Maintenance Inspection &

Recertification
for
High Pressure Iron
Purpose
The purpose of this document is to represent Belmont Asia (NDT & Quality Services) standard operating
in inspection, repair, testing, and recertifying high-pressure iron (flow control and stimulation
equipment). This is to ensure that all products serviced by BELMONT ASIA (NDT & QUALITY SERVICES)
meet, or exceed Customer, OEM, and/or Industry Standards/Specifications.

Scope of work
Sand Blasting / Painting
Belmont Asia can provide Sand Blasting , Painting and maintenance services for Treating Iron, High
Pressure Iron.

Inspection / Recertification
Processes performed by BELMONT ASIA (NDT & QUALITY SERVICES) (as a third party), are to ensure that
a customer’s HPI equipment is free of flaws, damages, defects, or excessive wear that would render the
equipment out of conformance and unsafe for use under high pressures and/or it’s intended
application.

Type of inspection performed by BELMONT ASIA (NDT & QUALITY SERVICES), dependent upon
Customer Specified Recertification Level:

Visual, Ultrasonic Thickness (UT), Hydrostatic Pressure Test (PT) & Magnetic Particle (MPI).

Responsibility – Technician Qualifications

Technician

Onsite and/or prior experience & training of processes, measurements (Non – NDE related) and
procedures. Duties could include teardown, clean up, dimensional measuring/gauging, visual
inspections, service/repairs, re-assembly, blasting, painting, and pressure testing.

All requirements of Level 1 HPI Technician plus Certificate of Training for Level 1 or 2 NDE (either MPI or
UT)

All requirements of Level 1 HPI Technician plus Certificate of Training for Level 2 NDE (both MPI & UT)

*certificate of Training to be conducted and approved by ASNT Level 3 Certified Personnel

Inspection
Visual Inspection: (Required for Recertification)

A thorough visual inspection will be performed on every piece of High-Pressure Iron (HPI). The visual
inspection will include all flaws, damages, defects or excessive wear, Visual Inspections will be
performed in all stages of the recertification process:

 Prior to beginning any work

 After contaminates (paint, rust, grease, etc.) are removed
 After disassembly (if applicable)
 During reassembly (if applicable)
 Prior to Hydrostatic Pressure Testing (PT)
 Prior to customer delivery

Ultrasonic Thickness Inspection (UT): (Required for Recertification)

Ultrasonic Thickness Inspection will be performed on every piece of High Pressure Iron (HPI). The UT
process will verify that wall thicknesses meet acceptable minimum specification, and that no material
defects exist. UT readings will be taken at multiple locations, sufficient to ensure product is within
compliance.

Hydrostatic Pressure Test (PT): (Required for Recertification)

Hydrostatic Pressure Testing will be conducted on every piece of High Pressure Iron (HPI), excluding
flanges and swages (optional). HPI will be tested to its specified Cold Working Pressure (CWP) rating for
a minimum of 3 continuous minutes, or longer if needed to meet customer specifications. Manifold
Trailers will undergo PT at CWP for a minimum of five minutes.

Magnetic Particle Inspection (MPI): (Optional – performed per Customer Request)

Magnetic Particle Inspection is optional, and will only be performed per customer request. MPI is the
best option for detecting cracks and other surface indications undetectable by the human eye during
visual inspection. Due to the nature of the operation of Manifold Trailers, BELMONT ASIA (NDT &
QUALITY SERVICES) recommends that MPI be performed on all components that make up the assembly.

Inspection Rejection:

All High-Pressure Iron (HPI) that fails any of the inspection processes will be documented, marked
appropriately and disposed of per customer guidance. BELMONT ASIA (NDT & QUALITY SERVICES) can
offer permanent deformation of failed HPI and disposal at no additional expense to customer. If failed
HPI is to be returned to customer, all existing ID/Certification Bands will be removed (Cut-off) and
returned separately to further ensure the iron doesn’t mistakenly get returned to service.

Visual Examination
Inspect equipment for damage as follows:
1. Remove any foreign material from the equipment.
2. Thoroughly examine each part of the equipment, using the information that is specific to that item
of equipment.

Stabilization and Hydrostatic Pressure-Testing Tolerances

1. Almost every hydrostatic pressure test will require an initial period of pressure stabilization before the
timing of the hold period can begin. Temperature differences of the test water and the equipment being
tested account for a significant amount of the unstable pressure within the equipment.
In addition, compressing the water and any trapped air can add heat to the water. Finally, any
atmospheric changes during the pressure testing can cause the pressure to vary, sometimes
significantly.
2. Pressure is considered stabilized when the rate of pressure change is no more than 5% of the test
pressure per hour, or 500 psi per hour (whichever is less).
For a test pressure of 10,000 psi or higher, the 500-psi per hour rate applies, and it can also be
expressed as no pressure change greater than 8.33 psi per minute.
3. After pressure has stabilized, it is acceptable to adjust the pressure by either slowly bleeding off
pressure or slowly adding pressure to achieve a pressure that will stay within the tolerance range
specified.
4. During the hold period, the pressure change observed on the pressure-measuring device(s) shall be
less than 5% of the test pressure or 500 psi, whichever is less.
5. During the hold period the pump supplying pressure for the test can be either isolated or remain
engaged and supplying pressure to the equipment being tested if necessary to meet the tolerance of
Step 4.
6. When electronic pressure-measuring devices are used, the stored or plotted data points can be all
data points collected or averages of the data points measured in a period of time, not to exceed one
second. Individual data points can be outside the pressure-change observation tolerance of Step
4; the average of the data points shall be within the specified pressure-change tolerance of Step 4

General Test Procedure

The following test procedure applies to all manifold equipment. Water is the test medium used for all
hydrostatic-pressure tests. A corrosion inhibitor may be added to the water, if needed.
Important Always use calibrated gauges and chart recorders to perform hydrostatic-pressure tests, and
always record the results of all tests.
To conduct a hydrostatic-pressure test, perform the following:
1. Fill the equipment with water, and position the equipment to prevent air entrapment.
2. Thoroughly dry all surfaces to make leakage easier to detect.

Evaluating Test Results

Inspect the equipment after each pressure test.
• If water leaks from any part of the equipment, reject the manifold equipment. If leakage is a result of
inadequate structural integrity, remove the equipment from service.
• If leakage has come past a seal, replace that seal and retest it. If leakage continues, re-evaluate the
equipment according to the specific details

Visual Examination

Union Threads
1. Clean the threads to remove dirt, oil, grease, or other material that could inhibit visual examination.
2. Use a wire brush to remove any surface rust from the hammer-nut threads and union-thread halves.
3. Use a thread-form gauge to inspect the threads for damage or excessive corrosion.
• If minor damage exists (small dents or burrs), dress the threads with a hand file to remove any raised
material from the thread surface. Surface discoloration or light pitting is acceptable.
• If major damage exists, reject the equipment. Major damage includes
— Corrosion that has altered the thread profile
— Flattened, galled, torn, or abraded threads
— Stretched or “pulled” threads (threads that lean to one side rather than being perpendicular to the
thread’s axis)
Material Loss
1. Inspect the inside surfaces of equipment for material loss. Material loss can be the result of
• Corrosion (surface scale or pitting)
• Erosion from abrasive fluids
• Erosion from turbulence
2. Grind or machine all irregularities to a smooth surface.
Weld Areas
Welding can cause variations in both material composition and metallurgical conditions. The variations
accelerate corrosion on the inside surface of the weld. The corrosion often appears as rings or grooves
and must be removed before the wall thickness can be determined.
1. Remove the corrosion rings or grooves with a rotary hand grinder or by machining (Step 2 above) until
bright metal appears.
2. Measure the remaining wall thickness to determine if it meets the minimum dimensions.
• If the wall thickness meets the acceptance criteria, hand-grind the edges of the corroded areas to
create a smooth surface between these enlarged areas and the existing tube walls.
• If the wall thickness does not meet the acceptance criteria, reject the equipment, render it
inoperable, and discard
it.

High Pressure Iron

Recertification
Level 1 HPI Recertification:

Level 1 HPI Recertification is a basic level of inspection/recertification, and does not include the
complete disassembly of the item. Wing nuts and segments are removed to expose all inspection points
(if applicable). Sub ends (male, female and threaded) are cleaned for thorough visual and NDE
inspection. UT inspection is performed at various OEM and/or customer specified locations for
minimum wall thickness. Nuts are ground to remove and repair irregularities of the wings. Seals and
retainer rings are replaced, and properly lubricated. Equipment passing inspection is Hydrostatic
Pressure Tested (PT) at Cold Working Pressure (CWP). Equipment is banded with “BELMONT ASIA (NDT
& QUALITY SERVICES)”, the unique ID#, data tested , CWP and Customer Name. Equipment failing initial
PT can be moved to Level 2 Recertification, per customer request, if the problem appears to be
correctable by a complete rebuild. Inspection reports are prepared and provided to the customer in
either hard copy or digital format.
Level 2 HPI Recertification:

All the benefit of Level 1 Recertification, plus complete disassembly and rebuild, including all new
rebuild kits. BELMONT ASIA (NDT & QUALITY SERVICES) recommends Level 2 Recertification whenever
possible to ensure the most thorough inspection and preventative maintenance is performed. BELMONT
ASIA (NDT & QUALITY SERVICES) Level 2 Inspection and Recertification not only ensure operational
compliance, but also a higher level of safety assurance and extended life of the equipment.

Recertification Service
Remove Wing Nut / Segments
Clean Sub Ends
Visual Inspection
Ultrasonic Testing (UT)
Magnetic Particle Inspection
Disassemble / Re-Kit / Rebuild
Hydrostatic Pressure Test – Cold Working Pressure (CWP + 5%/-0%)
Banding (BELMONT ASIA (NDT & QUALITY SERVICES), ID#, Date, CWP & Customer Name)
Paint
Inspection Reports

BELMONT ASIA (NDT & QUALITY SERVICES) guarantees product conformity at the time of
shipment/delivery to customer, Customer is responsible for supplying proper training in product use to
ensure the integrity of product conformance is preserved through proper handling and use. All
product(s) that have been modified or damaged through misuse, abuse, accident, neglect, or
mishandling should be removed from service immediately and sent through the inspection &
recertification process.
High Pressure Iron Documentation
Equipment Quick Reference: (Requirements & Options)

Banding Process:

If equipment arrives banded from prior certification, band will remain affixed until such time as the
equipment has passes all stages of inspection and is ready to have new recertification band attached.
BELMONT ASIA (NDT & QUALITY SERVICES) uses uncoated stainless steel bands as a normal practice,
however coated-color stainless steel bands are available per customer request to meet customers color
coding scheme. No equipment is deemed “Safe” and/or “Approved” for operation without a band. (If
items physical shape doesn’t allow for band to be affixed, Certification Criteria will be Stamped or
Stenciled directly onto item).

Reporting & Traceability:

The following information will be recorded into BELMONT ASIA (NDT & QUALITY SERVICES)’s online High
Pressure Iron Management Database and will be accessible to our customer’s:

BELMONT ASIA Job Date BELMONT ASIA Customer Customer Location

(NDT & QUALITY (NDT & QUALITY
SERVICES) Job# SERVICES)
Location
Customer Unit# Inspection Results UT Results Inspection Level BELMONT ASIA
(NDT & QUALITY
SERVICES) ID#
Item Description CWP Test Pressure
*Affixed to each inspection report will be the Hydrostatic Pressure Test Result in Chart Form.