Third-Party Factory and Fabrication Inspection for Equipment Buyers
Third-party factory and fabrication inspection for buyers: factory audits, document review, witness and hold points, resident inspection and test witness.
Equipment made to a buyer's specification is only as good as the supervision it receives at the maker's works. itmad provides third-party factory and fabrication inspection for equipment buyers, acting as the buyer's representative at the manufacturer: vendor audits, attendance at the witness and hold points set in the ITP, resident shop inspection and factory inspection certificates. itmad operates across the Middle East, Asia and Europe, using local inspectors and a travelling team. itmad acts for the buyer and holds no commercial interest in the manufacturer, the equipment or the result.
Why the manufacturer's works is the place to inspect
By the time equipment is delivered, its quality has already been decided in the manufacturer's shop. Inspecting there lets itmad confirm that the work follows the specification that the buyer paid for, and lets any non-conformity be corrected at the maker's expense, before the equipment is shipped.
Auditing the manufacturer
A factory audit judges whether a manufacturer can do the job, either before the contract is awarded or before production starts. It looks at the welding control system, assessed against EN ISO 3834 or ASME requirements; the qualifications and certifications of welders, procedures, NDT personnel and operators; production capability and capacity; the product quality control system; and the manufacturer's experience with the standards that the order is placed against, including how correctly it applies them.
Reviewing documents before work starts
Mistakes found on paper cost nothing to fix, while the same mistakes found in finished equipment mean rework, rejection or a defect that reaches the buyer. Before manufacture, itmad reviews the inspection and test plan (ITP) and agrees which stages are witness (W) points and which are hold (H) points. It also reviews the welding documentation (WPS, PQR and welding instructions) against the applicable code, the qualifications of welders and NDT personnel and whether they are valid for the work, and the procedures for heat treatment, NDT, painting and coating, pressure and routine testing, and packing and preservation.
Checking raw material
Material certificates are reviewed against the specification and the applicable standard, chemical composition and mechanical property tests are witnessed, and dimensions are checked. Traceability is verified from the certificate to the material actually lying in the shop, a step that is often skipped.
Witness and hold points
At the points marked in the agreed ITP, an itmad inspector attends. A hold point means production stays stopped until the inspector has attended, examined the work and issued a release, and enforcing that is a core part of what inspection is worth, because hold points are how a buyer keeps control of quality in somebody else's factory. itmad attends within the agreed notification periods and, at each point, either confirms release or raises a non-conformance report (NCR).
Resident inspection when the build justifies it
Where order value, schedule risk or fabrication complexity warrants continuous presence, a resident engineer from itmad works at the manufacturer's site for the whole build as the buyer's representative. The engineer inspects daily against the process documents agreed between buyer and supplier, reports on progress and quality daily or weekly as required, escalates and manages each non-conformity the moment it arises instead of at final inspection, verifies manufacturing quality records as they are produced, and gives early sight of any slippage in the schedule while there is still time to react.
Witnessing tests and final checks
itmad attends performance, functional and commissioning tests to the buyer's requirements. Before a test may begin, the manufacturing and test documentation is reviewed, and during it the test conditions and instrumentation are verified against the approved procedure. A final inspection covers the overall condition and appearance of the product, and preservation, marking and packing are confirmed before release for shipment.
Where factory inspection is used
Typical purchases include capital equipment from manufacturers abroad; pressure vessels, heat exchangers, tanks and fabricated structures; piping, valves, fittings and pipeline materials; electrical and rotating equipment packages; structural steelwork and modular fabrication; and any order where the buyer cannot keep a presence at the manufacturer's works.
Frequently asked questions
What does factory and fabrication inspection involve?
It is third-party inspection at the manufacturer's works while equipment is being made to the buyer's specification. itmad stands in for the buyer and checks that the work meets the specification before the equipment ships.
What happens at a hold point?
Production does not continue past a hold point until the inspector has attended, examined the work and issued a release. Holding that line is how a buyer keeps control of quality at a supplier's works.
What does itmad review before manufacture begins?
The ITP, the welding documentation, the qualifications of welders and NDT personnel, and the procedures for heat treatment, NDT, coating, pressure testing and packing. Errors found in procedures cost nothing to correct, whereas the same errors in finished equipment mean rework or rejection.
When is a resident engineer placed at the works?
When order value, schedule risk or fabrication complexity justifies continuous presence. The engineer represents the buyer through the whole build, reports on progress and quality, and escalates non-conformities as they arise.
What does a factory audit look at?
A factory audit assesses whether the manufacturer is capable of the work, before contract award or before production starts. It covers the welding control system against EN ISO 3834 or ASME, personnel qualifications, capability and capacity, the quality control system and the application of the order's standards.
Whom does itmad act for in a factory inspection?
itmad acts for the buyer. itmad holds no commercial interest in the manufacturer, the equipment or the outcome of the inspection.