Why Valve Qualification Programs?

As the valve world continues to turn and tilt its production towards new countries and their untested manufacturing plants, the potential backlash is a rise in quality issues. In decades past, when bottomdollar pricing was not the chief procurement driver, higher quality cast steel valves, produced in the United States, reat !ritain, and "apan could be counted upon. Unfortunately, the global economic realities of the past #$ years have caused many of these companies to either cease production in their native countries or go out of business altogether. %he commodity steel valve industry with its lower profit margins is undergoing a period of significant change as manufacturers struggle to remain competitive. As a result, virtually every ma&or commodity valve manufacturer has turned to countries such as 'hina and India, with their ine(pensive labor markets, in an effort to maintain market share. %his relocation to new manufacturing sites has made many users uneasy with the potential of poor quality in the valves they purchase. %o confirm the quality and repeatability of these products, many of the ma&or end-users are requiring that the manufacturers qualify their products in accordance with A)I document, *)+,#, -User Acceptance of *efinery .alves/. *)+,#, which is only a recommended practice 0 not a standard, requires that candidate valves undergo a rigorous series of tests and inspections, including nondestructive evaluations, critical dimension measurements and stem-to-wedge strength tests on gate valves. %he current third edition, with several substantive changes, was approved and published in September of 1$$2 and published in early 1$$3. 4ne of the key revisions is that the qualification is now -manufacturing facility specific/ instead of brand specific. In other words, the qualification no longer applies &ust to a manufacturer by name, but also to a specific manufacturing plant and5or foundry. "ust what does A)I *)+,# mean to the end-user and the manufacturer6 %o the end-user, requiring a manufacturer to undergo *)+,# qualification, affords his company some assurance that the advertising and marketing claims of superior quality and A)I 7$$ compliance by a valve manufacturer are not &ust hollow words. %o the manufacturer, it is an opportunity to assess the quality, and to a limited sense, the repeatability of their product. If the valves do very well in the testing, there is also the opportunity to help gain a position on a coveted end-user Acceptable 8anufacturer 9ist :A89;. RP591 History %o better understand why A)I *) +,# -)rocess .alve <ualification )rocedure/ e(ists today, we need to look back at the history of the domestic commodity cast steel business over the past 2$ years. %he story begins with the worldwide petrochemical and refinery construction boom of the mid to late =$>s. ?hile this profitable period was a tremendous economic shot-in-the-bank account for the leading domestic valve manufacturers such as 'rane, )owell, ?alworth, 9unkenheimer, "enkins and others, it drastically depleted the commodity steel valve inventory that would normally be consumed for new U.S. construction pro&ects and 8*4 use. %his situation cracked open an economic door that foreign valve manufacturers had been trying to walk through for many years. @ue to acute shortages, domestic manufacturers began bringing in licensed products from Aastern Aurope and the Bar Aast. Additional non-affiliated offshore manufacturers also began to make a play on the ripe US market.

Unfortunately, some of the products that were imported did not fare too well in service and a pattern of failures prompted some end-users to address the issue. Cere-to-fore, the only testing and inspection that was performed by a user on commodity valves was the cursory A)I +,D hydrostatic test block. %he comfort Eone that the over-engineered, rock-solid American valves had provided the industry for over +$ years had now disappeared amidst a rash of leaking castings, stem breakage and seating failures. In #,=,-D$, Shell 4il 'ompany became the first refiner to address the qualification testing issue with a fairly thorough test procedure that included a variety of dimensional e(aminations, operability tests, hydrostatic tests, F@A and chemical analysis of key materials. %hrough information shared at A)I *efining 8eetings, the ma&or end-users discussed the need for an official valve qualification document. %wo men led the valve quality charge in A)I at that time, Carry Cowarth of 8obil and 'urt !all of A((on. In #,D+, !all G Cowarth presented a draft document to the valve industry that eventually would become the backbone of the A)I *)+,# document. Although it took five years of work group negotiation and open meeting haggling, the first edition of A)I *)+,#, -User Acceptance of *efinery .alves/, was published in #,,$. %he second edition was approved and published in #,,+ with only a few changes. Document Overview *)+,# can be divided into two distinct partsH #; the manufacturer>s documentation and quality requirements and 1; the actual qualification testing procedure. %he first part, which deals primarily with the manufacturer>s quality program, is basically a paraphrase of the #, tenants of IS4 ,$$#5A)I <#. %he actual qualification testing program begins in section 7.$ of the document with requirements for documentation to be provided by the manufacturer to the testing agency and included in the test report. %his data includes drawings, requested welding procedures, casting and5or forging source information, closure torques, rim pull calculations, and the location of final assembly and testing of the valves. %he first requirement for the manufacturer is to select a mutually acceptable testing facility to perform the inspection. %o be eligible for consideration as an A)I *)+,# testing facility, the lab must have a degreed mechanical or metallurgical engineer on staff overseeing the testing. %he inspection process begins with the testing facility randomly selecting valves from an inventory of like valves in pressure class, material and siEe from manufacturer or distributor stock. %he valves are then tagged and heat and serial numbers are recorded. %hey are then shipped to the testing facility for the actual inspection process. )rior to disassembly the valves are sub&ected to hydrostatic pressure tests in accordance with A)I +,D. All optional A)I +,D closure tests are performed as well. Bor all seat tests, the recommended closure torque values provided by the manufacturer are used, and the actual closure torques are measured via a calibrated torque wrench. A device to connect the torque wrench is attached to the center of the stem shaft or gear operator. If the torque recommended by the manufacturer is inadequate to prevent leakage, the torque may be increased by a ma(imum of 1+I. All valves are tested in the stem horiEontal position. Visual ns!ection " #aterial $ests Bollowing hydrotesting, the visual inspection process is begun. After as-assembled dimensions are recorded, the valves are disassembled for detailed component inspection. 4ver 3$ different items are visually inspected and5or measured. %he visual inspection includes everything from handwheel construction to stem cylindricity and straightness. After all the measurements have been taken and conditions recorded, paint and sealants are removed

from the body, bonnet and covers :as applicable; and the castings are visually inspected per 8SS S)++. Borgings are inspected to confirm they are free of laps and seams. A key requirement of *) +,# is chemical analysis and hardness testing of all key components on a minimum of five sample valves. %o confirm that valve handwheels are in conformance with A)I 7$$ and will not fail during the rigors of severe field use, two tests are performed. %he first test involves striking the handwheel between spokes with a 2 lb. or #$ lb. hammer, depending upon valve F)S. %he second test requires the wheel to be sub&ected to a torque test at 2$$I of the manufacturers design torque. Any damage is to be reported. %tem %haft&'losure (lement %trength $est 4ne of the prime motivators for the creation of *) +,# 2$ years ago was a series of stem to wedge failures encountered by several end-users. %he -Stem )ull %est/ as it is generally called, is performed on a tensile test machine. %he 'losure member and stem are both held in special fi(tures to enable them to be properly gripped by the tensile test machine. %he stem is then -pulled/ and the actual load and point of failure is recorded. %he manufacturer is required to provide e(pected stem shaft to closure element failure calculations to the testing facility, so that the fi(tures may be properly designed and built. %he goal of the stem pull test is to insure that the first point of failure in a stem to closure element break occurs outside the body of the valve. !ecause an outside-the-pressure-containing-area failure provides the valve owner a section of stem to grab in case emergency opening procedures are required following a stem to closure element failure. Bailure inside the pressure containment area means that the line will have to be de-energiEed and the valve disassembled for stem removal and disc opening. %he stem pull is also the most e(citing part of any *)+,# test, especially when a large diameter stem snaps apart in the tensile machineJ )on*estructive (valuation +)D(, %he most telling aspect of the *) +,# inspection process has to be the F@A phase, particularly the radiography. All accessible pressure containing welds are radiographed in accordance with table 23#.2.1 of AS8A !2#.2, using the acceptance criteria for normal fluid service conditions. )ressure containing welds that cannot be radiographed are e(amined by either magnetic particle or liquid penetrant in accordance with AS8A !#7.23. Sections of cast valves, as identified in !#7.23, from four valves or 1+I of the sample lot :whichever is larger; are e(amined by radiography in accordance with !#7.23 as well. @etails of any discontinuity as well as sketches illustrating the film locations are included in the report. 4ne of the key revisions in the 2rd edition of *) +,# is the requirement that changes in sources of pressure-containing forgings or castings require that additional testing :generally radiography; be performed. Items that require complete requalification of a valve include -any design change that will reduce the strength or impair operability of the valve or a change in location of manufacture/. What RP 591 Doesn-t Re.uire ?hile *) +,# is an e(tensive document, there are additional tests that are not found within its pages. %he issue of fugitive emissions is not addressed and many end-users will request that some form of fugitive emissions testing be performed in con&unction with the +,# testing program. Some users also require a submerged helium shell test to further insure casting quality. As far as metallurgical e(aminations go, detailed testing of castings is not required. Cowever, some users who have e(perienced casting imperfections are requiring metallographic e(amination of castings, as well as other more thorough metallurgical e(aminations plus additional radiography.

Also absent from the +,# document is a requirement for testing valves in different positions, such as the stem horiEontal with horiEontal flow configuration, to determine that the valve operates in all positions. %his multi-directional test requirement was a part of some users testing requirements prior to the publication of *) +,#. 'onclusions *) +,# testing is not cheap for the manufacturer. Cowever the economic benefits of gaining a spot on an active A89 can be great. Aven if the testing reveals inadequacies, this data can help the manufacturer to improve their product, by pointing out specific areas of needed improvement, which can translate to more satisfied customers and greater sales. A)I *) +,# is an e(cellent tool to determine a/snapshot/ view of a manufacturer>s valve quality. Users should also maintain a record of valve performance gathered from their own in-service observations as well as information provided from their valve repair and modification contractor:s;. %his valuable data can help insure that the *) +,# qualified valves are maintaining their pedigree. Almost every ma&or commodity valve manufacturer has moved their production location during the past three years, or is considering doing so in the ne(t #1 months. %he economics of a global economy are demanding it. %hese changes mean that past performance data cannot necessarily be counted on to confirm current valve quality. %his makes the time and effort of implementing some form of e(amination program, such as *) +,# testing, a worthwhile endeavor that could potentially save lives and property.