The component arrives at the construction site and is not compliant. From that moment on, non-compliance is your problem: assembly stopped, dispute to be opened, time to be recovered.
Descoltech's industrial technical inspections are used to find out earlier, when the parts are still at the supplier's. We verify materials, processing, welds and supplies in the factory and on site, with certified inspectors for the process who must check.
A certificate of conformity is a statement from who is selling you the part. It is not a verification, and the moment the component enters service, the responsibility for accepting it is yours. The technical inspection serves to bridge that gap: someone who has no interest in the outcome looks at the piece, compares it with the specification and writes down what he has found.
A defect detected at the factory can be corrected before shipment and at the expense of the supplier. The same problem discovered on site can block assembly, generate delays, returns and disputes.
The inspection starts from the control plan of the order and the related hold points and witness points. The component is checked against the technical specifications of purchase and the standards provided for in the contract.
The checks are entrusted to professionals with specific certifications, such as ISO 9712, CSWIP, Frosio or NACE, so that any finding is technically founded and enforceable against the supplier.
We don't limit ourselves to the report: we formalize the problem, verify corrective actions and evaluate the impact on deliveries. In the event of exceptions or deviations, our industrial technical advice intervenes
The service is for those who purchase or receive components whose non-compliance is not discovered by eye and is not recovered on site.
We work with EPC contractors, plant and component manufacturers, Oil & Gas, chemical and petrochemical companies, energy and wind operators, shipyards and offshore companies, railway companies and metalworking companies.
The roles that often contact us are quality managers, QA/QC managers, project managers, procurement managers and engineering managers.
There are five situations in which inspection stops being optional.
The cost of an inspection is measured in days of inspector. The cost of a non-compliant component assembled in the plant is measured in downtime, yields and litigation.
That's where the difference is made.
On site, often after assembly has begun
The supplier, on its declaration
On a generic product standard
A certificate of conformity
Open a delivery and paid for supply dispute
At the factory, before the part is shipped
An independent inspector, certified for that process
On your purchase specification and job order inspection plan
A report with results, photographic evidence and traceability of controls
Non-conformities are handled while the part is still with the supplier
A non-conformity discovered on site can block assembly, generate delays, returns and disputes. Industrial engineering inspections reduce this risk by verifying materials, machining, welding, and documentation while the component is still with the supplier, before it is shipped.
The questions customers ask us about industrial technical inspections
It includes the verification of materials, processing, welds, dimensions, coatings and documentation of a component or supply, carried out at the supplier or on site. The activity is carried out on the basis of the inspection and test plan of the order and the specific purchasing technique, at the agreed intervention points. At the end of the meeting, you will receive an inspection report with the results, the evidence collected and any findings formalized as non-compliance. The relationship then flows into the technical document management of the supply.
The inspection verifies technical conformity at a precise time: it answers the question of whether that part complies with the specification. Industrial expediting, on the other hand, follows the progress of supply over time and answers a different question: whether that supply will arrive when needed. A component can pass inspection and still be delivered six weeks late, just as it can be ready in advance and non-compliant. On critical supplies, the two services are integrated, because compliance and timing are distinct risks.
The inspection is the overall verification activity: it includes dimensional, visual and documentary checks and attendance at the tests required by the plan. Non-destructive testing, on the other hand, is specific methods, such as ultrasound or radiography, that are used to detect internal defects without damaging the part. The report is of content and content: an inspection may include non-destructive testing, while a non-destructive test alone does not cover the other aspects of compliance.
It is a verification carried out by a party independent of both the supplier and, on an operational level, the customer's production. It is used when compliance must be attested by those who have no economic interest in the outcome, often because the contract or specifications explicitly require it. The difference with respect to an internal control is not the technical competence, but the position: a remark made by a third party is enforceable against the supplier and can be used during the acceptance phase.
The checks are entrusted to inspectors with certifications referring to the type of control required: ISO 9712 for material tests, CSWIP for weld inspection, Frosio or NACE for coatings and surface protection. There are also Lead Auditor qualifications for system audits. The choice of inspector is made based on the process to be controlled, not on availability: it is what determines whether a survey technically holds up in front of the supplier.