Quality and inspection
How to Get a Machine Base You Can Accept
We do not inspect or certify your base, and we do not vouch for a shop. What we do is help you write the drawing and the RFQ so the checks, the standards and the documents are agreed before the order, when they cost nothing to add.
Certifications are stated by each fabricator, not by us. Ask for current copies of any you require.
Checkpoints
What to check, with what, and what you get
Inspection through the process tells you in time to correct; inspecting only the finished part tells you whether to accept or reject it. Each row is a request you can put in the RFQ. The standards are explained in the standards index.
| Stage | Check | Standard | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Material | Mill or foundry certificate, grade and heat traceability | EN 10025, EN 1561, EN 1563, EN 10204 | Certificate, type 3.1 if you name it |
| Welding procedure and welders | Qualified procedure and current welder qualification for the process and position | ISO 15614-1, ISO 9606-1, ISO 3834 | WPS and WPQR, welder certificates |
| After fabrication, before stress relief | Dimensions and weld visual inspection | ISO 13920, ISO 5817, ISO 17637 | Dimensional report, visual report |
| Weld NDT | Magnetic particle on full-penetration welds, ultrasonic for volumetric checks in heavy sections | ISO 9934, ISO 17640, ISO 17635 | NDT report with scope and result |
| Stress relief | Furnace cycle or vibratory treatment completed as specified | Per your drawing | Furnace chart or treatment record |
| Castings | Chemistry and mechanical test bar, ultrasonic testing of thick sections where specified | EN 1561, EN 1563, ISO 17640 | Test report, NDT report |
| After rough and finish machining | Flatness, parallelism, squareness, hole position against the datum scheme | ISO 1101 or ASME Y14.5, ISO 2768 | Dimensional report, CMM or laser tracker where used |
| Surface | Blast grade and paint system as specified | ISO 8501-1, ISO 12944 | Coating record |
| Packing | Machined faces protected, lifting points marked, wood packaging treated | ISPM 15 | Packing list, treatment mark |
Three mistakes that cause most disputes
Where acceptance goes wrong
- ISO 13920 missing. The fabricator assumes, and reasonably assumes a loose class. Put the class on the drawing, and the ISO 5817 level for the weld itself: they are different requirements.
- No datum scheme. A shop without one picks a reasonable-looking surface and may pick differently from the designer. See GD&T for machine bases.
- "Material certificates" without a type. Means whatever the shop decides. Ask for EN 10204 type 3.1 by name.
Read next
- Inspection and test plan for machine bases
- Measuring machine base flatness
- Laser tracker inspection of large machine bases
- ISO 3834 for Vietnamese fabricators
- What overseas buyers check before ordering
Questions
Do you inspect the base before it ships?
No. Inspection is between you and the fabricator. We tell you which matched shops can supply a dimensional report, weld inspection or a sea-worthy crate so you ask for it in the quote, and third-party inspection is easy to arrange: we can point you at firms that do it.
Are the fabricators certified?
Certifications are stated by each fabricator, not by us, and we do not verify or endorse them. If you need ISO 3834, welder certificates or anything else, put it in the RFQ and ask for current copies before you order.
Should I use third-party inspection?
On a first order with a new supplier several thousand kilometres away, an independent inspector at two or three points is inexpensive insurance against a multi-tonne mistake. On repeat work with a proven shop, the fabricator's own documented inspection is usually sufficient.
What is the difference between a hold point and a witness point?
At a hold point, work stops until the specified party has inspected and released it. At a witness point, the party is notified and may attend, but work proceeds if they do not. Use hold points sparingly and where a mistake would be irreversible.
Put it in the RFQ
The full RFQ form has fields for flatness, stress relief and documents. Reply within 24 business hours.