As a critical device in industrial production, the compliance, quality reliability, and after-sales service of pressure vessels directly affect production safety and efficiency.
Certifications Required and Usage Precautions
As pressure vessels, air tanks must be in compliance with relevant regulations. Pay attention to production certification, equipment registration and inspection.
1.Production Qualification
With a Class D Special Equipment Manufacturing Certification (for Pressure Vessels), EPSEA can comprehensively design and manufacture simple pressure vessels, as well as Class I and II pressure vessels. For ultra-high pressure or specialized medium applications, EPSEA obtains additional certifications to ensure compliance with national standards. EPSEA also holds ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) certification—an authoritative international standard in pressure vessel engineering. This certification confirms that the design and manufacturing capabilities of EPSEA meet world-class standards, enabling it to supply globally compliant, high-quality pressure vessels.
Each EPSEA pressure vessel is delivered with a Product Quality Certification and a Special Equipment Supervision and Inspection Certification, which fully record information such as material reports, welding and test records, and serve as official certification for equipment compliance.
3.Registration and Inspection
Based on the Safety Technical Supervision Regulations for Fixed Pressure Vessels, a Special Equipment Use Registration Certification from the local special equipment registration department must be obtained before commissioning or within 30 days of operation. Failure to register is an operational violation. EPSEA assists clients with document preparation, construction notifications submission, installation supervision (as required in some regions), and online/on-site application review. Simple pressure vessels are exempt from registration.
Periodic inspection include two parts: safety accessories and the tank body.
Safety Accessories
Safety valve: Inspection cycle is 1 year. The inspection entity is municipal safety valve inspection station.
Pressure gauge: Inspection cycle is 6 months. The inspection entity is county/municipal metrology institute.
Pressure Vessel Body
For new Grade I safety status pressure vessels, the initial inspection is generally conducted within 3 years of commissioning. Subsequent inspection cycles are determined by the inspection agency based on the safety status grade:
Class 1 and 2 (every six years), Class 3 (every 3–6 years), Class 4 (monitored for no more than 3 years), and Class 5 (defect rectification required before reuse).
Safety Grade 1/2: Inspection every 6 years.
Safety Grade 3: Inspection every 3–6 years.
Safety Grade 4: Monitoring required and the inspection cycle determined by the agency. Cumulative monitoring time shall not exceed 3 years, and users must take effective monitoring measures during this period.
Safety Grade 5: Defects must be addressed; otherwise, use is prohibited.
Choosing High-Quality
Pressure Vessel
To choose the right pressure vessel, match the most suitable technical parameters and model based on actual operating conditions, and address other non-standard customization needs. Meanwhile, it is necessary to verify qualifications, distinguish the manufacturing process and material of pressure vessel, and avoid purchasing low-quality products that pose incalculable risks.
1.Core Parameter to Match Requirements
Four key parameters are required, including design pressure and operating pressure, capacity, material, and wall thickness. Industrial compressed air pressure vessels typically operate at 0.8MPa or 1.0MPa, with design pressure 5%-10% higher to ensure a safety margin; the standard capacity ranges from 0.3m³-50m³, with customization available; Q345R steel is used for general applications, while S30408 or S31603 stainless steel is recommended for food and pharmaceutical industries; and wall thickness is determined by design pressure, capacity, and material properties.
2.Customized Services for Diverse Scenarios
EPSEA offers comprehensive customization to meet diverse needs, including special capacities (0.03m³-100m³), interface configurations (side-in/side-out change to top-in/bottom-out), materials (e.g. 316L stainless steel), and additional accessories (level gauges and thermometers). before customization, design sketches are provided for client approval. The customization lead time is 10-15 days longer than standard products, ensuring timely delivery and compatibility.
3.Quality Assurance and International Certification
There are three main quality issues common in pressure vessels. First, weld defects, such as pores and slag in weld joints, and delayed cracks that occur some time after welding. Second, base material problems, where cracks tend to appear in the heat-affected zone of welds. Third, corrosion issues, which cause overall or local thinning of the plate thickness and may also lead to pitting. These problems can result in medium leakage, affect production efficiency, pollute the environment, and even directly trigger explosions.
Some manufacturers cut corners in terms of materials (thinning the thickness of steel plates), processes (reducing the flaw detection ratio), and accessories (selecting inferior safety valves) to reduce costs. Especially for simple pressure vessels, since they do not need to be registered, the problems are more hidden. EPSEA ensures high quality and reasonable prices by means of large-scale procurement (wholesale of thousand-ton steel plates) and efficiency improvement of automatic production lines, controlling costs through the system. At the same time, it strictly controls quality from the source. For example, all welds are made by automatic submerged arc welding, and mandatory heat treatment is carried out after welding to eliminate stress. X-ray flaw detection covers all key welds. During use, customers are also reminded to regularly perform wall thickness detection and corrosion inspection.
If the first two types of problems occur, EPSEA will send professional engineers to conduct on-site evaluations. For minor problems, professional repairs will be carried out, such as re-flaw detection after repair welding. For serious problems, the equipment will be directly scrapped, and no equipment with potential safety hazards will be allowed to continue to be used. For corrosion problems, combined with the use environment, customers are recommended to select appropriate materials or regularly perform anti-corrosion treatment.
The design service life of a conventional pressure vessel is 10 years (calculated based on a corrosion allowance of 1mm and a corrosion rate of 0.1mm/year). If a service life of 15-20 years is required, it can be achieved by increasing the corrosion allowance (1.5mm-2mm) and selecting more corrosion-resistant steel. For a service life of more than 20 years, it is recommended to use stainless steel materials and thicken the wall thickness. In addition, EPSEA has the ASME certification "U steel stamp" qualification, enabling production of export-grade pressure vessels per ASME BPVC standards. Technical documentation and customs inspection assistance are provided.
Precautions of Procurement
and Transportation
During procurement, focus on quotation transparency and equipment transportation protection to avoid hidden costs and transportation damage.
1.Transparent Quotation
The base quote includes bare tanks (manufactured to parameters), standard safety accessories, factory inspection and quality supervision fees. Custom accessories, on-site installation guidance, and special packaging are optional value-added services with separate pricing. Quotations are reviewable at any time. Contracts are signed after confirmation to avoid future disputes.
2.Transportation Protection
Shockproof protection is provided via pearl cotton with 5cm foam board padding and reinforced steel straps; anti-corrosion measures include a corrosion-resistant coating and thick anti-rust film; warning signs are used to regulate logistics operations. For oversized equipment (e.g. 3.4m diameter, 20m length), an "Over-dimensional Transport Permit" is obtained in advance. Flatbed trailers are utilized with dedicated personnel on board to avoid height and width restrictions. On-site unloading assistance is provided.
Timely Response and Lifetime Warranty
1.Full-Process Installation Guidance
Before installation, the "Special Equipment Construction Notification" must be obtained. EPSEA assists to prepare relevant documents, such as equipment qualification certification and business license, and connect with qualified installation entities. In certain regions, EPSEA can provide installation supervision and inspection appointment assistance. Related fees are determined by regional differences and service scope.
2.Clarifying Warranty Period and Design Life
The 10-year design service life is derived from material and process analysis, with final approval subject to inspection agency evaluation. Warranty services are divided into two categories. Surface and wear-prone components (paint and safety valves) come with one year of free repair and replacement. The container body (including welds and base materials) has lifetime warranty coverage within its 10-year design life. It is specially noted that the warranty scope excludes equipment damage caused by overpressure, overheating, or unauthorized medium replacement.
3.24-Hour After-Sales Fault Response
Upon customer feedback of equipment failure, technical personnel will engage within 2 hours. Minor issues are resolved the same day via remote guidance. For major issues (e.g. tank leakage), engineers will arrive on-site within 24 hours (48 hours for remote areas). Minor faults are repaired within 3 days, and major ones within 7 days. If the failure disrupts production, free spare parts are provided for emergency use to minimize downtime losses.
4.Long-Term Spare Parts Supply
EPSEA still have inventory and drawing reserves for spare parts of old models from 10 years ago. Regular parts such as sealing rings and pressure gauges will be delivered within 3-5 days, and special parts such as customized safety valves will be delivered within 7-10 days. Customers can make flexible purchases through account managers.
Whether it is for regular products or customized requirements, EPSEA uses professional technology and considerate service to help customers select safe and suitable pressure vessels.
/END/
