Hi,
IMO, you should tailor your own internal procedure. Especially when your bought outs ranging for multi-service application and various material (carbon steel, stainless, alloys, etc.)
- Visual inspection --> most companies adopt and tweak MMS-SP-55. Whom should do the inspection: inspector with good experiences, or new inspector but with clear guidance e.g. quick reference card
- certificates: 3.1. or 3.2. required??
for wetted material to correspond with applicable heat number (traceability), and applicable ASTM standard (in terms of chemical properties, hardness, etc.)
pressure test (seat, body, fugitive, backset)?? was it tested as valve lot 100% or only representation (5 or 10% from similar batch)?
- threshold of latest production year (or tested)? for example only accept the valve which is "younger" than 5 years or 10 years
for reason such as: valve like any other item also value depreciated, meaning the older it gets the more manufacturer will reluctant to warrant the valve. from quality perspective as well especially when involving soft parts which prone for relaxation, etc. The longer gland packing never been used it will be dried, or body-bonnet gasket always under tension from bolts but never from internal service pressure and once it goes into service...prone for leaking, etc.
- special requirement e.g. made from bar, forged, casting. Shall integral flange made from bar, do you think it is necessary shall the bar and final shape is similar? Or bar only allowed up to certain size and smaller
- NDE requirement such as PMI especially for exotic alloy. if unsure the source or quality of material for alloy, subject for radio-graphic performed by credible party
- leakage criteria as per agreed standard? for metal to metal API 6D pipeline (ISO 5208 Class D) or ISO 5208 Class B??
Among other criteria that one can think of.
Good luck,
regards,
MR
All valves will last for years, except the ones that were poorly manufactured; are still wrongly operated and or were wrongly selected
