Testing, Examination, and Acceptance
Test it, measure it, record it
Examination and testing answer different questions: examination (visual, dimensional, NDE) looks for discontinuities; testing (hydrostatic, pneumatic, functional, hardness, impact) demonstrates performance. Know which standard's acceptance criteria govern and which standard the PO invokes; when they conflict, the more stringent normally governs unless a documented deviation is approved. For pressure tests, verify the medium and temperature, the gauge range (typically 1.5 to 4 times test pressure), gauge accuracy and calibration date, venting and stabilization before the hold period, and the hold time and pressure actually recorded. For NDE, confirm the method, technique, procedure, and examiner certification are appropriate and current, and that the report states the acceptance criteria and results - not simply 'acceptable'.
Traps: gauges outside the required range or past calibration, pressure recorded before the system stabilizes, a hold clock started before full pressure, test water at a temperature that risks brittle fracture, and NDE acceptance criteria copied from a different code edition. Functional tests such as seat leakage, torque, and stroke fail as often from test setup as from the product.
Worked example: the required shell test is 1,500 psi. A 0–2,000 psi gauge is too narrow under the 1.5–4x rule; a 0–10,000 psi gauge is too wide to read to the needed precision. Choose something near 0–5,000 psi, confirm calibration, and record the gauge ID. Rule of thumb: an unrecorded test did not happen.