You may have heard of a reference such as "built in accordance with ASME", or ASME Section VIII, Division I and have been unsure as to exactly what it meant. Or you may not fully understand or appreciate the depth of the Section VIII, Division I's scope. The intent of this page is to clarify the meaning and purpose of ASME and to develop a full appreciation of the level of quality built into a strainer when adhering to ASME.

What is ASME Section VIII, Division I?

ASME is an acronym for American Society of Mechanical Engineers. In 1911, the Society established a committee for the purpose of developing a standard set of rules to govern the manufacturing of steam boilers and other pressure vessels. This committee is named the Boiler and Pressure Vessel Committee. The committee currently is responsible for the establishment of rules considered necessary to insure that newly manufactured pressure vessels of all kinds will perform in a safe and reliable manner. These rules are published as the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code. The Code is divided into eleven sections, each dealing with a particular area, such as concrete reactor vessels, construction of heating boilers, or nuclear power plant components. There are four sections of the code that Tate Andale, as a strainer manufacturer, is involved with every day. Section VIII, Division I, which is "Rules for Construction of Pressure Vessels"; Section IX, "Welding and Brazing Qualifications"; Section V, "Nondestructive Testing" and Section II, "Materials". Tate Andale has been authorized by ASME to use the ASME code Symbols for marking strainers we produce indicating these strainers are in total compliance with these code sections. We will discuss the procedures followed to qualify Tate Andale as an Authorized Organization a little later.

Why is ASME important to you?

Strainers are similar to automobiles in that they come in all sorts of shapes and designs. Just like cars they also vary widely as to quality, reliability, and safety. When buying a strainer, make sure you are getting the highest quality and safety factors possible by specifying compliance with ASME Section VIII Division I, and also make sure all products are comparable by requiring that they are in strict accordance with the ASME Section VIII Division I Code.

Official symbol for the stamp to denote the
American Society of Mechanical Engineers' Standard.

What are the components of the ASME Code?

A quick snapshot of the mechanisms of the ASME Code is as follows. In the design stage at the conception of the strainer, the rules will dictate elements such as wall thickness, type of heads, type of flanges, material, type of welds, depth of welds, type of welding material, required heat treatment and more. All of these elements are determined mainly in relation to two variables, pressure and temperature. Corrosion, where applicable, may also contribute. ASME requires that vessels are designed "for at least the most severe condition of coincident pressure and temperature expected in normal operation". A lengthy set of calculations is performed to determine these elements. These calculations are reviewed in detail by the ASME auditor and once approved, represent the first step in the process.

The next step is purchasing the materials. Materials must conform to ASME Boiler Pressure Vessel Section II, parts A-D. Material certification reports are required for all materials. These reports are supplied by the vendor with the material. Material certification reports include information such as chemical analysis, heat treatment numbers (when appropriate), etc. All material must have clear identification markings affixed by the vendor. Additionally, immediately upon receipt, Tate Andale clearly marks the material, so as to permit tracing to the material certification report. The ASME Inspector physically inspects the material, and then the material certification reports for complete compliance to the Code rules. At the same time, the auditor inspects the qualifications and certificates of the welders who will be involved with the production of the vessel, and the weld procedures to be used. This is in accordance with Section IX.

At this point actual production begins while following the ASME approved procedures. During the manufacturing process certain non-destructive testing procedures, in accordance with Section V, may be required. These procedures may include x-ray, magnetic particle, ultrasonic, liquid penetrant or hardness tests. The ASME inspector will witness these tests as well as verify that dimensional requirements have been satisfied. When the manufacturing process is complete, the final test conducted is a mandatory hydrostatic test, which the ASME inspector must also witness. At this point the process is complete and the vessels may be marked or "stamped" with the ASME symbol. The stamp shall be indicated on a metal nameplate affixed to the vessel.

As you may imagine this whole process necessitates a sophisticated system to insure compliance. Tate Andale has in place a comprehensive quality system that meets or exceeds both military and ASME standards. It is this quality system that is audited by ASME every three years to determine if Tate Andale will continue as an ASME authorized organization. This audit lasts several days and delves into and tests the functionality of each and every part of our system. This quality system, which is audited by ASME, is in fact Tate Andale's regular day to day system.

Typical Tate Andale Product Identification Plate

What makes ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Codes different from other ASME codes and ANSI?

The ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code differs from other governing rules, such as ANSI and other ASME code, in that it instills a much higher degree of safety. For example, it is commonly recognized that ASME Section VIII Division I is based on a safety factor of 4, while other rules are usually based on a factor of 2. In other words, ASME Section VIII Division I doubles the safety factor. The rules of the Code establish requirements for design, material, fabrication, examination, inspection, and stamping or marking. Therefore, these rules govern the complete process of producing a strainer, from conception to shipment. This entire process is "audited" by a representative of ASME.

Why is ASME so important to Tate Andale?

You may be wondering why ASME is so important to Tate Andale; simply put, it insures the quality, integrity and reliability of our products and gives us the peace of mind that comes with producing the safest products available. As stated earlier, Tate Andale follows this quality system every day to insure the highest level of quality in our products. We adamantly believe in the standards that ASME brings to the table. It is for this reason that our quoted/sold products are in strict accordance with ASME standards. If one of our fabricated products requires a Code stamp, the only additional step would be arranged for an ASME inspector to witness production of the strainer at our facility. All elements of our production process are in compliance with ASME whether a stamp is required or not. Thus our charge for a stamp is only the cost of the ASME inspector.

Tate Andale is unusual in this regard, as most of our competitors, if they even mention ASME, state their products are in "general" compliance or accordance with ASME. How general is the question. To get an idea of the answer, request the cost of having their product actually code stamped. We believe there will be a significant increase in the cost of their vessel. This means in effect that their whole process from design through material purchasing to inspection, had to be revised; unlike Tate Andale where the inclusion of an ASME Inspector is all that is needed.

When buying a strainer, make sure
you are getting the highest quality
and safety factors possible by
specifying Tate Andale.