MECHANICAL POINTERS

1. What are the API’s used for MECHANICAL EQUIPMENTS?

API 610 – Centrifugal Pump
API 611 – Steam Turbines
API 616 – Gas Turbine
API 617 – Centrifugal Compressor
API 618 – Reciprocating Compressor
API 650 – Welded Steel Tanks
API 660 – Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger
API 661 – Air Cooled heat Exchanger
API 662 – Plate and Frame Type Heat Exchanger
API 674 – Positive Displacement Pump
API 675 – Positive Displacement Pump- Control Volume
API 560 – Fired Heaters
API 510 – Pressure Vessel
2. What is SAMSS?
Saudi Aramco Material System Specification
3. What are the SAMSS used for Mechanical?
31 – SAMSS – For Rotating Equipments
1. 31-SAMSS-001 AXIAL AND CENTRIFUGAL COMPRESSORS AND EXPANDER
COMPRESSORS
2. 31-SAMSS-002 PACKAGE SCREW PLANT AND INSTRUMENT AIR COMPRESSORS
3. 31-SAMSS-003 RECIPROCATING COMPRESSORS FOR PROCESS AIR OR GAS SERVICES
4. 31-SAMSS-004 CENTRIFUGAL PUMPS
5. 31-SAMSS-006 PACKAGED,INTEGRALLY, GEARED CENTIFUGAL AIR COMPRESSORS
6. 31-SAMSS-009 POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT PUMPS CONTROL VOLUME
7. 31-SAMSS-010 SUBMERSIBLE PUMPS AND MOTORS FOR WATER WELL AND
OFSHORE SERVICE
8. 31-SAMSS-012 SHAFT SEALING SYSTEMS FOR CENTRIGUGAL AND ROTARY PUMPS
32 – SAMSS – For Static Equipments
1. 32-SAMSS-001 STEAM TURBINES FOR POWER GENERATION
2. 32-SAMSS-004 MANUFACTURE OF PRESSURE VESSEL
3. 32-SAMSS-005 MANUFACTURE OF ATMOSPHERIC TANK
4. 32-SAMSS-006 MANUFACTURE OF LOW PRESSURE TANK
5. 32-SAMSS-007 MANUFACTURE OF SHELL AND TUBE HEAT EXCHANGERS
6. 32-SAMSS-009 GENERAL PUPOSE STEAM TURBINES
7. 32-SAMSS-010 SPECIAL PURPOSE STEAM TURBINES
8. 32-SAMSS-011 MANUFACTURE OF AIR-COOLED HEAT EXCHANGER
9. 32-SAMSS-019 MANUFACTURE OF PLATE AND FRAME HEAT EXCHANGER
10. 32-SAMSS-020 MANUFACTURE OF TRAYS AND PACKING
11. 32-SAMSS-021 MANUFACTURE OF INSDUSTRIAL BOILERS
12. 32-SAMSS-022 MANUFACTURE OF COMPONENTS AND FLARE SYSTEMS
13. 32-SAMSS-027 MANUFACTURE OF ELECTRIC HEAT EXCHANGER
 14. 32-SAMSS-029 MANUFACTURE OF FIRED HEATER
15. 32-SAMSS-100 COMBUSTION GAS TURBINES

4. SAEP 1151
LEVEL 0 – DOCUMENTS REVIEW AND NO INSPECTION REQUIRED
LEVEL 1 – ONLY FINAL INSPECTION PRIOR FOR SHIPPING
LEVEL 2 – PRE-INSPECTION MEETING.UNANNOUNCED IN PROGRESS SURVEILANCE.
LEVEL 3 – SAME WITH LEVEL 2, ANNOUNCED SURVEILLANCE ON REGULAR BASIS.
(DAILY, WEEKLY OR BI WEEKLY).
LEVEL 4 – RESIDENT INSPECTOR CONTINUE MONITORING THE WORK.
5. What preservatives used for the preservation of Static Equipments?
VpCI – Vapor Phase Corrosion Inhibitor (Powder and liquid type)
Nitrogen Blanketing – 5 psi is the minimum pressure
6. Preservation for Rotating Equipment?
Lubrication of Shaft and Rotation Per week (2.25 turns)
Sight Glass Lubrication
Energization of space heater
Solid Support and Proper Shelter
Damage Free
7. What to check prior to alignment of Equipment?
Foundation have reached compressive strength to 27.6 MPA @ 28 Days
Packer Plates are installed as per drawing elevation
Chipping for grouting is 25mm-50 mm
Anchor Projection, Verticality
Anchor bolt diameter shall be minimum of 20 mm (3/4“) unless specified by vendor
Anchor size should be checked to ensure that it can be inserted or matched to equipment
bolt hole (important)
Clean and free of laitance
Location of vessel and foundation were verified to conform with the coordinate in
construction drawings.
8. What are the attachments of RFI for installation of equipment?
- SATR-D-2001 – Horizontal equipment alignment record
- SATR-D-2002- Vertical Equipment alignment record
- Approved drawing
-SDR
-Calibration Certificates
9. What is the tolerance to check for plumbness of equipment? What is the tool used?
- 1 mm per meter and maximum of 25 mm. Total station is use to check for plumbness.
10. Grouting used for Static?
- As per PQP
- Usually used are Cementatious grout and Non-shrink.
11. What to check for material receiving?
- IRC – Inspection Release Certificate
- Verify Purchase Order is complied
- FDR – Final Disposition report (Quality Records from manufacturer or vendor)
-Packing list.
- Vendor recommendation for preservation and installation
- Data Sheets.
-SIS – Safety Instruction Sheet
- Contractor’s Inspection Reports
- Damage Free
- ASME STAMP (U STAMP) – Pressure vessel with 15 psi or more requires ASME stamp.
Less than 15 PSI can have or don’t have.

12. SATIP?
-Saudi Aramco Typical Inspection Plan.

13. SATIP-E-004-01 – Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger

SATIP-E-007-01 – Air cooled heat exchanger
SATIP-D-001-01 – Pressure Vessel
SATIP-D-100-01 - FIELD ERECTED STORAGE TANK
SATIP-F-001-01 – FIRED HEATERS
SATIP-F-001-04 – BOILER PACKAGE TYPE
SATIP-F-007-04 – ELEVATED FLARE
SATIP-G-005-01 –CENTRIFUGAL PUMPS
SATIP-G-006-01 –POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT PUMPS
SATIP-K-402-01 - CENTRIFUGAL COMPRESSOR
SATIP-K-403-01 - RECIPROCATING COMPRESSOR

14. SAIC for material receiving inspection?

SAIC-D-2002 – PRESSURE VESSEL
SAIC-E-2002 – HEAT EXCHANGER (SHELL AND TUBE)
SAIC-K-2002 – CENTRIFUGAL COMPRESSOR
SAIC-G-2002 – CENTRIFUGAL PUMP
SAIC-F-2004 – FIRED HEATER
SAIC-E-2005 – AIR-COOLED HEAT EXCHANGER
 INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR ROTATING EQUIPMENT
1. What are the major types of Pumps?
a. Overhung pumps
b. In-between bearings
c. Vertically suspended
Pumps-centrifugal Pumps(axial,mixed Flow,Peripheral),Positive Displacement Pumps
(Reciprocating-piston Punger,diaphragm)(Rotary-Single rotor,Multiple rotor)

2. What are the difference between vertical pump and horizontal pump?
The primary difference between vertical pump and horizontal pump is the position of the shaft.
Horizontal is in horizontal position and vertical pump is in vertical position. For vertical suction
and discharge position in on opposite position while horizontal is on side and discharge is on top.
3. What are the tolerance for flange parallelism/alignment?
a. As per SAEP 351 parallelism is 0.8 mm maximum difference (SAEP 351)
b. Certerline tolerance is 1.5 mm (SAEP 351)
c. Horizontal offset : ± 2.4 mm
d. Rotational offset : ± 2.4 mm
e. Combination offset : ± 3.2 mm
f. Flange face tilt across diameter: 0.025 mm per 25 mm of flange outside diameter up to a
maximum of 0.672 mm. and 0.254 mm (0.010 inch) for all flanges with an outside
diameter less than 10 inches.
g. Flange face tilt across diameter : 0.025 mm per 25 mm of flange outside diameter up to
maximum of 0.672 mm. and 0.254 mm (0.010 inch) for all flanges with an outside
diameter less than 10 inches.
h. Flange face separation: gasket thickness ± 1.6 mm.
4. How to check pipe strain and what is the tolerance?
As per API 686 Chapter 6 indicators shall be mounted on the coupling hub to measure vertical
and horizontal movement on the opposite machine as the pipe flange bolts are being tightened
using a torque wrench. Maximum shaft movement is 0.05 mm or less.
5. Hi and lo readings tolerance
a. 10 NPS above – 0.75 mm maximum
b. 10 NPS below – 0.25 mm maximum
c. 0.001 inch per inch of outside diameter of flange.
6. Tolerance for levelness of rotating?
For general-purpose equipment and ASME Pump is 400 micrometer per meter. For API pump
base plate is within 250 micrometer per meter. 0.05 mm is used.
7. What to check in drawing to check for the elevation?
The elevation should be check for suction and discharge flanges.
8. Types of Flanges?
a. Weld neck Flange
b. Slip-on flange
c. Lap-joint flange
d. Swivel ring flanges
e. Ball swivel flanges
f. Compact flanged connections
 g. Clamp-type flanges
h. Blind flange
i. Orifice flange – have hole for instrumentation (flow transmitter)
j. Threaded flange.

9. What are the grouting material usually used?

a. Cementatious grout shall be used for driver horsepower less than 500 HP(373 KW),3600
RPM or less and combine weight of machine, driver and base plate up to 2270 kg (5000
lbs)
SATIP-Q-010-01
b. Epoxy grout shall be used for equipment with driver 500 HP (373 KW) or greater, greater
than 3600 RPM, greater than 2270 Kg (5000 lbs)
c. As per vendor recommendation and PQP.
10. Required for Axial spacing tolerance or DBSE?
a. For flexible element couplings shall be set by vendor or within ±0.50 mm. 0.25 mm
should be the answer.
b. For Gear or elastomeric couplings shall be set by vendor and shall be within 1 mm (API
686,Chapter 7 – 5.4.1.1
11. Material Receiving inspection for Pumps.
a. FDR Final Disposition/Release report ( Manufacturing Test Reports.)
b. Pumps conforms to the applicable code/specs
c. Vendor General Arrangement (Include all data required to install the pump on its
foundation)
d. Nameplate stampings the same with data sheets.
e. Pump Serial number is plainly and permanently marked on pump casing. (API 610 para.
5.13.3
f. Pump skid arrangement confirms P and ID.
12. What is the effect of soft foot? How to determine soft foot? How to eliminate soft foot?
a. It may affect the alignment due to movement and vibration of motor.
b. All hold-down bolts shall first be tightened. If available, use the torque
specified by the equipment vendor at the support foot hold-down bolts. If
there are no torque requirements specified by the vendor, then use Table E.1
and Table E.2. Measurement shall be taken as the bolt is loosened. The hold-
down bolt shall be tightened before going to the next foot. Unless approved by
the user, soft-foot checks shall be made on each foot of the equipment and
not at the coupling.
c. To eliminate soft foot we have to apply shimming.
13.What are the types of valve?
a. Ball valve
b. Butterfly valve
c. Check valve
d. Gate valve
e. Globe valve

QC MECHANICAL INSPECTOR