Month: April 2026

1. Classification Society Approval or Survey Experience

• Ask whether the fabricator has experience working under classification society survey – IRS, Lloyd’s Register, Bureau Veritas, or DNV GL
• Have their welding procedures been formally approved by a classification society for marine material grades and joint configurations?
• A fabricator encountering class survey for the first time will struggle with witness point scheduling, documentation requirements, and surveyor communications – adding weeks and cost to your project
• For projects requiring formal class approval, verification of existing approved procedures should be the first qualification check

2. Qualified Welding Procedures and Certified Welders

• Request copies of the Welding Procedure Specifications (WPS) and Procedure Qualification Records (PQR) relevant to your project’s material grades and joint types
• All welders must hold current, valid Welder Qualification Test (WQT) certificates currency is maintained through continuity of use; a lapse in production means re-qualification
• Ask how many certified welders are on the current workforce and what their qualification scopes cover position, material grade, and joint configuration all matter
• The WPS and welder certificates should be available for review before any fabrication commitment is made

3. In-House NDT Capability

• NDT should be available either in-house with qualified personnel, or through a named and approved specialist NDT subcontractor with a track record in marine work
• In-house NDT reduces scheduling dependency, turnaround time, and cost compared with outsourcing every inspection to an external provider
• Ask for the qualifications of the NDT personnel PCN or ASNT Level II certification is the accepted minimum for most marine applications
• Confirm which NDT methods are available: RT, UT, MPI, and DPI all have specific applications in marine structural work a fabricator with only one method available may not be able to meet your project ITP requirements

4. Material Traceability Systems

• Can the fabricator demonstrate full material traceability from the mill certificate, through the cutting list, to the finished marked component?
• Traceability requires a physical marking scheme (paint marking, stamping, or tagging) that keeps the heat number linked to cut pieces throughout fabrication
• Without a functioning traceability system, classification society approval of the finished structure is not achievable
• Ask to see an example of a material traceability record from a previous marine project – a competent fabricator will have this readily available

5. Workshop Capability and Equipment

• What is the maximum plate thickness and section size the facility can handle cutting, handling, and welding?
• What cutting equipment is in use CNC plasma or oxy-fuel cutting for precision profiles, or manual cutting only?
• What is the workshop’s overhead crane capacity this determines the maximum sub-assembly size that can be fabricated and lifted for transport
• Is there covered, weather-protected storage for materials and fabricated components exposure of mill-certificated material to weather before use can compromise surface condition and traceability records
• What is the available workshop floor area and is there a flat, level assembly floor with anchor points for jig fabrication?

6. Dimensional Control and Distortion Management

• What methods does the fabricator routinely use to control welding distortion pre-setting, back-step welding, balanced welding sequence, thermal straightening?
• Ask to see examples of dimensional inspection records from previous marine fabrication projects
• Does the fabricator use welding jigs and fixtures for repeating structural units frames, brackets, and bulkhead stiffeners?
• Distortion problems identified after fabrication is complete are expensive to correct and often impossible to fully recover ask how they prevent them, not just how they fix them

7. Quality Management System

• Does the fabricator operate a documented quality management system ISO 9001 certified is the benchmark, but at minimum they should have a defined Inspection and Test Plan (ITP) process for marine work
• The ITP defines every inspection point in the fabrication sequence, the acceptance criteria, the responsible party, whether a surveyor witness is required, and what records are generated
• Ask to see the ITP template they propose to use for your project the level of detail in that document tells you a great deal about the maturity of the QMS behind it
• A fabricator without a documented QMS cannot support classification society survey in a predictable, cost-controlled way

8. Track Record and References

• How many marine fabrication projects has the contractor completed, of what type, and under which classification society?
• Can they provide references from previous marine clients – shipyards, port authorities, vessel owners, or offshore operators?
• What is the largest marine structure or sub-assembly they have fabricated and delivered?
• Ask specifically about delivery performance against the contracted schedule – marine projects often have hard deadlines tied to dry dock windows or vessel launch dates that cannot be moved
• Ask whether any of their previous marine work has been subject to class survey rejection or re-work – and how it was resolved