is the standard size slot in dashboards and consols for a car-audio head unit set out in DIN 74590. A huge array of fasteners, electrical connectors and other components are defined by DIN standards and their use in technical supply agreements is very prevalent.