ABSTRACT
Quality, the compliance of a product with the customer’s specications and requirements, has become the buzzword of industry in many parts of the world during the last two decades. Buyers want it; manufacturers claim to strive for it. Competitiveness in the market, safety and the consequences of product failure, and the developing legislation related to product liability known as consumer protection acts have become important factors in the pursuit of high quality. For heat exchangers and pressure vessels, the overriding reasons are to avoid the consequences of failure, which can be catastrophic in human, monetary, and environmental terms. Flaws in critical components may increase the likelihood of failure.
