Topics & Resources

ASME Glossary

The ASME acronyms and abbreviations that recur in certification documents, purchase orders and audits: certification marks, inspection roles, non-destructive examination, nuclear quality assurance. Where useful, each entry links to the 3HCSI CODEX record for the corresponding programme or standard.

Glossary
at a glance

15 letters, 74 entries

A

AI Authorized Inspector: An inspector authorized by an Authorized Inspection Agency to perform the inspections required by the Code during the manufacture of boilers and pressure vessels.
AIA Authorized Inspection Agency: An organization accredited by ASME or the relevant regulatory authority to provide the third-party inspection service required by the Code.
AIS Authorized Inspector Supervisor: An authorized inspector who supervises and coordinates the work of an agency's authorized inspectors.
AMR Advanced Modular Reactor: A next-generation nuclear reactor that uses technologies other than light water, often constructed from factory-built modules.
ANI Authorized Nuclear Inspector: Inspector authorized to inspect nuclear components manufactured in accordance with Section III of the BPVC.
ANII Authorized Nuclear Inservice Inspector: Inspector authorized to conduct in-service inspections of nuclear facilities pursuant to Section XI of the BPVC.
ANIS Authorized Nuclear Inspector Supervisor: An authorized inspector who oversees the activities of an agency's Authorized Nuclear Inspectors.
ASME American Society of Mechanical Engineers: A U.S. technical organization that publishes the Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code and administers the related certification and accreditation programs.

B

B16.5 Pipe Flanges and Flanged Fittings: ASME Standards on the dimensions, materials, and allowable pressure-temperature ratings of flanges for pipes up to NPS 24.
B16.34 Valves — Flanged, Threaded, and Welding End: ASME Standard on the design, material, testing, and marking requirements for industrial valves.
B31.1 Power Piping: ASME Code for the Design and Construction of Piping Systems in Power Plants and Industrial Power Facilities.
B31.3 Process Piping: ASME Code for Piping in Chemical, Petrochemical, and Process Plants.
BPE Bioprocessing Equipment: ASME Standards on Design and Finish Requirements for Equipment Used in the Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Industries.
BPVC Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code: The ASME Code, which establishes rules for the design, manufacture, inspection, and certification of boilers, pressure vessels, and nuclear components, is divided into Sections I through XII.
BPS Brazing Procedure Specification: A document that describes the qualified parameters of a brazing process, in accordance with Section IX of the BPVC.

C

CA Conformity Assessment: The set of ASME programs that certify organizations and individuals against standards: certification, accreditation, and qualification.
CC Code Case: An alternative or supplementary rule approved by the ASME committees between editions of the Code, applicable when the client accepts it.
CGD Commercial Grade Dedication: A process by which a commercially available item is qualified for use in nuclear safety applications by verifying its critical characteristics.
CI Certified Individual: A person certified by ASME to perform specific activities required by certain programs, such as the RTP-1 certification.
CMTR Certified Material Test Report: A report from the material manufacturer detailing the actual results of the chemical and mechanical tests performed on the supplied casting.
CoC Certificate of Conformance: A formal statement from the supplier that the product supplied complies with the requirements of the order and the applicable standard.
CVN Charpy V-Notch: V-notch impact test, used to evaluate the material's toughness at the minimum design temperature.

E

ET Eddy Current Testing: A non-destructive testing method based on induced currents, used to detect surface and subsurface defects in conductive materials, typically pipes.

F

FFS Fitness-For-Service: An engineering assessment that determines whether equipment with defects or deterioration can continue to operate safely; reference API 579-1/ASME FFS-1.

H

H Heating Boiler certification mark: ASME certification mark for heating boilers manufactured in accordance with Section IV of the BPVC.
HAZ Heat-Affected Zone: The area of the base material adjacent to the weld bead whose properties are altered by the welding heat cycle.
HLW Lined potable-water Heater mark: ASME Mark, Section IV, for lined water heaters intended for potable water.

M

MAWP Maximum Allowable Working Pressure: The maximum allowable pressure at the top of the vessel in the operating position, at the design temperature, under corroded conditions; this determines the calibration of the safety devices.
MDMT Minimum Design Metal Temperature: The lowest temperature at which the vessel can be subjected to the design pressure without risk of brittle fracture.
MDR Manufacturer's Data Report: The official form—for example, U-1, U-1A, or P-3—signed by the manufacturer and the Authorized Inspector, which certifies that a piece of equipment was manufactured in accordance with the Code.
MT Magnetic Particle Testing: A non-destructive testing method for detecting surface and subsurface defects in ferromagnetic materials.
MTR Material Test Report: A document from the material manufacturer containing the test results; when it is certified and pertains to the specific batch supplied, it is referred to as a CMTR.

N

N Nuclear component certification mark: ASME certification mark for nuclear components (vessels, pumps, valves, supports) built to Section III of the BPVC.
NB National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors: A North American organization that promotes the uniform application of the Code, registers vessels, and administers the R, NR, and VR repair programs.
NBIC National Board Inspection Code: The National Board Code for the Installation, In-Service Inspection, Repair, and Alteration of Boilers and Pressure Vessels.
NDE Nondestructive Examination: The set of testing methods used to verify the integrity of a component without damaging it: RT, UT, PT, MT, VT, ET.
NDT Nondestructive Testing: A term equivalent to NDE, more commonly used outside the context of the ASME Code.
NPT Nuclear Partial certification mark: ASME Mark, Section III, for nuclear parts and accessories manufactured without full responsibility for the finished component.
NQA-1 Quality Assurance Requirements for Nuclear Facility Applications: The ASME standard that defines the requirements for the quality assurance program for nuclear facilities; it forms the basis for NQA-1 certification.
NR Nuclear Repair/Replacement mark: National Board certification for repair and replacement work on in-service nuclear components.
NRC U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission: The U.S. nuclear regulatory authority; its 10 CFR 50 Appendix B serves as the standard for nuclear quality, aligned with NQA-1.
NV Nuclear pressure-relief Valve mark: ASME Mark, Section III, for safety and pressure relief devices intended for nuclear applications.

P

PAUT Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing: An advanced ultrasonic technique that uses multi-element probes to direct and focus the beam, with imaging of the inspected volume.
PED Pressure Equipment Directive 2014/68/EU: The European Pressure Equipment Directive; an ASME-designed piece of equipment intended for the EU must still comply with the PED.
PMI Positive Material Identification: On-site verification of the chemical composition of a material or an installed component, typically using X-ray fluorescence.
PQR Procedure Qualification Record: Recording of the actual parameters used to weld a test joint and the test results used to qualify the corresponding WPS, in accordance with Section IX.
PRA Probabilistic Risk Assessment: Quantitative analysis of the probability and consequences of plant failures; for nuclear power plants, the reference standard is ASME/ANS RA-S.
PRT Pressure-Retaining parts certification mark: ASME certification for the manufacture of pressure parts, such as Section I boilers or Section VIII vessels, supplied separately.
PT Liquid Penetrant Testing: A non-destructive testing method for surface-breaking defects, applicable to non-porous materials, both metallic and non-metallic.
PWHT Post-Weld Heat Treatment: Heat treatment after welding to reduce residual stresses and improve the properties of the welded area; required by the Code for certain materials and thicknesses.

Q

QA Quality Assurance: The planned set of actions that provide confidence that a product or service meets quality requirements.
QAI-1 Qualifications for Authorized Inspection: The ASME standard that establishes the qualification and certification requirements for Authorized Inspectors and Authorized Inspection Agencies.
QAM Quality Assurance Manual: The document that describes a nuclear organization's quality assurance program in accordance with NQA-1 or 10 CFR 50 Appendix B.
QC Quality Control: The operational activities (measurements, tests, inspections) that verify the product meets requirements.
QCS Quality Control System: The documented system—often compiled in a manual—that a manufacturer must establish and maintain in order to obtain and retain an ASME certification mark.
QPS Quality Program for Suppliers: ASME certification program that establishes the essential requirements for a quality system for suppliers in the commercial and general industries.
QSC Quality System Certificate: ASME Certificate for organizations that manufacture or supply materials intended for construction in accordance with the Code.

R

R Repair/alteration mark (National Board): A National Board mark that authorizes an organization to perform repairs and modifications on boilers and pressure vessels in service.
RA-S Standard for Probabilistic Risk Assessment (ASME/ANS): The family of joint ASME/ANS standards that defines the requirements for the probabilistic safety analysis of nuclear facilities.
RT Radiographic Testing: Non-destructive testing using penetrating radiation, such as X-rays or gamma rays, which produces an image of internal defects in the joint.
RTP-1 Reinforced Thermoset Plastic Corrosion-Resistant Equipment: ASME Standard and associated mark for the manufacture of corrosion-resistant, reinforced thermoset plastic equipment.

S

S Power Boiler certification mark: ASME certification mark for power steam boilers manufactured in accordance with Section I of the BPVC.
SMR Small Modular Reactor: A small-scale nuclear power reactor, typically with a capacity of up to about 300 MWe, designed to be manufactured in factory-built modules and assembled on site.
SNT-TC-1A ASNT Recommended Practice for NDT personnel: The ASNT recommended practice for the qualification and certification of personnel performing nondestructive testing, as referenced in the ASME Code.

U

U Pressure Vessel certification mark: ASME certification mark for pressure vessels manufactured in accordance with Section VIII, Division 1 of the BPVC.
U2 Section VIII Division 2 certification mark: ASME mark for pressure vessels manufactured in accordance with the alternative rules of Section VIII, Division 2, with reduced design margins and more stringent analyses.
U3 Section VIII Division 3 certification mark: ASME mark for ultra-high-pressure vessels manufactured in accordance with Section VIII, Division 3.
UM Miniature pressure vessel mark: ASME mark, Section VIII, Division 1, for small pressure vessels within the limits specified by the Code.
UT Ultrasonic Testing: Non-destructive testing using ultrasonic waves to detect and quantify internal defects and measure thicknesses.

V

V Boiler safety-valve mark: ASME Mark for Section I Safety Valves for Boilers.
VR pressure-relief Valve Repair mark (National Board): National Board mark certifying the company to repair safety and pressure relief devices.
VT Visual Testing: Non-destructive testing involving visual inspection, either direct or with instruments, of the surface of a component or a welded joint.

W

WPQ Welder Performance Qualification: The test used to certify an individual welder's ability to produce sound welds in accordance with a WPS, as documented in a designated log.
WPS Welding Procedure Specification: The document that sets the qualified parameters of a welding process (materials, heat input, position, treatments) to Section IX of the BPVC.

SPEC SHEET · GLOSSARY

How to read it

Each acronym's expanded form is given in the official ASME wording, in English. The definition describes the term's current use in the context of the Code and of conformity assessment programmes.

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