A Study of Audits,Inspection and Quality Costs in the Pressure Vessel Fabrication Sector of the Process Plant Industry

This paper presents the results of an investigation into quality assurance (QA) in the pressure vessel fabrication sector of the process plant industry, with particular emphasis on audits, inspection, and costs. Studies have taken place in twelve fabrication companies and have been supplemented by discussions with other involved and interested bodies (e.g. Pressure Vessel Quality Assurance Board, clients, contractors, and independent inspection agencies). The more important problems areas such as multiple inspection, number of annual external audits, fabricators' dissatisfaction with the qualifications, experience and professional competence of many inspectors and auditors, and the mutual distrust existing between many of the interested parties in the industry are pointed out. The study also shows that few fabricators are able to quantify their quality costs and only one company revealed a system which identified quality costs and used the data in a constructive way to improve their quality performance.