Overview of Quality Control (QC)
Quality Control (QC) is the process of ensuring that the quality of a product or service has met certain predetermined standards. QC involves preventing defects in the finished products after they have been developed or manufactured.
While it is often confused with Quality Assurance (QA), QC is different. QA focuses on improving product quality during the product development phase, rather than looking at the end product.
Because it takes place after a product has been developed it often involves activities such as inspection or testing. QC should be performed by a specialized team dedicated to inspecting for and detecting flaws in the finished products.
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BlogJuly 23, 2019 By Ted Shields at Olympus America, and Michael W. Hull at Olympus America
In this latest guest blog, our friends at Olympus America share some of their most frequently fielded questions regarding X-Ray Flourescence (XRF) and some considerations for using XRF for Positive Material Identification (PMI).
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March/April 2019 Inspectioneering JournalBy Troy Goldman at Sun Coast Resources, Inc.
According to industry experts, particle contamination in lubricants is the number one cause of lubricant-related equipment failure. Fortunately, there are steps operators can take to reduce contamination and increase the service life of equipment.
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Assuring Pressure Part Manufacturing & Repair Quality - Has ticking the box become more important than the end product?March/April 2019 Inspectioneering JournalBy Andreas Fabricius at Tetra Engineering, James Malloy at Tetra Engineering, and Mark Taylor at Tetra Engineering
The quality of the thousands of factory and field welds present in pressure part modules is critical for assuring reliable operation over the life of a plant. Companies should be doing more than paying lip service to quality. Don't just tick a box.
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Achieving Digital Transformation in Pipeline Construction with Quality Management Systems and Industry 4.0 TechnologyMarch/April 2019 Inspectioneering JournalBy Stephen P. Webb, P.E. at Metegrity
This article discusses how a technology coupled with API 1177 allows construction crews, inspectors, and pipeline integrity engineers to quickly analyze inspection, NDT, and commissioning data in near real-time, as well as problem solve in the field.
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A Quest for Defect-Free Plant Operation, Part 1: Understanding and Applying a Lean Business Model to Processing Facilities
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September/October 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Ashfaq Anwer
The best approach for better inspection confidence and long term asset integrity is to conduct baseline inspections upon receipt of an asset. Baseline inspection can save millions by providing accurate baseline information for later comparisons and preventing safety incidents caused by critical oversights during the construction phase.
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September/October 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy James "Chezo" Cesarini, PE at Pro-Surve Technical Services, LLC
The most valuable unit of measure within a turnaround is not money, but time. Successful turnaround planners are now integrating the Detailed Inspection Planner (DIP) within their teams to increase the accuracy of planning and reduce the time required to complete the turnaround.
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BlogSeptember 13, 2018 By Berg Engineering
Nondestructive testing (NDT) careers are on the rise in today’s economy. These fields are constantly advancing, and there is an ever-growing need for technicians, quality assurance specialists and inspectors as infrastructure in the United States continues to age.
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Developing a Fitness for Service Approach for Reduced Toughness Carbon Steel Piping, Flanges & FittingsMay/June 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Ralph E. King P.E. at Stress Engineering Services Inc., John Norris, P.E. at Stress Engineering Services, Dr. Kannan Subramanian, Ph. D., P.E. at Stress Engineering Services Inc., and Daniel Ayewah, P.E. at Stress Engineering Services Inc.
There is concern in the industry over recent findings of reduced toughness fittings and flanges at risk of brittle fracture. This article provides an overview; possible contributors; measures taken to address; and a proposed FFS approach to address the issue.
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Partner Content
ASTM International in partnership with the Codes and Standards Training Institute (CASTI), launched an eLearning course to provide individuals with a general knowledge relating to maintenance, inspection, repair, and alteration of pressure vessels as outlined in the API RP 510 code. Click to find out more.
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November/December 2017 Inspectioneering JournalBy Hossam Aboegla at Lloyd's Register Energy
The goal of achieving effective asset integrity management (AIM) throughout an asset’s life cycle requires certain “integrity enablers.” This article discusses six integrity enablers and their importance to a successful AIM program.
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September/October 2017 Inspectioneering JournalBy John Reynolds at Intertek
Although commonly lumped together as a singular acronym, there are important distinctions between Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC). This article defines and distinguishes the role of QA and, in particular, how source inspection factors into that role.
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May/June 2017 Inspectioneering JournalBy David E. Moore at Becht Engineering, PONO Division
Read a firsthand account of how organizing Process, People, Plant, and Performance can reveal breakdowns in your corrosion management practices and drive down corrosion related leaks.
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November/December 2016 Inspectioneering JournalBy Blake Stermer at Sentinel Integrity Solutions
As the industry strives to maintain PSM/OSHA compliance through owner/user mechanical integrity programs, inspection professionals should fully understand technical standards to generate an adequate repair recommendation or request further inspection and testing
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September/October 2016 Inspectioneering JournalBy James Cheng at Bureau Veritas
Having a systematic, proven methodology for effectively qualifying suppliers is extremely important. Supplier Technical Assessments, or “vendor assessments,” help buyers evaluate suppliers’ qualifications when considering their capabilities to manufacture specified industrial components or provide the desired services.
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Online Article
It is a commonly held belief with oil & gas (O&G), oil sands, and pipeline projects that material test reports (MTRs) are always required for turnover to the owner-user, but that is untrue. In this article I will describe what MTRs are, how these are used during manufacturing, and when these are mandatory for turnover in the manufacturing record book (MRB) or vendor data book (VDB) to the owner-user for retention as a permanent record. I will give specific examples from relevant Acts, Codes, Regulations, and Standards to prove that MTR turnover to the owner-user is usually not required and provide examples to clearly demonstrate how this increases costs but does not add value. I will also describe why this is a much bigger problem than wasted paper and recommend best practices that are easily implemented. With this information, projects and owner-users can reduce costs and eliminate headaches, while still maintaining all of their quality and technical requirements.
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Advancements in Positive Material Identification Tools Bring Accuracy and Convenience to the Work SiteMarch/April 2016 Inspectioneering JournalBy Mark Lessard at Thermo Fisher Scientific
In numerous industries that require elemental and material testing, including the oil and gas, power generation, and petrochemical industries, positive material identification (PMI) is at the forefront of any operation. In fact, an increasing number of facilities are adopting a 100% PMI program to ensure that every metal component is made up of exactly the desired chemical composition.
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September/October 2015 Inspectioneering JournalBy Paul J. Ramirez at NASA - Jet Propulsion Laboratory
The Quality Assurance Engineer (QAE) provides a safety net for mission-critical hardware. The variety and complexity of hardware, and the many dimensions of the QA inspection process, combine in such a manner that even the most experienced QAE may miss problems.
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September/October 2015 Inspectioneering JournalBy Shana Telesz at GE Measurement & Control
While computed tomography (CT) scans are common and well-known as a critical evaluation tool in the medical field, they are becoming increasingly important in industrial settings. Recent automation, speed, and accuracy developments are driving the migration of CT technology onto the production floor.
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BlogAugust 31, 2015 By Jeremiah Wooten at Inspectioneering, LLC.
Inspectioneering recently had the opportunity to speak with Tom Redlinger about QA/QC practices in the O&G business and what companies can do to create programs that are both effective and sustainable. We hope you find the exchange as interesting as we did.
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July/August 2015 Inspectioneering JournalBy Neil Ferguson at Hydratight
With the increasing demand for oil, gas, and petrochemical products in a highly competitive market, products and services irrespective of their origin must satisfy customer quality requirements. Additionally, the needs to ensure quality control and regulatory compliance are now more scrutinized and critical than ever.
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March/April 2014 Inspectioneering JournalBy Neil Ferguson at Hydratight
Joint integrity programs (JIP) should be an integral part of every refinery, petrochemical, production, or other industrial-complex facility operations.
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The Role of Life Cycle Management in Achieving Excellence in Pressure Equipment Integrity and ReliabilityJanuary/February 2011 Inspectioneering JournalBy John Reynolds at Intertek
In the first article in this series entitled How to Put It All Together - Guide to Organizing a Successful PEI Program, (1) I provided an overview of the necessary Management Systems (MS) for a successful program to achieve excellence in pressure equipment integrity (PEI). This is the sixth article in that series.
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November/December 2009 Inspectioneering JournalBy P.N. Sunil Kumar at Kuwait Oil Company
The market around the globe is being opened up. More and more manufacturers are entering the fray from different parts of the world. The competition is tightening at an unprecedented rate causing considerable reduction in profit margins enjoyed by the industry. This prevailing scenario around the globe makes the sustenance of a pressure vessel manufacturer in the fabrication industry a "tight rope walk". Continuance in the same market could only be assured through best quality and best price, both with conflicting interests. In order to maintain both, the manufacturer shall have a reasonably good quality system and shall have adopted the most efficient methodologies and systems, so as to maintain best quality at the lowest possible cost. Regarding the quality versus cost aspects, in my previous article published in April 2007 Issue of the Hydrocarbon Processing, titled "Optimum Specification & Quality requirements for Pressure Vessels", various methods and practices were elaborated. In this article, an effective, sensible and realistic quality audit system for continuously monitoring the quality of various disciplines that contribute to the manufacturing quality of pressure vessels is proposed. Such a system is absolutely essential for the sustenance of the already established stature and reputation of the manufacturer in the industry, by the vigilant and committed involvement of the top management. The QAR is intended to serve as a tool to the management with information on any decline in quality (if any occurs), to initiate timely remedial action, to ward off such occurrences in the future and to prevent a decline in quality of the organization in its functions.
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March/April 2007 Inspectioneering JournalBy John Reynolds at Intertek
In the welded condition many stainless steels are susceptible to rapid intergranular corrosion or stress corrosion cracking. This is because the heat from welding sensitizes the base metal heat affected zone (HAZ) and the weld.
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March/April 2007 Inspectioneering JournalBy John Reynolds at Intertek
When we talk about welding QA/QC we typically focus on the technical requirements and what QA/QC is needed to assure that the technical requirements are met. Examples include the preheat, interpass, and PWHT temperatures and how to assure that the correct temperatures and hold times are used.
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January/February 2006 Inspectioneering JournalBy John Reynolds at Intertek
Among other things, a welding QA/QC program needs to ensure that only qualified welders, utilizing qualified procedures are allowed to weld on any pressurized equipment, including storage tanks and piping.
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January/February 2005 Inspectioneering JournalBy John Reynolds at Intertek
Polythionic Acid Stress Corrosion Cracking (PASCC) is an affliction of many refineries processing sulfur containing feedstocks, and since that is the norm these days, most refiners reduce their susceptibility to PASCC by selecting resistant alloys orby neutralizing exposed surfaces during shutdowns.
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November/December 2000 Inspectioneering JournalBy John Reynolds at Intertek
Part 4 of this article continues to outline the 101 essential elements that need to be in place, and functioning well, to effectively and efficiently, preserve and protect the reliability and integrity of pressure equipment (vessels, exchangers, furnaces, boilers, piping, tanks, relief systems) in the refining and petrochemical industry.
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