| Product Design | Use a rising-stem wedge gate valve or another configuration clearly defined for the intended service. Confirm body, bonnet, wedge, stem, seat, and packing construction before quotation. | API 600 for bolted-bonnet steel gate valves; ASME B16.34 for pressure-temperature ratings and design requirements. | Request dimensional drawings, pressure-temperature rating tables, design calculations, and a complete bill of materials. | 10% |
| Pressure Class and Size Range | Ensure the offered nominal size and pressure class match the piping specification. Common industrial specifications may include Class 150, 300, 600, 900, 1500, or 2500, but availability must be confirmed for each design. | ASME B16.34; ASME B16.10 for face-to-face and end-to-end dimensions; ASME B16.5 or B16.47 for applicable flanges. | Check the datasheet against the project line list, flange standard, operating pressure, operating temperature, and required face-to-face dimension. | 12% |
| Casting Quality | Control casting chemistry, heat treatment, dimensional accuracy, surface condition, and repair procedures. The casting process should be traceable to a heat or batch number. | Material standards such as ASTM A216 for carbon steel castings and ASTM A217 or ASTM A351 where alloy or stainless steel castings are specified. | Request casting inspection procedures, heat-treatment charts, chemical analysis, mechanical test results, and casting repair records. | 15% |
| Material Traceability | Maintain traceability from raw casting and pressure-retaining parts through machining, assembly, testing, and final shipment. | EN 10204 Type 3.1 inspection certificate for material certification; project-specific material specifications may also apply. | Verify that heat numbers on the material certificates match the markings, inspection reports, and valve documentation. | 12% |
| Pressure Testing | Perform shell and seat closure tests on every valve or according to the approved inspection and test plan. Test medium, duration, pressure, and acceptance criteria must be documented. | API 598 for inspection and testing of rising-stem valves and other applicable industrial valves. | Request test reports showing valve identification, test pressure, holding time, leakage result, calibrated equipment, and inspector approval. | 15% |
| Sealing and Leakage Control | Specify the seat material, packing type, gasket material, allowable leakage, and suitability for the operating medium. Consider low-emission packing where required. | API 598 for standard pressure testing; ISO 15848-1 or ISO 15848-2 for fugitive-emission testing where specified. | Ask for seat and packing specifications, leakage-class results, fugitive-emission test reports, and compatibility confirmation for the process fluid. | 10% |
| Manufacturing Quality System | Operate a documented quality management system covering purchasing, production, inspection, nonconformance control, calibration, and corrective actions. | ISO 9001 certification is a useful baseline; it should not replace product-specific inspection and testing. | Check the certificate scope, validity, certification body, audit status, quality manual summary, and sample nonconformance report. | 8% |
| Inspection Capability | Use calibrated dimensional, pressure, hardness, chemical-analysis, and non-destructive-testing equipment appropriate to the order. | Applicable methods may include visual inspection, radiographic testing, ultrasonic testing, magnetic-particle testing, and liquid-penetrant testing. | Request calibration certificates, NDE personnel qualifications, NDE procedures, acceptance criteria, and representative inspection records. | 8% |
| Application Suitability | Confirm suitability for water, steam, oil, gas, corrosive service, high-temperature service, or sour service. Gate valves are generally intended for isolation rather than throttling. | NACE MR0175/ISO 15156 may apply to materials used in sour-service environments; project piping and process standards remain controlling. | Provide process pressure, temperature, fluid composition, corrosion data, cycling frequency, and required environmental or emissions standard before selection. | 10% |
| Documentation Package | Supply an organized final manufacturing record book containing certificates, drawings, inspection reports, test results, coating records, nameplate details, and packing information. | Project inspection and test plan; EN 10204 for material documentation; customer-specific documentation requirements. | Request a sample anonymized data book index and confirm document format, language, approval workflow, and submission schedule. | 5% |
| Coating and Preservation | Specify surface preparation, coating system, dry-film thickness, corrosion category, internal protection, end-cap sealing, and export packing requirements. | ISO 12944 can be used to classify protective paint systems by corrosivity environment; project coating specifications may be stricter. | Ask for coating product data sheets, surface-preparation records, dry-film-thickness reports, photographs, and packing inspection records. | 3% |
| Commercial and Technical Support | Evaluate response time, engineering communication, drawing approval capability, spare-parts support, warranty terms, and after-sales service. | Use the approved purchase specification, project schedule, warranty conditions, and service-level agreement as the controlling references. | Compare quotation completeness, deviation lists, lead time, spare-parts recommendations, warranty duration, and escalation contacts. | 2% |