API SIRE key terms

A project-specific document listing inspections, tests, and acceptance records in sequence, with hold, witness, and review points identified so the inspector and manufacturer know what evidence is required before work advances.

A step in the inspection and test plan where manufacturing must stop until the inspector completes the required check and records approval; work cannot proceed without documented release.

A scheduled inspection or test that the inspector may observe but that does not stop production if the inspector is absent; the manufacturer proceeds and records the result.

A document or record check performed by the inspector at a defined stage, where production may continue but the record must be reviewed and accepted before final release.

A meeting before work begins where the manufacturer, purchaser, and inspector confirm the inspection and test plan, specifications, hold points, communication paths, and reporting expectations to prevent later misunderstandings.

The amount and frequency of inspection activity assigned to a supplier or product, ranging from periodic visits to continuous presence, based on risk, criticality, and prior performance.

Inspection performed at the manufacturer's or supplier's facility while the product is being fabricated, allowing verification of processes and concealed characteristics before shipment rather than relying only on receiving inspection.

A defined rule stating how many units or measurements to examine from a lot and the acceptance number, used to make a statistically based decision about the whole lot.

A structured list of items, characteristics, and records the inspector must verify during a visit, helping ensure consistent coverage and complete documentation of observations and results.

Verification performed during manufacturing at defined stages, rather than only at final acceptance, to catch deviations while they can still be corrected economically.

A thorough verification of the first production item against all drawing and specification requirements, establishing that the process, tooling, and inspection methods can produce conforming work.

A written, qualified document that specifies welding variables such as process, filler metal, joint design, preheat, and heat input so welders can produce joints meeting the required mechanical and quality properties.

A record of the tests and variables used to qualify a welding procedure specification; it documents that a test weld met the required mechanical and nondestructive examination results.

Evidence that an individual welder can produce sound welds using a specific process and position, usually demonstrated by test coupons that pass visual and mechanical examinations.

Controlled heating and cooling of material or a fabricated component to achieve specified properties, relieve residual stresses, or meet code requirements, with temperature and time recorded for verification.

The measurement and control of temperatures in furnaces and heat-treating equipment, including calibration of instruments and surveys that demonstrate uniform temperature within the qualified work zone.

A field or shop technique, often using X-ray fluorescence or optical emission, that verifies the chemical composition or alloy identity of material before it is installed or released.

The ability to link finished components to their originating heat, lot, or batch through markings and records, so material certification and process history can be retrieved later.

Comparison of an instrument or gauge against a reference standard of known accuracy, with results documented, to establish that measurements used for acceptance are reliable.

A manufacturing process whose results cannot be fully verified by later inspection, such as welding, heat treatment, coating, or nondestructive examination, requiring qualification of procedures and personnel.

Verification of surface preparation, application conditions, and dry-film thickness of protective coatings, including checks for cleanliness, adhesion, and continuity required by the specification.

Methods such as radiographic, ultrasonic, magnetic particle, and liquid penetrant testing that examine material or welds for discontinuities without destroying the component, performed by qualified personnel under approved procedures.

A pressure test in which a vessel, pipe, or component is filled with water and pressurized above its design pressure to demonstrate structural integrity and leak tightness before acceptance.

Measurement of product features such as size, shape, and position against drawing tolerances using calibrated tools, fixtures, or coordinate measuring equipment.

Examination of surfaces, joints, and workmanship by eye, sometimes aided by magnification or lighting, to detect defects such as cracks, porosity, undercut, corrosion, or coating damage.

The specified limits, tolerances, and test results that determine whether a product or process conforms; they must be defined before inspection so decisions are consistent and defensible.

A supplier document reporting the chemical composition and mechanical properties of a material heat, used to confirm that the delivered product meets the purchase specification.

A signed statement declaring that the supplied product or service conforms to specified requirements, supported by records that the manufacturer retains and makes available on request.

A documented list of outstanding minor deficiencies or incomplete items found near completion, tracked until corrected and verified, allowing final acceptance to proceed.

A formal record describing a detected nonconformity, its location, extent, and disposition, used to control nonconforming product and trigger investigation or corrective action.

Action taken to eliminate the cause of a detected nonconformity so it does not recur, distinct from containment or rework, and usually verified for effectiveness.

A structured investigation to identify the underlying process or system weakness that allowed a nonconformity, rather than only the immediate symptom, so effective corrective action can be chosen.

A system ensuring that current specifications, procedures, drawings, and forms are approved, distributed, and available at the point of use, while obsolete versions are withdrawn.

A defined schedule for keeping inspection reports, test records, certifications, and quality records for the period required by contract, code, or regulation.

A compiled report of manufacturing, inspection, and test records for a finished component, submitted to the purchaser as evidence that all specified requirements were met.

The organizational structure, procedures, and resources established to direct and control quality, including planning, control of documents, inspection, nonconformance handling, and continual improvement.

A documented, approved departure from a specification or drawing requirement, usually limited in scope and time, granted before or after production with purchaser or engineering agreement.

A licensed mark applied to products manufactured under API specifications, indicating that the manufacturer's quality system and product meet API licensing requirements and that authorized inspection has occurred.