Pressure vessels and ASME Code tanks that are used within the United States, Canada, and Mexico must be designed, manufactured, and tested in accordance with the ASME Code. This code defines what pressure vessel certification requirements are.
The ASME Boiler Code, of which the pressure vessel certification requirements are part, was first published in 1915. Prior to this, there were no legal codes for any boiler or pressure vessels.
In the early 19th century, steam drove the power of the industrial revolution. However, the boilers and pressure vessels of this time were very temperamental, and as a result, many tank explosions occurred. In fact, according to the ASME website, it was an explosion in the year 1905 that was the turning point for the creation of the ASME Code.
Many of the pioneering machine builders and technical innovators of that time, such as steel engineer Alexander Holley, were tasked by the state of Massachusetts to create a boiler law that would later become the ASME Boiler Code.
The ASME Boiler Code contains the rules and requirements for designing, manufacturing, and testing both boilers and pressure vessels.
Section 8 of the Code, often referred to as ASME Section VIII, Division 1, is the part of the code that pressure vessels are certified to.
This code provides pressure vessel manufacturers, like Tank Fab, the rules and regulations we must follow when creating these tanks. As per the Code, we have a quality control program that we must follow when designing, fabricating and testing these vessels. This program is constantly audited by a third-party inspection company to ensure we’re complying with the ASME Code requirements.
So, what are the requirements?
Well, that depends on the type of pressure vessel you need and what it’s being used for. As pressure vessels can require a vast amount of differing necessities, the ASME has designed various forms that the pressure vessel user can fill in and submit to a pressure vessel manufacturer for a vessel to fill your need.
For single chamber vessels, use ASME Form U-DR-1.
For multi-chamber vessels, use ASME Form U-DR-2.
Once the manufacturer has obtained this form from you, they will be able to follow the correct rules and regulations to create a pressure vessel that is certified to fit your unique needs.
Upon completion and testing of the vessel, the manufacturer will affix a nameplate to the vessel. The information provided on this nameplate corresponds to the information contained within the manufacturer’s data report that will also be provided with your pressure vessel.
These two items will provide the regulatory agencies, states, and jurisdictions with proof that your vessel meets the pressure vessel certification requirements of the ASME Code.
Tank Fab, Inc. is a fully-certified ASME Code pressure vessel fabrication company. We are certified for building carbon steel and stainless steel pressure vessels up to 1” in thickness.
Our current ASME Code ‘U’ stamp, stamp number 28441, which allows us to manufacture these vessels both at our facility and at field sites controlled by us.
We also are certified by the National Board (our ‘R’ stamp number is 7343) to perform repairs or alterations on pressure vessels either at our facility or yours.
Have a pressure vessel need, in need of a repair, or just need to learn more about pressure vessel certification requirements? Contact us! We’ll be glad to help.
