Verification Activities-Inspection, Nondestructive Examination, Testing, and Quality Assurance and Quality Control Introduction.

Now Piping and Fabrication will comes to an explanation about Quality Control and Quality Assurance and everything connecting with them, including NDE (Non Destructive Examination), NDT (Non Destructive Test) and many others, and we start from Verification Activities-Inspection.

Activities involved in verifying that fabrication meets the specified quality level may be broadly categorized as inspection, NDE, testing and QA and QC. The terms inspection, examination, and testing are still often used interchangeably. The ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Codes have begun to establish specific definitions for these terms. The B31 Codes present a mixture of usages, some following the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code lead, while others are less definitive. The reader is directed to the individual codes to see how these terms are used. In general, the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code practice will be followed in this section.

Inspection relates to those activities performed by the owner, the owner’s agent, or a third party. All other activities are usually performed by fabricator personnel. The term examination is applied to nondestructive methods of examination, while testing refers to traditional hydrostatic and pneumatic tests for leakage. QA and QC relate to in-plant or on-site programs, whose function is to control the various activities which affect quality. Inspection. Inspection, as used in ASME Section I, III and B31.1 for Boiler External Piping, covers those activities which the authorized inspector (AI) or authorized nuclear inspector (ANI) performs in verifying compliance with the applicable code. The AI or ANI is employed by a third party; is independent of the owner, fabricator, or installer; is an employee of a state or municipality in the United States, a Canadian province, or an insurance company authorized to write boiler insurance; and is qualified by written examination as required by state or provincial rules. In the B31 Piping Codes, inspection is the verification activity performed by the owner or the owner’s agent. Specific requirements for qualification of inspectors are outlined in the individual code sections.

The manner in which an inspector verifies compliance is generally left to the discretion of the individual. It may take the form of detailed visual examinations; witnessing of actual operations such as bending, welding, heat treatment, or NDEs; review of records; or combinations thereof. Much relies on the degree of confidence the inspector has in the fabricator’s programs and personnel. B31.3 has mandatory sampling requirements for this activity.

In the next post we will enter the chapter of Examinations including the Type of Examinations it self. Thanks for reading and visiting, hope this article useful.