Does Your Pressure Equipment Need a Code Verification?
Anyone placing pressure equipment on the market eventually faces the same question: is a sound design to good engineering practice enough, or do you need a formal, verifiable strength verification to a harmonised code? The answer drives effort, cost, and whether a notified body has to get involved.
What Counts as Pressure Equipment?
The term is broader than many assume. Pressure equipment is not only the classic pressure vessel — piping and pumps also fall under it as soon as they are subject to internal or external overpressure.
Which Code Applies?
That depends on the market and the type of equipment. Common codes include:
- AD 2000 — the German classic for pressure vessels
- EN 13445 — the European pressure vessel code
- EN 13480 — for metallic industrial piping
- ASME Section VIII Div. 1 and Div. 2 — the US standard
- ASME B31.1 and B31.3 — for power and process piping
Which one applies is not a matter of taste: it follows from the target market, the medium, the pressure and the classification of the equipment. A vessel for the European market is verified differently from one for a US customer.
The Verification Is One Thing — Acceptance Another
A strength calculation alone is often not enough. For much pressure equipment, the calculation report must be reviewed and accepted by a notified body (in Germany typically the TÜV). This is where the real effort arises: reviewer queries, evidence, possible changes.
Conclusion
Whether your pressure equipment needs a code verification depends on type, pressure, medium and target market — and choosing the code is part of the task, not an afterthought. Clarifying this early avoids expensive surprises at acceptance.
We handle the strength verification of your pressure equipment including liaison with the notified body — as an all-inclusive package. Get in touch.
