BV publishes the Rules on Materials and Welding

Classification Society Bureau Veritas on 1 July 2023 published the Rules on Materials and Welding for the Classification of Marine Units.

Document No. NR216 R14 became effective on the same date.

General

1.1 Scope

1.1.1 These Rules specify the requirements for the manufacture, testing, and certification of steel and iron products, non-ferrous metals, welding consumables, welding procedures, various finished products, and equipment such as propellers, pressure bottles, anchors, chain cables, ropes, and sidescuttles used for the construction or repair of Units which are surveyed for classification purposes.

The requirements of Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 are also applicable, as appropriate, to products covered by other relevant Society's Rules.

1.1.2 In addition to these Rules, the requirements given for certain materials, procedures, and products in the other relevant Society's Rules or specified by the Society on the reviewed drawings are also applicable, where appropriate.

1.1.3 Products subject to the requirements of these Rules and the relevant testing operations are those laid down in the relevant Rules of the Society dealing with the design, survey at works, and testing of products, unless otherwise specified.

1.1.4 Products with properties departing appreciably from those covered by these Rules and other relevant Society's Rules may be used with the approval of the Society.

1.2 Other specifications

1.2.1 Products complying with international, national, or proprietary specifications may be accepted by the Society, provided such specifications give reasonable equivalence to the requirements of these Rules and other relevant Society's Rules or are approved for a specific application. Such products, when accepted, are designated by their standard identification or as agreed at the time of the approval.

Unless otherwise agreed, survey and certification of products complying with other specifications are to be carried out in accordance with the requirements of these Rules and other relevant Society's Rules.

1.3 Information to be supplied by the purchaser

1.3.1 The purchaser is to provide the Manufacturer with the information necessary to ensure that products are tested in accordance with these Rules and other relevant Society's Rules; optional or additional conditions are also to be clearly indicated.

Manufacture and quality

2.1 General

2.1.1 Manufacture

Manufacturers and their individual works are to be recognized by the Society for the type of products fabricated on a case-by-case basis or through the recognition scheme given in NR320.

To this end, plants, production and treatment procedures, testing machines, laboratories for analyses, internal control systems, and personnel qualification are to be suitable in the opinion of the Society.

Manufacturing procedures and techniques are to be such as to reasonably ensure constant compliance of the product with the requirements.

Where tests and analyses are performed by external laboratories or third parties, these are to be recognized by the Society on a case-by-case basis or through the recognition scheme given in NR320.

2.1.2 Approval

Depending on the type and importance of the products being supplied, the relevant manufacturing process may be required to be approved, and approval tests performed for the purpose.

When approval of the manufacturing process is required, such condition is specified in the rule requirements relevant to the various products.

The provisions for the approval of Manufacturers are given in the document NR480 "Approval of the manufacturing process of metallic materials".

2.1.3 Responsibility

Irrespective of the interventions of Surveyors, the Manufacturer is entirely and solely responsible for compliance of the supplied products with the stipulated requirements.

The Society assumes no liability by its interventions in respect of the compliance of a tested product with the stipulated regulations and requirements.

Where, in the course of manufacture or after supply, a product is found not to be in compliance with the requirements or to present unacceptable defects, it will be rejected, irrespective of any previous satisfactory test results.

For more information, please see the document below (available only to subscribers):