Inspection of pressure equipment

Inspection during time of manufacturing
Equipment and final assessment
Inspections during time of use
Follow-up inspections of pressurized equipment
Maintenance systems

Pressure equipment forms a diverse group of different types of challenging components. Steam boilers, heat exchangers, process containers as well as pipe systems. These structures all share strict requirements to assure their mechanical safety, durability, and functionality.

Inspecta offers manufacturers of pressurized equipment extensive inspection, testing and certification services, with which the manufacturer can ascertain the compliance of their manufacturing and quality assurance practices to the strict requirements in their field. Depending on the country, requirements can be based on different regulations and standards.

Enforced standards include:

• Pressure Equipment Directive along with the applicable EN standards (Europe)
• SFS standards (Finland)
• ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (USA)
• API standards (USA)
• AD-Merkblatt and TRD (Germany)
• BS 5500 (England)
• TBK 1-2 (Norway)
• Tryckkärlsnormer (Sweden)
• CODAP (France)

Inspecta is a notified body (no. 0424) in the European Union for the Pressure Equipment Directive as well as regarding the Simple Pressure Vessels Directive.

Inspection services for pressure equipment

• Design-examination
• Inspection services during manufacturing
• Finalized equipment and final assessment
• Inspections during use

When pressure equipment is being submitted to inspection, the manufacturer can dispose of 13 different inspection modules. Of these the manufacturer can select the arrangement most suitable for the manufacturer’s own production output and practices. The module for higher hazard category can also be used for the assessment of pressure equipment in a lower hazard category.

Design-examination

The intention of design examination is to ensure that the manufactured product fulfills set requirements before the manufacturing process. To determine this, the method of use, blueprints, planning estimates, welding instructions and plans for inspection are assessed.

Designs can be examined using various different procedures for examination, i.e. in accordance to a module:

• B EC type examination (pdf)
• B1 EC design-examination (pdf)
• G EC unit verification (pdf)
• H1 design examination, the manufacturer should have a quality system in accordance to the H module.

Applications:
Application for design examination (Word)
Specification for pressure equipment design (Excel)
Application for the specialized assessment of the materials used in the pressure equipment (Excel)
Example of specialized assessment of materials (pdf)

Final assessment

When the pressure equipment is ready, it is given a final assessment. The final assessment is a similar practice to the structural inspection referred to in the pressure equipment directive. Inspecta implements the final assessment either in accordance to module F or G. The implementation of module F requires that the manufacturer has already received an EC type examination in accordance to module B or a module B EC design examination certificate.

The final assessment includes the quality assurance of the welding, the verification of NDT inspections and the assessment of sufficient quality assurance practices on behalf of the manufacturer and the supervision of the pressure test. The final assessment is usually implemented via a visual test and the inspection of documents collected concerning the manufacturing. The inspector insures that the pressure equipment has been manufactured in accordance to an inspected design, the quality of the work corresponds to requirements and that the required markings have been applied to the pressure equipment.

In the final assessment, the inspector should be notified of the following:

• Welding Procedure Specifications (WPS) and the Welding Approval Procedure Records (WPAR), on which they are based, provided by the notified body – such as Inspecta – and related testing records.
• A List of welders and the welders’ valid qualifications granted by Inspecta or other notified body.
• Catalogue of materials and components and certificates of inspection for covered electrodes.
• Practices for the assurance of the tracing of materials.
• Heat Treatment Certificates.
• NDT test reports and X-ray films.
• NDT personnel’s certificates of qualification.
• Test reports on trial testing
• Corresponding reports are needed for information of the parts supplied by subcontractors.
• Reports of defects or irregularities during manufacturing.
• Designs and measurements or a certificate of inspection of the designs along with annexes if the pressure equipment has already been inspected.

An Inspecta inspector will provide a Certificate of Conformity and the manufacturer will provide an EC Declaration of Conformity. The EC Declaration of Conformity is free form, but the requirements provide a clear outline of what it should include.

The pressure equipment in use is inspected at regular intervals in order to insure their safe usage. Inspecta has created different inspection practices in order to determine the safety of pressure equipment. The inspection of individual pressure equipment is most convenient, and is performed by Inspecta periodically and the customer is informed of these inspections beforehand. For larger industrial sites Inspecta has a procedure of inspection suitable for monitoring, which implements the stoppage time of the industrial complex for necessary inspections and other maintenance procedures. The Inspecta inspection database has information for approximately 40 000 pressure equipments. In terms of security, the database enables inspections to be directed correctly and economically.

Inspections of pressure equipment while in operation and new possibilities

The new pressure equipment legislation provides new possibilities for organizing inspections during operation. New practices; follow-up of pressure equipment and system of maintenance procedures provide e.g. opportunities:

• more flexible intervals between maintenance procedures
• dividing inspections into planned maintenance stoppage according to plant usage
• use of inspection procedures that are best suited to the sites being inspected
• make use of the pressure equipment operator’s own maintenance procedures

New procedures can be adopted either by agreeing on follow-up maintenance of the pressure equipment with the Notified Body or by formulating a plan for the maintenance system, confirmed by the Notified Body. The Safety Technology Authority should be informed of both practices.

Follow-up of pressure equipment:
Follow-up of pressure equipment can replace the internal inspections and pressure testing of all of
the following pressure equipments:

• regular maintenance inspections of pipe systems
  
  pipe systems with hazardous contents, relating to pressure equipment are included in regular maintenance according to the new legislation
  

• inspections of pressure equipments of refrigeration companies
  
  the long (24 year) maintenance period is no longer included in the new legislation and is achieved only through follow-up of pressure equipment or through a maintenance system
  

• pressure equipment protected from the interior with brickwork or masonry
  
  it is possible to perform pressure equipment inspections in connection with the renewal of brickwork or masonry

• pressure equipment that is difficult to inspect

including pressure equipment with extremely hazardous contents, which have interiors preventing inspection, such as cryogenic tanks, pressure equipments of some gas plants, tanks lacking access for inspection

Maintenance system

Maintenance systems can replace a portion of regular maintenance inspections of pressure equipment. It is based on a follow-up plan for the condition of pressure equipment, which is confirmed by the notified body. The follow-up plan and the registration numbers of the pressure equipments are reported to the Safety Technology Authority.

Essential components of the maintenance system are:

• that the inspection periods are defined appropriately in regards to the site
• the content of the inspection is appropriately defined in terms of the site, so that essential safety-related areas and issues are inspected
• scheduled times of inspection can be defined in terms of the site to minimize hindrance to production
• the foreseeable use and renewal of pressure equipment improves with constant awareness of the state of the equipment.

Inspecta’s experience and large knowledge base of the condition, their malfunction and inspection results can be best taken advantage of in the implementation of new inspection alternatives.

We are happy to provide additional information in regards to pressure equipment follow-up and the implementation of a maintenance system.