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What are Steam Valves? Their Types, Applications, and Specifications

Written by Anup Kumar Dey in Piping Design Basics

A steam valve is a specific type of valve that is used to control the flow and/ or pressure level of steam and hot water vapor. Steam valves are used in piping systems carrying hot water vapor or steam. Steam is widely used in various industrial applications. Typical examples of steam applications include power plant steam turbines to generate electrical power, food industries, chemical, and other product processing. Further, steam is also used for heating, humidification, and cleaning services. So, the flow and pressure for all such applications must be controlled for better efficiency. Here, comes the importance of steam valves. Proper control over steam and water vapor is achieved by the use of steam valves in systems.

Functions of Steam Valves

As already mentioned, steam valves serve as control valves in the steam piping network. So, it majorly performs any of the below-mentioned three functions:

  • Controlling or reducing steam pressure from inlet to application. Lower steam pressure is synonymous with improved plant safety.
  • Controlling temperature
  • Flow control or regulation.

Types of Steam Valves

There are various types of valves for steam services. As steam is usually used as high-temperature and pressure media, some specific service conditions must be met for steam valves. The common types of industrial steam valves are discussed below.

Ball Valves as Steam Valves

Ball valves are popular as industrial steam valves as they provide tight shut-off, predictable control, and long service life. In this type of steam control valve, a rotary ball having a bore controls the steam flow. The ball can rotate 90 degrees around its axis. Depending on the design of the regulating element, steam ball valves have a range of uses. However, the controlling accuracy of steam ball valves is limited.

Globe valves as Industrial Steam Valves

Globe valves with rounded bodies are also suitable for steam services. Steam globe valves are linear motion valves. For regulating the steam flow in both on/off and throttling services, globe valves provide wide applications. Globe valves as steam valves are popular because of their precise throttling and control, along with high-pressure limits.

Butterfly Valves as Steam valves

Butterfly valves have a disk to control the steam flow. These types of steam valves are used as throttling valves. They Butterfly valves consist of a rotary stem having 90 degrees or less movement within a compact design.

Types of Steam Valves
Types of Steam Valves

Angle valves as Steam valves

Angle steam valves are linear actuated valves that provide an excellent flow rate with minimal pressure loss. They are basically pneumatically actuated piston valves that can regulate the steam flow at high temperatures. Steam angle valves have a long service life.

Gate/ Knife Valves for Steam services

Using a flat closure element that slides into the flow stream to provide shut-off, Gate or Knife valves are also used in steam services. In general, there are two types of steam gate valves: parallel and wedge-shaped. Parallel gate valves consist of a flat disc gate between upstream and downstream parallel seats. Knife valves have a sharp edge on the bottom of the gate.

Diaphragm Valves as Steam Valves

Diaphragm valves use a ‘pinching’ method to stop the steam flow through the valve using a flexible diaphragm. The main advantage of using diaphragm steam valves is that the valve components can easily be isolated from the fluid.

3-way Steam Valve

A 3-way steam valve is used in situations when three pipes are required to be connected in a single valve. 3-Way steam valves can have different types of configurations like 1 inlet and 2 outlets, Two inlets and one outlet, Port 1 to port 2 with the flow and port 3 isolated, Port 1 to port 3 flow with port 2 isolated, etc. The type of 3-way steam valve configuration is decided based on the actual application needs.

Non-return Steam valves

This type of valve allows the flow of steam only in one direction. Known as check valves for steam, these valves have one inlet and one outlet port. They prevent steam backflow into the system.

Pressure Release Valves for Steams

Steam systems can have pressure-release valves as well. To prevent excessive pressure built-up in the system, stream pressure release valves are proven to be highly effective. By releasing the excess pressure these types of steam valves safeguard the system from damage.

Steam Solenoid Valves

Electrically controlled steam solenoid valves can be designed to be either linear or rotary type. Consisting of a solenoid, an electric coil, and a plunger, solenoid steam valves use magnetic fields for their operation. Steam solenoid valves are fast-acting and costly.

Steam Valve Specifications

A lot of different parameters must be considered for specifying a steam valve. Some of the common factors for steam valve specification are:

  • Environment,
  • Design pressure,
  • Design temperature,
  • Connection,
  • Flow rate
  • Type of steam valve,
  • Type of actuation,
  • Valve materials,
  • Body size of the valve
  • Connection requirement
  • Nominal pressure rating
  • Noise level
  • Pressure drop
  • Leakage and isolation requirements
  • Turndown
  • Rangeability
  • Flow requirements, etc

A range of materials like aluminum, brass, bronze, cast iron, copper, steel, and stainless steel are used to produce industrial steam valves. The actuation mechanism of steam valves uses common valve actuation methods like mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, or thermal actuation.

Sizing of Steam Control Valves

The sizing of steam control valves is a highly complex matter. Various parameters must be taken into account while sizing control valves for steam services. Some of these parameters that decide the size of a steam control valve are:

  • Pressure and Temperature.
  • Type of Steam
  • Rate of Steam Flow
  • Valve outlet velocity
  • Noise
  • Erosion effect
  • Pressure drop (upstream and downstream steam pressure)
  • Types of Valve

Applications of Steam Valves

Steam valves are used in all industries using steam in their operation. Common industries where steam valves are widely used are:

Processing Industries: Food processing factories, refineries, chemical, and petrochemical plants. Saturated steam is used as the heating source in various process equipment like heat exchangers, reboilers, combustion air preheaters, reactors, and other types of heat transfer equipment.

Cleaning Industries: Steam has the capability to clean a broad range of surfaces. So, steam valves are found to control high-temperature steam to sterilize food preparation equipment. For removing grease and dirt from industrial equipment during maintenance and paint preparation, steam is used which calls for steam valves for proper control.

Power Plants: The energy to drive the turbines are provided by the steam. So, various gas, coal, nuclear and certain solar plants use a number of steam valves in their network to handle superheated and saturated steam.

Atomization Industries: Steam is also used to atomize a liquid for the purpose of separating liquids. So, steam valves are used in such industries.

Moisturization Industries: Steam can add water to a process alongside providing heat energy.

Heating Plants: Many large commercial and industrial facilities use steam valves for regulating low-pressure saturated steam as the predominant heat source for indoor heating.

What is Hydro Jetting?

Written by Anup Kumar Dey in Maintenance

Hydro jetting is one of the widely employed methods to clean piping, tubing, and plumbing blockages using a jet of high-velocity water. So, hydro jetting is basically a maintenance and pre-commissioning activity. Even though this process can be applied in piping systems, the majority of hydro jetting services are applied in plumbing services. Before start-up, the piping systems must be cleaned thoroughly to take the first input through the pipes. Also, after prolonged working, there may be an accumulation of scaling, clogs, and various other contaminants which must be removed to get proper working and efficiency. In such scenarios, hydro jetting services prove to be very effective. In this article, we will learn about hydro jetting in detail.

What is Hydro-jetting?

Hydro jetting is a non-invasive power-washing process by which pipes are cleaned from clogs, debris buildup, grease, scales, coating material, dirt, chemical contamination, oil, marine growth, etc using a pressurized water jet. The intense force of the high-velocity pressurized water (high and ultra-high pressure) cleans the contamination effectively. The hydro jetting process can even easily clean the areas which are not easily accessible. The process is also known as high-pressure water jetting.

A hydro jet system usually consists of a pressure pump, jet nozzle, hose, wastewater handling equipment, work area enclosure, and other accessories to help in the cleaning process. The pressure for the hydro jetting process may vary from 4,000 psi to 60,000 psi depending on the application and cleaning requirement. Other parameters on which the effectiveness of the hydro jetting process depends are:

  • Water Flow rate
  • Water velocity through the jet
  • Shape and type of jet nozzle
  • Direction of flow
  • Operating pressure

Types of Hydrojet Nozzles

Hydro-jetting nozzles are made of various materials and design configurations to suit a range of applications. Some of the common types of hydro-jet nozzles used in hydro jetting services are listed below:

  • Flat jet nozzles, having a wide, slot-shaped hole to create a triangular, fan-shaped water jet spray pattern.
  • Pointed jet nozzles, having a round hole for creating a precise and focused water jet. These types of hydro jet nozzles have a higher impact than flat nozzles.
  • Rotating nozzles, having a rotating portion that has the ability to spray straight as well as to the sides.

Each of the above nozzle types has several variations to suit specific needs.

Hydrojet Nozzle Materials

The water quality and operating pressure greatly impact the working life of each nozzle. So, the selected material must be strong enough to withstand the pressure. Even though there is a range of materials that are used as Hydrojet nozzle materials, there are three materials that are most common. Those are:

  • Carbide nozzles: Usually used for dirty, unfiltered water for operating pressures below 20,000 psi (140 MPa).
  • Steel nozzles: Used when water passes through 25 microns or finer filters with operating pressure below 20,000 psi (140 MPa).
  • Sapphire nozzles: Sapphire nozzles are suitable for very high-pressure (above 140 MPa or 20,000 psi) services.
  • When a nozzle wears out, the effectiveness and quality of hydro jetting reduce.

Applications for Hydro Jetting

Hydro jetting services are used almost in every industry wherever cleaning and descaling are required. Some of the common uses of hydro-jetting for cleaning various items are listed below:

Requirement of Hydro Jetting

The hydro-jetting services are generally employed when the main line is severely blocked by scales, mineral build-up, debris, etc. All these contaminants impact the flow through the system reducing the system’s effectiveness and efficiency. In such a scenario, hydro jetting service is employed to restore the system efficiency back. The high-pressure water pumping into the system clears the pipes which restores the effectiveness.

Prior to using the hydro jetting process, the system must be inspected thoroughly. Depending on the cleaning requirements the hydro jetting service usually lasts from 30 mins to 90 mins.

Advantages of Hydro-Jetting

The hydro jetting process as a cleaning service provides a lot of advantages as listed below:

  • Highly effective process.
  • The process is eco-friendly.
  • The hydro-jetting process is applicable for domestic as well as commercial purposes.
  • No chemical is used.
  • A safe process with very little risk.
  • Non-invasive procedure.
  • Subsequent further cleaning is usually not required.
  • Reliable cleaning also in difficult-to-access areas.

Cost of Hydro-Jetting

The cost of hydro-jetting services varies from region to region. For hydro-jetting of domestic plumbing systems, the cost varies from $300 to $800. For industrial cleaning of complex piping and equipment, the cost is usually more and can range up to $2000 depending on the exact cleaning requirements.

Meaning of LO and LC in Valves

Written by Anup Kumar Dey in Instrumentation

While dealing with valves, you must have come across the abbreviations LO and LC. In valve terminologies, LO stands for Locked open and LC is an abbreviation of Locked Closed. Both LO and LC can imply various types of valves like Ball Valves, Butterfly Valves, Globe Valves, or others depending on the application. In this article, we will learn the meaning of LO and LC with respect to valves.

The use of the terms LO and LC in valves are often correlated with the health of the system. It ensures the valve works during normal operation. The requirements of LO and LC during the design phase are essential in maintaining the safety and integrity of the system.

Control valves are generally specified to add a locking arrangement as part of the vendor supply. It can be cleat located on the valve body or a plate by drilling a hole in the valve. Process P&IDs must identify such requirements (Refer to Fig. 1) specified in the documentation by mentioning the terms LO and LC as applicable. This locked open and locked closed method ensures there will not be accidental valve operation that enhances system safety. Only the designated responsible professionals can change the valve function from open to close or vice versa.

LO and LC designation in P&ID
Fig. 1: LO and LC designation in P&ID

Refer to the above figure which shows how the LO and LC valve arrangements are specified in a P&ID. In the above image, it shows as out of two PSVs, the inlet valve of one PSV is kept in LO condition and the other is kept in LC condition. Both the valves in the PSV outlet line are kept in LO condition. In a similar way, LC and LO valve arrangements will be specifically designated in the P&ID drawing.

Locked Open (LO) Valves

Locked open valves are a type of isolation valve. A typical example of a locked open valve can be a pressure safety valve mounted on a pressure vessel. The locked open arrangement in this PSV will ensure the release of pressure during an overpressure event, thereby protecting the equipment. Accidental closing can be detrimental in such a scenario and this is because the locked open valve arrangement is usually established to keep the valves in open position throughout the normal operation.

Locked Closed (LC) Valves

A locked closed valve arrangement is chosen when the valve is to be kept in the closed position during normal working conditions. A typical example of a Locked Closed (LC) valve could be the closed drain system for maintenance. Throughout normal operating conditions, the entry of hydrocarbon must be avoided and this is because a locked closed valve arrangement should be chosen.

Note that, the locked open or closed status must be properly registered in the appropriate log. Also, the LO and LC status should be audited to ensure the proper working arrangement. To change any status for LO to LC or vice versa, a proper permit-to-work system must be followed.

The locking philosophy usually consists of an integral lock with a key arrangement. The keys are generally kept in the control room and only the authorized person can have the access to those keys. Sometimes, the valve with locked open or locked closed operation is performed in a sequential manner. A typical example is the PIG launcher and receiver where the sequence locking procedure is applied. The Pig launcher and receiver system have a number of valves and a separate designated key is assigned for all those valves.

What is Smart Plant Review (SPR) or Smart Review? Its Functions and Advantages

Written by Anup Kumar Dey in Piping Design Basics

Intergraph Smart Plant Review or Smart Review is a popular 3D visualization tool. This tool is extensively used by design, visualization engineering, construction, and animation specialist to review designs and use the 3D model as a graphical interface to access project data linked to the model. With its simple interface and useful tools, Smart plant review makes the viewing experience better and more engaging. Similar to Navisworks, Smart plant review helps users to view their design in 3D much before the construction of the actual plant starts.

Originally developed by Intergraph, Smart Plant review is now owned by Hexagon. The software is also popularly known as Intergraph’s smart review or SPR. As a reviewing software package, Smart plant review provides value throughout the entire plant lifecycle starting from the initial design phase. Various engineering activities like HAZOP reviews, Model reviews, accessibility studies, retrofits, upgrades, etc make use of Smart plant review software extensively. The software can easily load projects of any size by using Smart Review’s unique object-streaming technology. Smart plant review can help users to access even finer details like pipe material, exact support types, measuring dimensions, etc.

Advantages of Smart Plant Review

SmartPlant review is a fast, efficient, and powerful tool for approaching plant design from an expert perspective. As a 3D design review aid, smart plant review provides a multitude of benefits as listed below:

  • It made design reviews simpler by providing touch supported tablet mode option to users.
  • The productivity and performance are significantly improved by viewing each element in 3-dimensions during the initial design.
  • The smart review provides seamless connectivity to various other tools like Intergraph Smart 3D, SmartPlant Foundation, etc, and gives up-to-date information.
  • The models are portable which makes the handover smooth and flawless.
  • The SPR models support AR/VR devices for improved performance. It also helps to export to various external formats.
  • The display quality of the SPR models has significantly increased by adding photorealistic effects.
  • The productivity and discoverability are improved because of the navigation for touch and clicks.
  • SmartPlant Review adds connectivity to different third-party software.

Functions of Smart Plant Review

Intergraph Smart Plant Review software is a powerful, interactive, and versatile visualization tool that gives life to the 3D model. One can easily simulate the placement or removal of equipment, piping, or structures to review physical clearances. The SPR software package also allows users to perform motion studies and develop different complex motion scenarios. The construction process can be visually simulated when the SPR module is used in conjunction with the Construction Module.

The main functions of Intergraph’s smart plant review are:

  • Monitoring of the project design and execution.
  • Reviewing technical solutions in 3D models to detect clashes and resolve errors.
  • Item verification with respect to technical specifications.
  • Tracking of work progress by visualizing each stage of design and construction.
  • The ability of remote collective viewing by providing shared access.
  • Creation of a photorealistic presentation to discuss optimization and solutions.
  • Annotation of project documents.

To extend the functionality smart plant review has various modules as listed below:

  • The creation of superstructures in smart plant review is achieved by its open program interface API module. The API module of SPR includes all the required programming libraries for developers to create programs on Smart Review.
  • The collaboration module enables multiple users from different locations to jointly review and interrogate the 3D model at the same time.
  • The construction module of SPR is used to simulate the construction process.
  • The photo-realism module of smart review has the ability to convert still images to a new level of quality which helps in the creation of powerful presentation materials.
  • Its on-site Drawing Generation Module creates fast and intelligent two-dimensional drawings with hidden line display capability.
  • The Point Cloud Integrator Module of Smart plant review provides the capability to display three-dimensional laser scanning point cloud data with the plant model for using the data during design reviews. This helps in lowering the effort, time, and cost of process plant retrofit engineering and construction projects.
  • The publisher module converts the CAD formats into compatible Smartplant review formats.

Intergraph Freeview

Similar to Navisworks freedom, Hexagon also provides a free viewer known as Intergraph FreeView. It supports .VUE files that can be viewed and navigated. The easy-to-use, motion controls of the Freeview software package allows user to walk through the complex 3D environment.

References and Further Studies

To know more about Smart Plant Review and get help you can refer to the following

What is Navisworks? Components, Versions, Functions, and Advantages of Navisworks

Written by Anup Kumar Dey in Piping Design Basics

As a piping engineer, you must have heard the name of Navisworks, a very useful software tool. The plant review software, Navisworks is widely used by plant design professionals from the Construction and Design industries of Oil and Gas, Chemical and Petrochemical, Power, Metal, Mining, and various other industries. In this article, we will discuss the components, functions, versions, and benefits of Navisworks software.

What is Navisworks?

AutoDesk Navisworks is a project review 3D software package that allows Architecture, Engineering, and Construction professionals to review integrated models and data during the design and preconstruction stage for the betterment of the project outcomes. The software was originally developed by Sheffield, a UK-based developer which was acquired by AutoDesk in 7une 2007.

Functions of Navisworks

Navisworks is a very useful software tool in piping design engineering. It allows users to open, view, and combine 3D design models. Novisworks gives the real 3D model feel of the plant at the design stage. Autodesk Navisworks users can easily navigate around the plant in real time and perform several activities like commenting, redlining, measuring, creating viewpoints, etc. Some of the important functions that can be achieved by using the Navisworks software:

  • Coordination
  • Clash Detection/ Interface Detection
  • 5D Project Scheduling
  • Rendering
  • Quantification
  • PDF like publishing
  • Construction Simulation

Versions of Navisworks Software

There are three versions of the Navisworks software. They are:

  • Navisworks Freedom,
  • Navisworks Simulate and
  • Navisworks Manage.

Navisworks Freedom is a free viewer for viewing the native NWD files. Navisworks Simulate is the base-level software that includes various useful functionalities except for Clash Detective. Navisworks Manage is the top-level software that includes all the features.

Components of Navisworks

Navisworks software package is built around a core module known as Roamer that has a number of in-built functionalities as listed below:

  • Roamer for opening models from a range of 3D design and laser scan formats and combining them into a single 3D model. The core part of Navisworks, Roamer helps users in navigation around the model in real-time and reviews the model.
  • Publisher allows Noavisworks users to publish the complete 3D model into a single NWD file for opening using the free viewer Navisworks Freedom.
  • Clash Detective functionality enables interference detection to find clashes and geometry conflicts or faults in the design.
  • The renderer or Presenter allows the users of Navisworks software to apply materials and lighting to the model to generate photorealistic images and animations.
  • Quantification allows users to automatically make material estimates, measure areas, and count building/plant components.
  • The Timeliner adds a 4D simulation feature. The Navisworks user can easily link geometry to times and dates for simulating the construction or demolition of the model over time. Additionally, various project scheduling software packages like Microsoft Project or Primavera products can be linked to import task data.
  • The animator feature of the Navisworks software allows the users to animate the model and interact with it.
  • Scripter allows users to set up a collection of actions to happen by meeting certain event conditions.

Refer to Fig. 1 below that shows a typical plant in Navisworks Freedom.

Typical Plant in Navisworks
Fig. 1: Typical Plant in Navisworks

File Formats supported by Navisworks

Similar to other Autodesk software, the Navisworks (Simulate and Manage) software package, too, supports a wide range of file formats. Some of the Navisworks-supported file formats are listed below:

Navisworks Software File formats:

  • NWC – The Cache file (.) nwc is basically the snapshot of the current model. NWC files are created automatically when a native file is loaded.
  • NWD –This is the file format for publishing the model to coordinate and view later in different other software packages.
  • NWF –This is a file format where users usually work and append the files. This contains the links to all appended files.

There are various other design file formats that Navisworks support. Some of them are:

  • AutoCAD Drawing – .dwg, .dxf (up to AutoCAD 2018)
  • MicroStation (SE, J, V8, & XM) – .dgn, .prp, prw (up to v7, & v8)
  • 3D Studio Max – .3ds, .prj (up to 3ds Max 2018)
  • ACIS SAT – .sat, .sab (all ASM SAT, up to ASM SAT v7)
  • DWF – .dwf, .dwfx (all versions)
  • CATIA – .model, session, .exp, dlv3, .CATPart, .CATProduct, .cgr (up to v4, & v5)
  • IFC – .ifc (IFC2X_PLATFORM, IFC2X_FINAL, IFC2X2_FINAL, IFC2X3, IFC4)
  • IGES – .igs, .iges (all versions)
  • Informatix/MicroGDS – .man, .cv7 (v10)
  • Inventor – .ipt, .iam, .ipj (up to Inventor 2018)
  • CIS/2 – .stp (STRUCTURAL_FRAME_SCHEMA)
  • JT Open – .jt (up to v10)
  • NX – .prt (up to v9)
  • Revit – .rvt (up to 2011–2022)
  • RVM – .rvm (up to v12.0 SP5)
  • SketchUp – .skp (v5 up to 2015)
  • PDS Design Review – .dri (legacy file format, support up to 2007)
  • STL – .stl (binary only)
  • VRML – .wrl, .wrz (VRML1, VRML2)
  • Parasolid – .x_b (up to schema 26)
  • FBX – .fbx (FBX SDK 2017)
  • Pro/ENGINEER – .prt, .asm, .g, .neu (Wildfire v5, Creo Parametric v1-v3)
  • STEP – .stp, .step (AP214, AP203E3, AP242)
  • Solidworks – .prt, .sldprt, .asm, .sldasm (2001, plus 2015)
  • PDF – .pdf (all versions)
  • Rhino – .3dm (up to v5)
  • Solid Edge – .stp, .prt

Advantages of using Navisworks

Navisworks software package helps users in various activities to reduce the project time and cost. The main advantages of Navisworks are:

  • Generation of a single federated model to visualize and unify design and construction data.
  • Identify and resolve clash and interference problems much before actual construction begins which results in time and cost savings for the onsite rework.
  • Helps in easy collaboration with other discipline teams by connecting with Navisworks.
  • Controlling the project schedules and costs by using 4D and 5D simulation.
  • Easily capturing the material quantities from 2D or 3D designs.
  • Aggregated models take lesser time to load than other similar software packages.
  • Several export options for various tools are available.
  • Using the software is quite easy. Even beginners can easily learn the software without much challenge.

Download AutoDesk Navisworks Freedom

As already mentioned, Navisworks Freedom is a viewer software. The viewing tool is provided by AutoDesk for free. It helps the user to view the whole project in 3D. Navisworks freedom supports NWD and 3D DWF files. The Navisworks freedom software package comes with the following features:

  • The free Navisworks freedom includes all the required sets of navigation tools, including Walk, Zoom Box, Pan, Orbit, Look Around, Zoom, Examine, Fly, and Turntable
  • The software supports the real-time display of materials and lighting.
  • It enables the viewing of model hierarchy, object properties, and embedded review data. The Navisworks Freedom also includes creating viewpoints, animations, redlines, and comments.

As the software is free, It can be easily downloaded from the following links to install on your PC.

What is ASME Certification? Procedure for ASME Certification and the ASME Certification Mark

Written by Anup Kumar Dey in Mechanical

The ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers is a universally-acknowledged code that stipulates a set of safety standards. The ASME code regulates the design, manufacture, inspection, installation, and testing of various equipment and parts like boilers, nuclear components, and other pressure vessels. ASME code is one of the most authoritative and widely accepted codes for EPC industries. Hence, ASME certification is synonymous with quality and safety. An ASME certification on any product means the product is manufactured to the highest safety and quality standards. Because of this, a large number of people rely on ASME certifications when they are using these components in applications.

Also, the ASME certification helps comply with regulations while also bringing trust in customers. More than 100 countries worldwide use ASME certifications as a way of meeting government safety regulations.

What is ASME Certification Mark?

The ASME Certification mark or stamp is provided on the product when they satisfy all the safety and quality checks in the ASME certification process. Depending on the exact application requirements, there are various kinds of ASME certification. The certification gives a competitive edge to the ASME certificate holder.

ASME Certification Process

To get ASME certification, a company has to go through a 6-month process to ensure every operation is compliant with the code and performed to the highest standards. The result is the ASME Certification Mark, which signifies that the product in question is manufactured from high-quality materials and is very safe to use.

There are four steps in the ASME certification process. They are:

  • Preparation for the ASME Certification,
  • Application for Certification
  • Assessment, and
  • Certification

Preparation for the ASME Certification:

The ASME accreditation/certification preparation stage consists of reviewing all the required information by the applicant. The ASME Certification applicants must have a proper understanding of the accreditation/certification program and Applicable forms, checklists, and associated fees. ASME suggests doing the following things prior to application submission:

  • From the ASME’s website, collect and review relevant information about the desired certification program.
  • Deciding work scope that requires ASME Certification.
  • Obtaining required standards
  • With an Authorized Inspection Agency (AIA), entering into an agreement by the applicable standard
  • Preparation of the quality manual.
  • Implementation of the quality program by training personnel.

Application:

Organizations seeking ASME accreditation/certification shall submit the proper application forms along with fees prior to receiving a review/survey date. The steps in this stage are as follows:

  • The ASME certification applicants are required to create a CA Connect account.
  • Next, He should download the CA Connect User Guide related to the application programs as per the following list:
    • Authorized Inspection Agency (AIA),
    • Nuclear Component (N-Type),
    • Bioprocessing Equipment (BPE),
    • Boiler and Pressure Vessel (BPV),
    • Nuclear Material Organization (QSC),
    • Reinforce Thermoset Plastic.
    • Pressure Relief Devices Testing Lab (PRD),
    • PRT Certification,
  • Next, He should download the CA Connect User Guide pertaining to the QPS Program.
  • Existing account holders need to ensure that the primary contact for the account is valid and correct and then follow CA Connect User Guide.
  • The next step is to complete the relevant application and submit a signed Accreditation and Certification Agreement Form.
  • Remit associated fees.

Assessment:

In this step, the applicant’s quality manual and the implementation of the quality program are assessed and thoroughly reviewed. Based on a review of the applicant’s intended scope of activities mentioned in the ASME certification application, the extent of assessment is determined by ASME.

The ASME certification assessment ensures that the applicant’s quality program is adequately implemented and complies with the requirements in the associated ASME standard. Once, the assessment process completes, the review/survey team leader will submit a written assessment report to ASME.

Certification:

This is the final step of the ASME certification process. ASME grants the certificate when the applicant successfully demonstrates the quality program implementation to the ASME survey/review team. Once ASME reviews the report submitted by the review/survey team, they will either authorize the certificate issuance or request additional action by the applicant. Certificate holders may request changes to their certificate(s) after the certificate is issued.

Types of ASME Certification

The following types of ASME certifications programs are available:

  • Bioprocessing Equipment (BPE) Certification,
  • Boiler and Pressure Vessel (BPV) Certification,
  • Boiler and Pressure Vessel (BPV) Parts Certification,
  • Nuclear Component (N-Type) Certification,
  • Nuclear Material Organization (QSC) Certification,
  • Nuclear Quality Assurance (QSC) Certification,
  • Pressure Relief Devices Testing Lab (PRD),
  • PRT Certification,
  • Personnel Certification

There are two types of ASME accreditation programs available as mentioned below:

  • Authorized Inspection Agency (AIA) Accreditation, and
  • PRD Testing Lab Accreditation.

Each of the above-mentioned ASME certification/accreditation lists has different requirements and fees based on the type of program. Further details about these ASME certification programs can be found here.

References and Further Studies

Kindly refer to the following to know more details about the ASME certification process.