Third-Party Inspection (TPI) on Valve Orders: How It Works
On project orders, the valve is often the smallest line item in a package but the one that holds up the shipment. Third-party inspection (TPI) is how the buyer verifies it before it leaves China — and it works far better when it is booked at the enquiry stage rather than after fabrication.
Who does the inspection
Either the buyer's own inspection team or an appointed agency — SGS, Bureau Veritas, Intertek, TÜV and similar — acting against the buyer's specification. The scope is defined in an Inspection and Test Plan (ITP) agreed before work starts.
The inspection and test plan
A typical ITP for a valve order covers:
| Stage | What is checked | Usually a hold point? |
|---|---|---|
| Material receipt | Certificates to EN 10204 3.1, grade, heat number traceability, NACE hardness where applicable | Sometimes |
| Dimensional | Face-to-face, flange drilling, bore, overall length against the drawing | Yes |
| Pressure test | Hydrostatic shell test and seat leakage test, witnessed | Yes |
| Functional | Operation torque, packing tightness, bleed valve function on DBB designs | Usually |
| Final / release | Marking, painting, packing, documents review | Yes |
How to book it
Put it in the enquiry, not the PO: name the agency (or say "buyer's inspector"), attach the ITP or your quality requirements, and state whether witness or document review only. That lets us price the inspection, align it with the production schedule and confirm realistic dates.
What it adds
TPI is a cost and a schedule item. It is quoted as such, and the lead time in the offer already includes the planned hold points. Booked late, it does not shorten — the valve is finished, the inspector is not available, and the shipment waits.
Documents after inspection
- Signed and stamped inspection reports, with the inspector's release note
- Material certificates and test reports referenced in the ITP
- Non-conformance reports, where anything was raised and closed
- Packing list cross-checked against the tag list
Our part
SAWYE arranges third-party inspection on request for project orders and provides the documentation package described in shipping and delivery. Send the ITP or quality requirements with your enquiry to websale@sawye.com and we will confirm scope, cost and dates before you place the order.
Related: materials and NACE for sour service · send an enquiry