Chinese manufactured 600# valve bonnet studs

[robsalv]

I was forwarded an email today... I don't know what the timeframe of the incident was, but the attached photo should strike fear in the heart of any decent engineer. It relates to compromised bonnet studs of 600# class, WCB 16" gate valves apparently supplied out of China.


This is the text that came with the email:

> Thought you would find this interesting;
>
>
> Hi Folks, was passed these photos from oil company 'X' following
> discussion on horror stories. This relates to a valve from China
> which on disassembly of the bonnet was found to have a stud "made-up"
> with a smaller diameter piece of stud bar.
>
> Another story was following an inspection on site assembled pipework,
> a thread protrusion was a few threads into the nut and the contractor
> instructed to correct. This appeared to have been carried out,
> however on closer inspection it was found the contractor had simply
> cut a small length of stud bar and inserted it into the nut!
>
> The tricks some folks get up to!

I'm not able to upload more than one pic, but the attached pic highlights the matter well.

Cheers

Rob

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Life! No one get's out of it alive."
"The trick is to grow up without growing old..."

 

[eadwine]

Just remember, "Buy cheap get cheap" the same applies to valve rebuilding. Reminds me of the time twenty or so years ago when it was discovered that grade four bolts were being marked as grade eight and sold at grade four prices out of the Orient. Oh well... it's the same old race to the bottom. Melamine in the milk anyone?

 

[chicopee]

Except those involved in the Melamine incident were executed.

 

[racookpe1978]

And those involved here execute other people with their dangerous (lack of) morals, integrity and honesty.

 

[ornerynorsk]

un-fricking-believable! I've seen some cobbled together stuff in my day, but never anything like that.

 

[eliebl]

Seen this before. I think it was a thread in one of the forums here. There is also a bit of discussion about materials supplied from China.

You can get good material and products from anywhere, including China. They will just cost more than the "cheap" ones that can be made in a jurisdiction where we would have little legal recourse if we received substandard components.