BV: Approval of the Manufacturing of Metallic Materials

Classification Society Bureau Veritas has published the Approval of the Manufacturing Process of Metallic Materials.

Scope

1.1.1 This document provides the procedure for obtaining the Society's approval certificate of material for the manufacturing process of metallic products, in accordance with NR216 Rules on Materials and Welding for the Classification of Marine Units.

Procedures for products and/or grades not explicitly included are subject to special examination by the Society.

Request for approval

1.2.1 The request for approval should be submitted to the Society using the form obtained from the BV office.

In addition to the preliminary information mentioned in [1.3] as applicable, the manufacturing process specification related to the products should be submitted together with the request for approval.

Preliminary information to be submitted

1.3.1 The preliminary information to be submitted should include:

a) Name and site address of the manufacturer, location of the workshops, general indications relevant to the background, dimensions of the works, total annual production of finished products for marine applications, and others as deemed useful.

b) Organization and quality

Organizational chart
Total number of staff
Organization of the quality control department and qualification of personnel involved
Certification of compliance of the quality system with ISO 9001, ISO 9002, or equivalent, if any.

c) Manufacturing facilities

Flow chart of the manufacturing process
Manufacturing equipment and capacities
Origin of raw materials
Storage of raw materials and finished products
Equipment for systematic control during manufacturing.

d) Details of inspections and quality control facilities

How materials and components are identified at the various manufacturing stages
Equipment for chemical analysis, metallography, mechanical tests, and relevant calibration procedures
Equipment for non-destructive examinations
List of quality control procedures.

e) Approval(s) already granted by other Classification Societies and relevant approval test reports as deemed useful.

Approval test program

1.4.1 Unless otherwise agreed, the manufacturer shall submit an approval test program for review. Typical approval programs for various products are given in the relevant articles.

The approval tests are generally witnessed by the Society's surveyor at the manufacturer's works.

If the testing facilities are not available at the manufacturer's works, the tests should be carried out at recognized laboratories accepted by the Society and witnessed by the Society's surveyor.

Certification

1.5.1 Approval certificate: Upon satisfactory completion of the procedure, the Society will issue an approval certificate. The validity of the approval is a maximum of five years.

1.5.2 List of approval certificates: The approval certificates issued to manufacturers are listed, containing the scope and main conditions of approval, available for consultation on the internet site "www.veristar.com."

Renewal of approval

1.6.1 The manufacturer should apply for renewal of the approval certificate before the date of expiry. Renewal can be carried out by an audit and assessment of survey results, if satisfactory, during the period.

Manufacturers who have not produced the approved products during the period between renewals will be required to carry out approval tests or, at the discretion of the Society, submit the results of production of similar products.

Reconsideration of the approval

1.7.1 During the period of validity, the approval may be reconsidered in the following cases:

a) In-service failures traceable to product quality

b) Major non-conformity during testing of the product or non-conformity revealed during fabrication and construction

c) Breakdown of the Manufacturer's Quality System

d) Changes brought by the Manufacturer, without preliminary agreement of the Society, to the extent of the approval defined at the time of the approval.

Responsibilities of the manufacturer

1.8.1 The manufacturer is fully responsible for the quality of the finished product and ensuring compliance with the specified requirements, as checked on the specimens subjected to the approval tests.

The routine production of approved products should be carried out according to the same procedures followed for the manufacture of specimens submitted to approval tests.

The manufacturer should give prior warning to the Society of any significant modifications to the manufacturing and control procedures.

The Society may, at its discretion, require further tests and surveys deemed necessary to extend the approval to the new manufacturing conditions.

The manufacturer should keep up-to-date records covering the manufacture and quality control of the products; the records should contain details allowing the identification of the various productions, original materials, heat treatment, and results of tests and examinations carried out.

The Society's surveyor should have easy access to these records as deemed necessary.

This document, No. NR480 R06 was published on 1 July 2023 and entered into force on the same date.

For more information, please see the document below (available only to subscribers):