API SIRE cheat sheet

Hold point (H): production stops until the inspector performs the required surveillance and records acceptance; continuation or rework cannot proceed without that sign-off.

Witness point (W): the supplier must notify the inspector before the activity, but work proceeds if the inspector does not attend, and the non-attendance is recorded in the report.

Review point (R): records are examined after the activity is finished, so a review point never requires physical attendance at the workstation.

ITP content: process sequence, characteristic, specification clause, acceptance criterion, inspection method or NDE technique, frequency, and the H/W/R designation for each step.

Revision rule: purchase order revision, drawing revision, material specification, and process procedures must agree before inspection begins; any conflict is resolved in writing first.

Sampling: ANSI/ASQ Z1.4 sample size is set by lot size and inspection level, the acceptance number is set by the AQL, and tightened inspection applies after repeated lot rejections.

Instrument check: calibration label, certificate date, traceability to a national standard, and full-scale range - test pressure should fall between 1.5x and 4x gauge full scale.

Pre-inspection meeting inputs: approved ITP, qualified WPS/PQR with welder list, NDE procedures and personnel certifications, calibration list, sub-supplier approval status, and open NCRs.

A WPS is qualified by a PQR; welding outside the essential variable ranges covered by that PQR requires a new procedure qualification.

ASME Section IX welder performance qualification lapses after six months without use of the process; the employer must document continuity or re-qualify the welder.

The mill heat number must be transferred to each piece before cutting so chemistry, mechanical properties, and heat treatment condition remain traceable to the certificate.

MTR check points: heat number, grade, chemistry, tensile and yield strength, elongation, impact values where required, heat treatment condition, and specification revision.

Preheat and interpass temperature are measured with a calibrated contact thermometer or temperature-indicating crayon and recorded against the WPS minimum and maximum limits.

Radiography: density between 1.8 and 4.0 in the area of interest, required IQI wire visible, film and technique identified, and density measured with a calibrated densitometer.

Use-as-is disposition of a nonconformance requires design authority approval; rework and repair dispositions require re-inspection and re-test of the affected area.

Marking of pressure-containing surfaces uses low-stress rounded-nose stamps or vibro-etch; hard stamping is limited to locations the specification permits.

Furnace heat treatment surveillance: verify furnace survey certification, load thermocouple placement, soak temperature and time, and retain chart records linked to the heat number.

API 598 hydrostatic shell test pressure is 1.5 times the 38 °C (100 °F) rating and seat test pressure is 1.1 times; shell test duration increases with valve nominal size.

Gauge rule: the test gauge must be calibrated with a full-scale range of at least 1.5 and no more than 4 times the intended test pressure, and it is identified on the test record.

Austenitic stainless steel test water has a controlled chloride content (commonly 30 ppm maximum) and is drained and dried immediately after the test.

Acceptance criteria come from the referencing code or specification; the NDE procedure defines only the technique, not what result is acceptable.

Positive material identification by XRF or optical emission verifies alloy identity on critical components; API 578 covers the PMI program, sampling, and records.

Pneumatic testing stores far more energy than hydrostatic testing, so it requires lower pressure ratios, remote gauges, barricades, and written approval before use.

Any repair affecting the pressure-containing boundary requires the pressure test to be repeated after repair, post-weld heat treatment, and NDE are complete.

Functional test: cycle the valve, verify torque or actuator stroke and closure, and confirm any double-block-and-bleed or fire-safe requirement stated on the purchase order.

Record chain: mill certificate to heat number to manufacturing, NDE, and test records to the finished item; a break anywhere in the chain is a reportable nonconformance.

Release requires every hold point signed, every NCR closed, and a Certificate of Conformance signed by an authorized representative identifying PO, specification, and quantity.

Document control: only current revisions at the point of use, obsolete documents removed or marked, and changes reviewed and approved before implementation.

API Q1 specifies quality management system requirements for organizations manufacturing equipment for the petroleum and natural gas industry and is applied with the API product specification.

Inspection report content: purchase order, item, serial and heat numbers, specification revision, date, activities witnessed, measured results, NCR references, and inspector signature.

Corrective action requires root cause analysis, containment of affected product, implementation of the change, and verification that the problem does not recur.

Records retention periods are defined by contract and the quality manual; API Q1 requires documented retention times and continued legibility and retrievability.

Out-of-calibration instruments trigger an impact assessment on all product measured since the last valid calibration, with results documented in the quality record.