Inspection Certificate for Heads and Expansion Joints
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There is a question that I would like everyone to discuss together: In the manufacturing of pressure vessel equipment, the end caps and expansion joints are all purchased externally or manufactured by third parties. Is it still necessary for those parties to obtain inspection certificates?
The regulations regarding end cap licenses have been abolished; whether an end cap requires inspection depends on whether it has splice welds – if there are no splice welds, then no inspection is necessary. If splicing is involved, and it is carried out by the container manufacturing unit, then there is no need for a inspection certificate for the head. If the splicing of the head is done by the head manufacturing unit, then that unit must commission an inspection, and an inspection certificate will be issued
Expansion joints that also have splice welds require a inspection certificate.
How should end caps that are joined first and then shaped be handled?
It should be like this: inspection actually refers to the supervision and inspection of welding processes. Just like in the case of ASME-approved pressure vessels, if there is no need for joining, then there is no need to have an inspector conduct an inspection.
First, carry out the splicing and then the shaping; it depends on which party is responsible for this splicing process – if it’s the end cap manufacturer, a inspection certificate must be provided, while if it’s the manufacturing factory that carries out the splicing, it will be included as part of the product
Whether it is splicing first and then shaping, or shaping first and then splicing, it depends on which party is responsible for the welding work. If it is the head manufacturer who carries out the welding, then that manufacturer must commission an inspection to issue an inspection certificate; if it is the manufacturing factory itself that performs the welding, then the inspection is carried out as part of the overall inspection of the product.
Generally, expansion joints come with welds and require inspection; if the head has no seams, inspection may not be necessary. However, given the current conditions in the industry, we require inspection for all these components we purchase, to feel more at ease.