Quality control of valves for nuclear power plants

As a special maker, Utsue Valve Co., Ltd. has produced valves for long years for a variety of industries, including high temperature, high pressure valves for nuclear power plants. In nuclear power generation, because of the needs for radiation protection and the rate of operation of the installations, reliable high-quality valves are required. The quality assurance for valves manufactured in Utsue is based on ASME Code. For its products for nuclear use, Utsue is permitted the indications 'N' and 'NPT'. The quality assurance system is firmly established on the basis of the manual for quality assurance in accordance with the ASME Code. In the quality control, long-standing quality control technology and setup are also utilized in Utsue. The following matters are described: control setup, management of documents from customers, purchase control, manufacturing process control, test and inspection, management of defective products, instrument calibration, internal supervision, and quality control records. (Mori, K.)