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1.1. GENERAL :
Repairs and Alteration can be carried out on ASME Code stamped boiler and
pressure vessels and also on other vessels not designed to ASME Codes.
The company shall have an agreement with an AIA accredited by National Board.
The Inspector used for Inspection of repair or alternation shall be in the employ of
AIA and have IS commission or AR endorsement on his NB commission card.
1.1.1. Shop or field repairs and alterations to boilers, power piping or pressure
vessels when required by the Owner, User, Jurisdiction or AIA
responsible for in-service inspection of the unit, are made in accordance
with the applicable requirements of the National Board Inspection Code
(NBIC) and this Quality Control Manual.
1.1.2. “REPAIR” is defined as the work necessary to restore pressure retaining
item to a safe and satisfactory operating condition.
1.1.3. “ALTERATION” is defined as change in the item described on the original
Manufacturer’s Data Report which affects the pressure containing
capability of the pressure retaining item. Non-physical changes such as
an increase in the MAWP OR MAEWP or design temperature or a
reduction in the minimum design metal temperature of a pressure
retaining item shall also be considered an Alteration.
1.1.4. “RE-RATING” is an Alteration, rerating shall be applicable only when the
current inspection records indicate the vessel is in satisfactory condition,
its design with the existing condition is verified and the vessel is pressure
tested to the rerated condition (Part 3 Ref 3.4.1 of NBIC)

1.2. STATEMENT OF AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY

The authority of control of this Manual and implementation of Quality Control

System is vested with QC Inspector, as described in Section-1 of this Manual.

1.3. MANUAL CONTROL

The preparation, revision and issue of this Quality Control Manual shall be the
responsibility of QC Inspector. The system has been detailed in Section-iii of this
Manual.

1.4. ORGANIZATION

The Organization Chart for carrying out repair and alteration at shop and field sites
controlled from shop shall be as shown in Section-2 of this Manual and the Quality
Control responsibilities are as detailed in Section-2 of this Manual.
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1.5. CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS

1.5.1. When original equipment is constructed to the ASME Code, repairs and
alterations shall conform insofar as possible to the section and Edition of
the ASME Code most appropriate to the work performed.
1.5.2. When the original equipment is not constructed to the ASME Code,
repairs and alterations shall conform insofar as possible to the edition of
the construction standard or specification most appropriate to the work.
Where use of original construction code is not possible or practicable,
other codes, standards, specifications including ASME Code with latest
Edition may be used provided prior concurrence of the AI has been
obtained. When applicable prior concurrence of Jurisdiction and Owner
shall also be obtained for use of standards other that original construction
standard

1.6. DRAWINGS, DESIGN AND SPECIFICATIONS

1.6.1. On receiving the order for carrying out Repairs or Alteration, it shall be the
responsibility of Design Engineer to identify and confirm whether the
required work is categorized as Repair or Alteration or Rerating in
accordance with the requirements of NBIC.
1.6.2. He shall also be responsible to ensure that sufficient information has been
provided by the owner or user along with the order so that repair or
alteration work can progress. He shall ensure availability of the MDR,
drawings, data sheets and similar other documents required to undertake
the repair or alteration work. If data reports are not available and the
vessel is registered with National Board (as verified from the vessel name
plate/stamping), he shall arrange a copy from the National Board by
providing the necessary information like Name of the manufacturer, Code
item serial number, year make and NB number.
1.6.3. The system of preparation of design calculations shall be as explained in
Section-3 of this Manual. The design calculations for repair or alteration
shall be based on the original construction standard or as otherwise
specified in 13.5 above. Reference for design shall be based on MDR or
certificates as applicable and other details like drawings, data sheet etc.,
given by the owner. Design calculations shall clearly identify the
Code/Standard used including their year date.
1.6.4. Drawings for alterations (and when required for repairs) shall be approved
by Design Engineer. In addition to the applicable details given in Section-
3, the drawings shall also indicate the original construction Code,
construction Code used for repairs/alterations, applicable National Board
Inspection Code name plate stamping details. Distribution and revision to
the drawings shall be controlled in the manner described in Section-3.
1.6.5. Design Engineer is also responsible for verifying the identification of the
existing materials from the original MDR, original drawings and other such
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documents. Material specification for the existing material and material to

be installed shall be clearly indicated on the drawings.
1.6.6. When any material or part is to be replaced during repairs or alteration,
Technical specifications for material shall be prepared and approved by
Design Engineer as described in Section-3 of this Manual.
Engineering Manager (Production Manager) shall approve all drawing,
calculations used for repair and alternation.
1.6.7. All design documents shall be submitted to the AI for his review before
proceeding further with repairs or alterations.

1.7. MATERIALS

1.7.1. The use of stock material, procurement, receipt inspection, storage, issue
and identification of material shall be as described in Section-4 of this
Manual.
1.7.2. All materials used in making repair or alteration shall conform to the
requirements of original construction standards or as specified in 13.5
above.
1.7.3. The relevant material test reports or certificate of compliance shall be
obtained and submitted to the AI for his review and acceptance.
1.7.4. Carbon or alloy steels having carbon content more than 0.35% shall not
be used for items requiring welding.

1.8. REPLACEMENT PARTS

1.8.1. Replacement parts shall meet the requirements of Sec. 3 of Part 3 of

NBIC.
1.8.2. When ASME is the original Code of construction, replacement parts which
require welding shall be fabricated, inspected and documented as per
ASME Code as parts. The “R” Certificate Holder, using replacement parts
fabricated and certified to an ASME Code edition and addenda different
from that used for the original construction, shall consider and seek
technical advice, where appropriate, for change or conflicts in design,
materials, welding, heat treatment, examinations and tests to ensure a
safe repair/alteration is performed. Note that work once classified as a
repair could now be considered an alteration; When original Code of
construction is not ASME, replacement parts which require welding shall
be fabricated, inspected and documented as per the original construction
Code and if this is not practicable, such items can be constructed and
stamped R by the R symbol stamp holder and documented on Form R-3
of NBIC.

1.9. WELDING, NDE AND HEAT TREATMENT

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1.9.1. Welding controls including qualification of welding procedures and

welders, control of welding consumables, welder’s identity & continuity
control and shop/field welding controls for repairs and alterations shall be
in accordance with Section-7 of this Manual.
1.9.2. The welding procedures and welder’s qualification shall conform to original
construction standard. If this is not possible or practicable, WPS and
welders qualified in accordance with ASME Code Sec. IX can be used.
Records of approved WPS and welder’s qualification tests shall be made
available to AI for his review and acceptance before carrying out welding
work.
1.9.3. Standard WPS shown in Part 3, Table 2.3 of the NBIC can be used for
repairs or for performance qualification. Provided SWPS is accepted by
certification full responsibility for the application of this SWPS. Such
SWPS shall be documented and certified by QC Inspector for use. When
required, owners or jurisdiction’s acceptance will be obtained for use of
standard WPS.
1.9.4. NDE requirements including technique, extent of coverage, procedures,
personnel qualification and acceptance criteria shall be in accordance with
original construction standard. Weld repairs and alterations shall be
subjected to same NDE requirements as the original welds. When this is
not possible or practicable, alternative NDE methods acceptable to AI and
owner or jurisdiction as applicable may be used.
1.9.5. NDE personnel shall be qualified in accordance with the requirements of
original construction standard. When this is not possible or practicable,
personnel qualified in accordance with latest NBIC adopted Edition of
SNT-TC-1A may be used.
1.9.6. Other NDE controls shall be as per Section-8 of this Manual.
1.9.7. Preheat temperature requirements shall be as specified in the applicable
WPS.
1.9.8. PWHT shall be performed as required by the original construction
standard or as per original manufacturer’s data report. PWHT shall be in
accordance with procedure and instructions prepared and approved as
detailed in Section-9 of this Manual. Local PWHT that is not specified by
the original construction code may be performed as per Sec. 2, Part 3 of
NBIC with prior acceptance of the AI and when required by the owner and
Jurisdiction.
1.9.9. Under certain conditions, when PWHT in accordance with original
construction standard is inadvisable or impractical, alternative methods of
PWHT or special welding methods as described in Part 2.5.3 of NBIC and
acceptable to AI may be used. NDE examination as described in 2.5.3 (e)
shall be used. Use of such special welding methods is not permitted for
Routine Repairs.

1.10. EXAMINATION AND TESTS

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1.10.1. All examination and tests required during and after repairs or alterations
shall be identified on the Repair procedure and ITP.
1.10.2. Requirements for the pressure tests including test medium, test pressure,
holding time, and temperature limits etc. shall be specified in the repair
procedure.
1.10.3. All pressure tests shall be witnessed by the QC Inspector and shall be
offered to AI.
1.10.4. The extent of Pressure Testing shall be as acceptable to the AI and the
owner/user. When it is not possible or practicable to pressure test the
whole equipment on which repairs or alterations have been carried out,
only connecting welds (defined as welds attaching replacement parts and
pressure retaining item) may be tested.
1.10.5. The metal temperature during Pressure Test shall not be less than 60F
(16°C) or more than 120F (50°C). Care shall be taken to ensure that the
pressure relief devices on the equipment are either removed or gaged
before test. Test pressure shall be held for minimum of 10 minutes prior to
the examination. AI shall be afforded the right to carry out the close
examination after reducing the pressure to MAWP. Test pressure shall in
no case exceed 1.5 MAWP as adjusted for temperature.
1.10.6. When Liquid Pressure Test is not practicable the QC Inspector shall
obtain the acceptance of AI and the owner/user and the jurisdiction when
required for carrying out alternative test as described in NBIC Part 3
Sec.4. This acceptance shall be obtained and recorded before performing
any alternative examination or testing.

1.11. NON-CONFORMITIES

Any non-conformity noticed during execution of repairs and alterations shall be

dealt in accordance with the Section-6 of this Manual.

1.12. CALIBRATION

All equipment and gauges used for inspection and examination during repair and
alterations shall be maintained and calibrated in accordance with the Section-10 of
this Manual

1.13. METHOD OF REPAIR AND ALTERATION:

1.13.1. All repairs and alterations to Code pressure vessels are subject to
acceptance of the Authorized Inspector, who may require that evidence of
acceptance of the method and extent of repairs or alteration by the
jurisdiction or insurance carrier responsible for in-service inspection be
provided before starting work.
1.13.2. The Quality Control Manager, prior to the start of work, provides the
Authorized Inspector with drawings, calculations, procedures, Repair
Inspection and test plan (ITP), copy of the original Manufacturer’s Data
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Report (for ASME Code stamped items) for the item and any other
documents necessary for the Authorized Inspector to review and accept
the method of repair or alteration and to designate his required inspection
points.
1.13.3. For alterations consisting only of re-rating, calculations can be obtained
from the original manufacturer.
1.13.4. The Quality Control Manager, if requested by the Authorized Inspector,
arranges for his access to make such inspections of the vessel he deems
necessary in order to accept the method of repair or alteration.
1.13.5. The Quality Control Manager keeps the Authorized Inspector informed of
the progress and completion of the work so he may make his designated
inspections, and accept the repair or alteration after his final inspection of
the completed work.
1.13.6. All examinations and tests required by the Code for the original
construction of the pressure vessel are required for repair or alteration,
except that if impossible or impracticable, alternative method acceptable
to the Authorized Inspector may be used.
1.13.7. For alterations, if the original Manufacturer's Data Report cannot be
obtained, agreements on the method of establishing design basis for
alteration shall be obtained from the Inspector and the jurisdiction.

1.14. DOCUMENTATION

1.14.1. The repair or alteration including a description of the relocation of Code

Stamping or Nameplate is documented on the current National Board
Form R1-Report of repair or Form R2-Report for alteration.
1.14.2. When the work is complete, the Form R1 or R2 is certified by the Quality
Control Manager.
1.14.3. Initial preparation of Form R-2 shall be the responsibility of the “R”
Certificate Holder responsible for the design portion of the alteration. The
design organization shall complete and sign the “Design Certification”
section of the Form R-2. An Inspector shall indicate acceptance of the
design by signing the “Certificate of Design Change Review” section of the
Form R-2.
1.14.4. The following shall be attached to and become a part of the completed
Form R-2
1) For ASME boilers and pressure vessels, a copy of the original
Manufacturer’s Data Report, when available;
2) Form R-3, Report of Fabricated Parts or Manufacturer’s Partial Data
Reports; and
3) For other than ASME, the manufacturer’s reports (i.e., reports required
by the original code of construction, etc.), when available.
1.14.5. The final records together with the completed Form R1 or R2 as
applicable; and the original Manufacturer’s Data Report are presented to
the Authorized Inspector for his review. When he has satisfied himself that
all NBIC and Manual requirements have been met, he will authorize the
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application of the “R” symbol to the appropriate NBIC stamping and sign
the Form R1 or R2.
1.14.6. All records referenced in this Section are available for review by the
Authorized Inspector. Forms R1 or R2 is distributed as described in 13.15.
1.14.7. When repairs alteration to registered with National Board, LOG OF R-
FORMS (Exhibit No. 13-01) shall be used to record details of all R-Forms
issued. The "R" Form Number shall be assigned by the Quality Control
Manager sequentially starting from 'R1' (then after R2, R3, etc.). Without
any skips and gaps of unused number.
The R form shall be submitted to NB within 30 days of certification.

1.15. STAMPING :

1.15.1. The Quality Control Manager retains custody and control of the “R”-
Stamp. Stamping may either be on the Code item or on a name plate.
Marking shall be as indicated in Marking/Name Plate for ‘R’ stamp (Exhibit
13-02) this symbol is the property of the national Board marking / name
plate for R stamp.
1.15.2. When stamping is on a Nameplate, the Authorized Inspector will witness
the transfer of the Nameplate to its new location.
1.15.3. If, during repair or alteration of a pressure vessel, it is necessary to
remove the original Manufacturer’s Code stamping or Nameplate, the
Authorized Inspector will, subject to the approval of the jurisdiction:
a) Witness the marking of a facsimile or rubbing of the old and new
stamping;
b) Witness obliteration or removal of the old stamping, and transfer of
the stamping to the new part or location on the item, less the original
Code symbol. The Code symbol is not re-stamped.

1.16. DISTRIBUTION OF FORMS R1 OR R2 :

1.16.1. Legible copies of completed Form R1 (for Repairs) together with

attachments shall be distributed to the Owner or user, the Authorized
Inspector, the jurisdiction (if required) and the AIA responsible for in-
service inspection.
1.16.2. Form R1 may be registered with the National Board, regardless of the
pressure-retaining item is registered or not registered with the National
Board.
1.16.3. Legible copies of completed R2 (for Alteration) together with attachments,
shall be distributed to the Inspector, the AIA responsible for in-service
inspection, Owner or user, the 'R' Certificate holder responsible for design
and the jurisdiction (if required).
1.16.4. If the pressure-retaining is registered with the National Board, one original
Form R2 together with attachments shall be registered with the National
Board.
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1.16.5. If the pressure-retaining item is not registered with the National Board, one
original Form R2 together with attachments may be registered with the
National Board.

1.17. ROUTINE REPAIRS

1.17.1. When routine repairs, as defined in NBIC, Part 3, and 3.3.2 are required,
the Quality Control Manager shall ensure that the routine repairs are
acceptable to The AI
1.17.2. Routine repairs do not require in process involvement of AI. Application of
the ‘R’ symbol Stamp on the item repaired may be waived as determined
by jurisdiction or AI.
1.17.3. Repair procedure / ITP for routine repairs shall be prepared and submitted
to AI for his acceptance.
1.17.4. Form R-1 shall be prepared and certified by the Quality Control Manager,
and shall include a statement “Routine Repairs” in the Remarks column in
the R-Form. R-1 form shall be submitted to AI for his signature.

1.18. RECORD RETENTION.

QC Manager is responsible for maintaining the following records for a minimum

period of 5 years or more when provisions of form NB – 403 are used.
 Repairs/Alteration procedures used.
 Drawing, design calculations, sketches, photographs.
 Copies of data reports of pressure retaining item.
 Material records including test reports.
 Welding, heat treatment and NDE records as described in this manual.
 Examination and inspection records.
 R forms including attachments.
1.19. Related Exhibits
1. Marking/Name Plate for ‘R’ stamp (Exhibit 13-01)
2. LOG OF R- FORMS (Exhibit No. 13-02)