Commodity Inspection Companies

This article explains about commodity inspection companies services.  

These companies refer to the Third Party Independent Inspection Agencies that provide commodity inspection services to the buyers, sellers, engineering companies, EPC contractors, plant owners and etc.

Category A Commodity Inspection Companies

These agencies are Category A Inspection agencies and are not involved in design, procurement, assembly, installation, construction and other related activities.

Commodity inspection companies normally are hired by purchasers to inspect and test a commodity before shipment to make sure that a supplied commodity has the same specification that is stated in the related proforma invoice and purchase order.

The scope of work for Commodity Inspection Services is determined by purchasers. It is also related to the kind of commodity. In the industrial commodity inspection, purchasers submit Inspection and Test Plans to the vendors and Vendors are responsible to notify purchasers’ inspection agencies in advance to attend to the workshop and witness related inspection and tests.

The inspection and test plans are drafted from equipment construction and manufacturing standards and codes. The plans have identified all mandatory inspections and tests based on construction codes and standards.

Depending to the purchasers, sometimes commodity inspection services only limited to the Pre-Shipment Inspection. In this case commodity inspector only will review Vendor Quality Control documents, check visual quality, check quantity and make comprehensive Packing and Marking Inspection.

Regarding to sophistication and importance of industrial commodities, generally purchasers prefer to include a Vendor Inspection and a pre-shipment inspection together. Vendor inspection is a terminology that is used for third party inspection services that is conducted in a manufacturer shop in different stage of construction. Normally 5 or 6 visits may be planned for industrial equipment.

Suggest an engineering company order a pressure vessel to a pressure vessel manufacturer. The engineering company hires an inspection agency and will submit its inspection and test plan. In this case TPI Inspector will conduct one visit for raw material inspection i.e. plates, flanges, nozzle pipes etc.

Second visit can be assigned for controlling of welding and dimensional inspection. Third visit can be assigned for checking of non-destructive testing and reviewing related documents. Forth visit can be assigned to the witnessing Hydro-Static Testing and fifth visit can be assigned to the surface preparation and painting inspection. These five visits are categorized in the vendor inspection scope of work.

In above example additionally a purchaser may decide to conduct a pre-shipment inspection. That in this case a final visual inspection, quantity check and packing and marking inspection will be conducted. Loading inspection also may be included in the pre-shipment inspection scope of work.

Collectively or individually a vendor inspection and pre-shipment inspection is referred to the commodity inspection. As explained in above; the scope of work for any inspection assignment is determined by buyer.

Some of Commodity Inspection Service Provider Agencies are international and have lots of branch offices or joint venture companies in other countries and provide their services globally. This will be useful when a buyer is in one country and seller is in other country. So the sister companies of the international commodity inspection companies can work together to conduct inspection, report to the customers and issue Inspection Certificates.

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