Must the qualification for on-site fabrication of pressure vessels exceeding regulatory limits be A3?
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Class III pressure vessels exceeding the specified limits (with a design pressure of 3 Mpa) cannot be transported as a whole and must be manufactured on-site. Can A1 qualification be used for this? An A3 qualification is still required. A1: Large high-pressure vessels (A1) – High pressure: 10 MPa ≤ P < 100 MPa. Note: High-pressure vessels with an inner diameter of ≥ 2 meters. A3 Super: Large pressure vessels, spherical tanks (A3); Medium and low pressure: 0.1MPa≤P＜10MPa
The design pressure for Class III pressure vessels that exceed the specified limits is 3 Mpa. According to the classification based on pressure levels, they fall within the medium- and low-pressure range (0.1 MPa ≤ P < 10 MPa); therefore, an A3 qualification is required for their on-site fabrication. Certification A1 is focused on large high-pressure vessels with an inner diameter of ≥2 meters (10 MPa ≤ P < 100 MPa), and it is not applicable to the on-site fabrication of third-category pressure vessels exceeding 3 MPa. Therefore, an A3 qualification is necessary. .
Annex 1 to the \"Announcement by the State Administration for Market Regulation on Matters Related to Administrative Licenses for Special Equipment\" (No. 41, 2021) specifies that entities engaged in the on-site manufacturing of extra-large medium and low-pressure non-spherical pressure vessels must obtain a pressure vessel manufacturing license corresponding to that category (the license shall indicate that it covers the on-site manufacturing of extra-large medium and low-pressure non-spherical pressure vessels). Manufacturing units holding an A3-level pressure vessel manufacturing license are eligible to carry out such on-site manufacturing activities.
Exceeding the limit refers to going beyond the designed service life. It depends on whether it falls under ultra-high pressure
3. Ultra-large pressure vessels refer to pressure vessels that are too large in diameter to be transported by road or rail as a whole. Units that engage in the on-site manufacturing of ultra-large medium and low-pressure non-spherical pressure vessels must obtain a pressure vessel manufacturing license corresponding to that level (the license certificate should specify that it includes on-site manufacturing of ultra-large medium and low-pressure non-spherical pressure vessels). Manufacturing units holding an A3-level pressure vessel manufacturing license are qualified to carry out the on-site manufacturing of such vessels. Announcement No. 41 of 2021 from the State Administration for Market Regulation regarding matters related to administrative licensing for special equipment
I mean, if a unit only has an A1 certificate and no A3 certificate, can it manufacture oversized containers on-site?
If the A1 certificate indicates that on-site manufacturing of ultra-large medium and low pressure non-spherical pressure vessels is permitted, then manufacturing on-site is allowed; if it does not state so, an A3 certificate is required