Are there any instruments and equipment in chemical plants that require annual inspection?

Pressure gauges are subject to annual inspections, twice a year, primarily to verify their accuracy.

It is generally classified by installation level. For Class A gauges, the replacement period is no more than one year; most pressure gauges on pressure vessels have a replacement period of one year, combustible gas detectors have a half-year replacement period, and Class 1 measuring instruments also have a one-year replacement period. For Class B tables, the original validity period set by the manufacturer was also one year, but it was later changed to two years. For Class C tables, it’s mostly two years. In addition, there are measuring instruments; for those manufacturers that do not have the capability to perform calibration, all instruments other than Class A ones fall under this category. Their typical validity period is equal to the period between major overhauls. No matter how detailed the classification may be, aside from those instruments listed in Category A that require calibration by external quality control agencies and for trade settlement purposes, everything else is nothing but a form of deception. When the dates on the records and the labels on the instruments on site reach their expiration date, it’s sufficient to simply replace them with new date labels; all such calibration procedures are merely superficial acts – this is what our excellent Party teaches us: to focus on appearances.

The general calibration cycle for instruments is half a year for pressure gauges, 1 year for pressure (differential pressure) transmitters, 1 year for gas analyzers, and 1 year for control valves. However, the pressure gauges and gas analyzers are inspected by the Quality Supervision Bureau, while for the rest, we just need to check them ourselves.

The issue of annual instrument inspections is really something I want to do but don’t have the means to do. Only A-grade table strength inspections can be carried out. The smaller devices are somewhat better, but for the larger devices with thousands of meters, there are only a few maintenance workers available. Many of these meters are installed in mid-air, and to remove them a scaffold has to be set up – how is that supposed to be done? The labels aren’t even properly attached!

Hehe! It feels the same as the fifth floor: many clocks, few people. Each shutdown for maintenance lasts only a few days; it’s obviously impossible to inspect every gauge.

The cost is also quite high; a pressure gauge costs 40 yuan, so the total cost for one gauge is 80 yuan. With two inspections per year, it’s basically equivalent to buying a new gauge.

Yes, it is under the supervision of the local Quality and Technical Supervision Bureau. Alas, many of them are just for show – you spend some money to get a certificate of compliance. They won’t help you verify it either. At least that’s the case where we are.

The inspection regulations stipulate that pressure gauges should be inspected every six months； Digital meters should be inspected once a year.

The pressure gauge needs to be inspected every six months; it’s just a matter of spending some money for that. It has never been inspected at all, and the labels are purchased from the quality supervision agency for extra money, after which they’re applied by oneself

No way, it works like this too? Hehe