Testing and certification
The worldwide trend in industrial plants, especially in the oil and gas industry, is towards ever larger nominal diameters and higher pressures. It is no longer enough just to manufacture the valves, it becomes necessary to test them as well. We are testing valves on our test stations in order to be able to ensure that valves hut off or close properly in accordance with the guidelines of the inspection and testing companies. Almost every day, valves are inspected in our company by inspection and testing companies such as DNV, Lloyd's Register EMEA, Bureau Veritas, Det Norske Veritas, the quality inspection service of the Federal Office for Civil Protection, RINA, ABS and TÜV.
When using valves in the industrial and shipbuilding sectors, avoiding the slightest leakage is of enormous importance. Since there is no absolute impermeability of components, leak testing or leak detection plays a major role in protecting people and the environment from dangerous and toxic substances. Testing for defects in advance therefore brings a high added value. On the one hand, it can increase and secure the service life of the product, and on the other hand, it protects the flawless performance of the system. Leakage control necessarily requires only one device, unlike other types of measurement. A distinction is made between two types of leak test. The test is supervised and carried out by a person in charge. A visual inspection can be checked by the clerk when the component is pressurised in water. Or automatic systems with indication of rejects or leakage values are used.
Both - water pressure tests and air pressure - tests are carried out on our valve test bench to ensure that valves perform the required functions properly. We carry out water pressure tests up to a test pressure of 1,200 bar. Air pressure tests can reach up to 50 bar. Both methods work in accordance with the respective nominal diameters. On our test station, we can put pipes and fittings with nominal diameters from DN 6 to DN 700 through their paces. Due to the large bandwidth, we cover all relevant sizes. Fittings with large nominal diameters are tested on our specially manufactured test station. In addition to larger valves, we also test valves, ball valves, hoses and containers.
With the test stands we can test valves up to the following limits:
Maximum nominal diameters: DN 700
Nominal diameters tests with flanges:
DN 700 PN6
DN 700 PN 10
DN 750 JIS10K
Water pressure tests: 0–1,200 bar*
Air tests: 0–50 bar*
* Depending on the nominal sizes.
What is meant by hydraulic pressure tests?
Fittings, pressure vessels or boiler equipment for the area of steam boilers or hot water boilers are subjected to a hydraulic pressure test in accordance with the Pressure Equipment Directive (PED). This test should be not confused with the leak test. In the European transcript of the Pressure Equipment Directive, a clear regulation on the water pressure test is written. In short, the following values are taken into account when testing with water:
- 1.25 times the maximum load of the pressure equipment in operation, taking into account the maximum permissible pressure and the maximum permissible temperature
or
- 1.43 times the maximum permissible pressure.
In addition to the PED, the technical rules for steam boilers (TRD) are also taken into account as part of the test.
Newly constructed sewers that are to be tested for leak tightness also undergo the hydrostatic pressure test according to DIN EN 1610 (formerly the withdrawn standard DIN 4033).