Inspection body and third-party inspection

An inspection body is an independent testing organisation that witnesses the testing of a lot on behalf of the purchaser or as required by a code, and countersigns the inspection certificate 3.2. These include technical inspection organisations such as TÜV NORD, TÜV Rheinland and TÜV SÜD, as well as classification societies for shipbuilding and offshore such as DNV, Bureau Veritas, Lloyd’s Register, ABS, RINA, Korean Register, ClassNK and China Classification Society. RS Randack works with all common inspection bodies and classification societies, which regularly carry out inspections in our own materials laboratory in Hagen.

How a witnessed inspection works

Quality assurance first takes its own samples from the lot and tests them; the inspector is only invited once the results meet the requirements. During the visit, known as the witness test, the inspector observes the tensile test, hardness testing and, where applicable, the Charpy impact test, checks marking, batch allocation and documents, and stamps the test specimens and the certificate. RS Randack holds a stamp authorisation from one inspection body: quality assurance may mark the specimens with that body’s stamp, so the inspector does not have to travel. This shortens the lead time for parts subject to third-party inspection.

Who chooses the inspection body

The code governing the plant, or the purchaser. Pressure equipment to AD 2000 and the Pressure Equipment Directive is usually inspected by a notified body such as TÜV, shipbuilding parts by the ship’s classification society, and railway parts and nuclear technology components by the operator’s authorised inspectors. Please name the inspection body in your enquiry so that the inspection date can be planned early. The cost of the inspection is normally borne by the purchaser.

What you should specify

Certificate type 3.2, name of the inspection body, scope of testing and test standard, required delivery date. Allow additional time for the inspection visit.