The Importance of ISO Standards’ Compliance for Pressure Vessels

November 21, 2018

A books-worth of paperwork follows a pressure vessel around as it nears the commissioning finish line. Among those clipped and annotated pages, the ISO standards dominate the safety tests and engineering inspections. That all sounds impressive, but what are the ISO standards? Well, when pressure vessels comply with the International Organization for Standardization, they observe a set of meticulously applied rules. Those regulations are enforced by a special governing body.

Performance Mandated Codes

The ISO 16528-1:2008 rules were drafted so that pressure vessel integrity became an absolutely concrete-solid feature, not one that was enforced by a single design agency. Granted, that agency could deliver the highest possible engineering tolerances, welding methods, and fabrication standards, but it's still an independently appraised operation, one prejudiced by the fabrication site's own autonomously appraised production techniques. ISO standards' compliance takes such responsibilities out of the hands of fabrication sites and places it securely in the grasp of internationally accredited engineering bodies.

ISO Standards Assure Pressure Vessel Integrity

Just to be clear, a fabrication company is expected to enforce the ISO standards and to comply with them to the letter. There's also the ISO 9001-2008 standards, which guarantee quality assurance. For welds and metal folding, pipes and baffles, interior components and pressure vessel integrity, a quality assured rating is essential. If that rating is missing, who knows what catastrophe might befall the project? Imagine a pressure vessel that isn't stamped with ISO 9001-2008 quality assurance. Weld seams could split, plate metal sections fracture, or internal components could fail catastrophically.

Catastrophic Failure Scenarios

Redirecting this article straight towards the Fusion-weld mission statement for one crucial moment, our business is crowned by several ISO standardized codifications. Quality-assured ISO 9001-2008 is in evidence, as is ISO 3834–2005, which is used to regulate fusion welding excellence. Again, and this point does need emphasizing, without these process regulating standards, internationally approved as they are, then all kinds of fabrication mishaps could occur. That's arguably an allowable prospect inside some production plants, but it's absolutely not acceptable in this field.

After all, huge pressures are contained here, as are combustible chemicals and explosive fuels. Using the ISO standards, we gain a safety and quality assurance safety net, a mechanism that's designed to protect life, limb and processing environment. Without them, well, that's where the bottom drops out of this hypothetical case study. For real-life pressure vessels rarely give their installation venues a second chance. If these internationally regulated rules are left unaddressed, there may be an opportunity to safely fix the problem. Then again, the moment may create a catastrophically dangerous risk, one that could endanger many lives.

Contact Details

Fusion - Weld Engineering Pty Ltd
ABN 98 068 987619

1865 Frankston Flinders Road,
Hastings, VIC 3915

Ph: (03) 5909 8218

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