ASME U stamp applied in north america for vessel manufactured overseas 1

[sunsentinel]

Hello,

Can a North American fabricator which is a ASME U stamp holder get all phases of fabrication/testing (except hydrotest and name plate rubbing) done overseas and apply U stamp in its shop?
What are the min. requirements of ASME from the overseas fabricator?

Thanks!

 

[jte]

The answer to this issue is not clear at the moment, assuming that the "all phases of fabrication / testing" is performed at a certified shop and this is delivered to the North American fabricator with Partial Data Report documentation.

The Section VIII folks are actively dealing with this subject. It seems that the current consensus is that a vessel which requires no further pressure seam welding might be a "part" and thus would qualify to be delivered as such. But this issue has not been finalized by any means. For Section VIII Div. 1 application, expect to see some changes to UG-120(c) and other locations.

Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Weeks are open to the public; you may be interested in going to one and following the progress of record number 12-1734. You just missed one in Washington DC; the next one is in Orlando in November.

 

[gr2vessels]

YOU and no one else will have to fill in the A-1 form. What you have imported is your responsibility and will be recorded against your name. The minimum requirement is YOU to prevent hurting someone with the equipment you brought in the country. It is not enough to believe that the Chinese certification was supposed be correct and not a fraud. However, you can monitor the Chinese fabricator from material receipt to weld procedure qualification and make sure the equipment is safe. That is the essence of whole ASME VIII-1 and all the government regulations. If you follow the Chinese pressure vessel code and your vessel complies with of all their requirements, the equipment is safe and can be re-hydrotested in accordance withe ASME VIII-1. If you own it, you can U-stamp the vessel as per the latest regulations.
Cheers,
gr2vessels
PS. Not every Chinese fabricator is a crock, but don't let down your guard!