From left to right, the team: Reimar Nürnberger, Project Manager and Test Lab Engineer, LESER Thomas P. Beirne, Technical Manager Pressure Relief Laboratory, NBBI (The National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors) Dr. Thorsten Schulze, Test Lab Engineer, LESER Christoph Kümmritz, Test Lab Team Leader (Head of TF), LESER
ASME certification for the LESER steam test lab
Since 1994, LESER has held ASME certification for its air and water test lab at its Hamburg site. This certification enables the company to carry out certification tests for safety valves in accordance with ASME BPVC Sec. XIII (formerly Sec. VIII) on its own test labs.
As part of the approval process, the National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors (NBBI) inspects the design of the testing and measuring equipment, the processes used, the measuring instruments, and the quality control manual. In addition, comparative measurements are carried out in which the flow rate of test standards is determined on the LESER test lab and then compared with the results on the National Board's test lab in Columbus, Ohio. A maximum deviation of 2% is permissible. The comparative measurements are repeated every five years as part of a recertification process. LESER also carries out annual internal tests.
LESER is currently the only manufacturer worldwide with an ASME-approved steam test lab
In December 2024, the scope of approval was extended to include the LESER steam test lab. This has been located within the Rugenberger Damm waste recycling plant (MVR) since 2001 and is directly connected to the steam pipes there. For testing purposes, up to 15,000 kg/h of steam with a maximum pressure of 45 bar and a temperature of up to 425 °C is available. The parameters required for valve testing are provided by steam conversion valves.
LESER is currently the only manufacturer worldwide with an ASME-approved steam test lab. The approval was granted thanks to extensive technical optimizations, including the modernization of the measurement and control software, the replacement of measurement and control fittings, and the adaptation of the control concept to achieve the required measurement accuracy.
