API SIFE cheat sheet

Source inspection verifies at the vendor's fabrication site that materials, workmanship, testing, and documentation conform to the purchase order, approved drawings, and applicable code before shipment.

A Quality Surveillance Plan identifies inspection activities, acceptance criteria, responsible parties, document reviews, and hold or witness points for the equipment scope.

A hold point is an inspection stage where work cannot proceed until the inspector or authorized representative completes the required verification and records acceptance.

A witness point requires notification before the activity; work may proceed if the inspector does not attend, unless the contract or inspection plan states otherwise.

The inspector's role includes document review, material verification, dimensional checks, witnessing tests, nonconformance follow-up, and release recommendation; the vendor remains responsible for product conformity.

Surveillance intensity is selected from equipment criticality, fabrication complexity, vendor performance history, and contractual or code requirements.

A nonconformance report records the requirement violated, location, objective evidence, disposition, corrective action, and verification of closure.

The pre-inspection meeting confirms the inspection and test plan, notification rules, site access, calibration records, document formats, and communication responsibilities.

Release authorization is issued only after required hold points are cleared, nonconformances are closed, and final documentation is reviewed and accepted.

ASME Section II contains material specifications, while ASME Section IX contains welding, brazing, and qualification requirements.

A Welding Procedure Specification is qualified by a Procedure Qualification Record; welders and welding operators are separately qualified by performance tests.

P-numbers group base metals by welding characteristics, F-numbers group electrodes and filler metals, and A-numbers group weld metal chemical analysis.

Preheat and interpass temperature control slow cooling and reduce hydrogen cracking risk; post-weld heat treatment reduces residual stress and may be required by material or thickness.

Material traceability links heat numbers, mill test reports, and component markings; positive material identification verifies alloy chemistry when specified.

Welding consumables require manufacturer-recommended storage and control; low-hydrogen electrodes typically require holding ovens after opening.

Fit-up checks before welding include joint geometry, bevel angle, root gap, alignment, cleanliness, and dimensional tolerances.

Repair welds require an approved welding procedure and normally re-examination by the same non-destructive method that detected the original discontinuity.

Fabrication dimensional checks include shell roundness, plumbness, nozzle orientation, elevation, projection, and angularity against approved drawings.

Common NDE methods are visual, penetrant, magnetic particle, radiographic, and ultrasonic testing; method selection depends on material, geometry, discontinuity type, and code requirements.

Penetrant testing detects surface-breaking discontinuities in nonporous materials; magnetic particle testing detects surface and near-surface discontinuities in ferromagnetic materials.

Radiographic testing uses radiation attenuation to reveal volumetric internal discontinuities; ultrasonic testing uses high-frequency sound and is sensitive to reflector orientation and surface condition.

NDE personnel certification may follow ASNT SNT-TC-1A, CP-189, or an employer program, as required by the contract and governing code.

Acceptance criteria come from the applicable code or specification; the NDE method alone does not establish accept or reject limits.

ASME Section VIII Division 1 hydrostatic test pressure is 1.3 times MAWP times the lowest stress ratio at test temperature to allowable stress at design temperature.

ASME B31.3 piping hydrostatic test pressure is at least 1.5 times design pressure, with code allowances for temperature and stress ratios.

Pneumatic testing stores more energy than hydrostatic testing and requires code-specified precautions, exclusion zones, and approval of the test procedure.

Test gauges must be calibrated, have suitable range and resolution, and be located so they accurately indicate the pressure at the equipment being tested.

A pressure vessel nameplate and Manufacturer's Data Report identify the code stamp, MAWP, design temperature, material, and minimum design metal temperature.

Heat exchanger inspection covers shell, tubes, tubesheet, baffles, heads, and tube-to-tubesheet joints; TEMA class defines mechanical and dimensional requirements.

Piping inspection checks line class, material, dimensions, flange rating, gasket, bolting, supports, and orientation against approved isometrics and specifications.

Valve shell testing verifies the pressure boundary; seat testing verifies closure tightness, with acceptance limits set by the applicable valve standard and valve type.

Flange faces, gasket surfaces, and bolting require protection and correct finish; mismatched pressure ratings or facing types are nonconforming.

Fittings and flanges require marking for size, pressure class, material, and manufacturer, with traceability to material certificates.

Spring hangers, expansion joints, and pipe supports require setting or installation according to drawings and manufacturer instructions.

Nozzle orientation, elevation, projection, and shell dimensions are dimensional hold points before final assembly and shipment.

Internal cleanliness, draining, drying, and preservation are verified before closing and shipment release.

The contract fixes the applicable code edition and addenda; a later edition or alternative requirement is not used without documented approval.

Approved drawings, specifications, and the purchase order form the acceptance basis, and revision control ensures only current documents are used.

Document review verifies material test reports, NDE reports, heat treatment charts, pressure test records, and dimensional records for completeness and code compliance.

The Manufacturer's Data Report must match the nameplate, actual configuration, material records, and test results before code stamping and release.

Code stamping is authorized only within the scope of the certificate holder's quality program and the applicable code scope.

Nonconformance and deviation records must be dispositioned, repaired or accepted as applicable, re-inspected, and closed before release.

The final release package typically includes material certificates, drawings, NDE reports, heat treatment records, test reports, coating records, and packing lists.

Shipping release confirms equipment identification, preservation, packing, and transmittal of the final documentation set.

Obsolete or superseded documents are removed from use so that fabrication and inspection rely only on approved current revisions.