Chute Liner Inspection Checklist Before Shipment
A pre-shipment chute liner inspection should prove that the parts match the approved purchase requirements and can be identified, installed and traced. It should not be a collection of photographs with no part IDs or acceptance criteria. The inspection and test plan must connect each check to the drawing, material specification, purchase order and agreed document schedule.
This checklist covers rolled wear-plate liners, cast liners and drawing-based assemblies. The buyer should tailor it to product risk, contract requirements and the applicable standard.
Pre-shipment inspection sequence
| Gate | What is checked | Release evidence |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Document review | PO, approved drawing, revision, BOM, specification and inspection plan. | Current controlled documents identified. |
| 2. Material identity | Grade/class, heat or batch, thickness and ordered certificate. | Traceable certificate and material/production record. |
| 3. In-process controls | Cutting, forming, casting, machining, welding or heat treatment as applicable. | Required travelers and process records complete. |
| 4. Final dimensions | Datums, profile, holes, countersinks, interfaces and critical tolerances. | Signed dimensional report. |
| 5. Final condition | Surface, markings, quantity, cleanliness and preservation. | Visual release record and photographs. |
| 6. Packing release | Part-to-crate mapping, protection, lifting and shipping marks. | Packing list and closed-crate identification. |
Freeze the document baseline first
Record the purchase-order number, equipment tag, approved drawing numbers and revisions, bill of materials, material specification and approved deviations. An inspector cannot decide conformity if production and inspection use different drawing revisions. Superseded drawings should be removed from the active work package.
The official ISO page lists ISO 9001:2015 as the quality-management-systems requirements standard. A supplier’s quality system can support document, traceability and release controls, but ISO 9001 certification does not by itself define the material, dimensions or acceptance criteria for a chute liner; those requirements still belong in the contract and approved inspection plan.
The inspection plan should identify hold, witness, review and surveillance points where required. It should also state who can release a hold point and how notice is given. Do not label every routine check a hold point; focus control on risks that cannot be verified after the next operation.
Verify quantity and part identity
Reconcile every liner against the BOM before packing. Check part number, quantity, left/right orientation, equipment position and drawing revision. Similar mirrored plates can pass a dimensional check and still reach the wrong location if the identity is ambiguous.
Permanent marking should remain readable through normal handling and match the liner map. Marking location must not damage a critical wear surface, create a stress concentration or interfere with fit. See the part marking and shutdown staging guide.
Material certificates and traceability
| Product type | Typical traceability | Review question |
|---|---|---|
| Rolled wear plate | Heat/plate identity transferred through nesting, cutting and production records. | Can each finished part be linked to the ordered certificate? |
| Cast liner | Heat or batch, material class/type, heat-treatment batch and casting ID. | Are reported tests applicable to the supplied batch and section? |
| Welded assembly | Base materials, components, WPS/process records and welder identity where required. | Does the record cover the actual joints and approved procedure? |
| Fasteners/inserts | Specification, batch or certificate when contractually required. | Are supplied components the ordered grade, size and finish? |
Certificate type and content should be agreed in the PO. A supplier-generated statement is not automatically equivalent to a manufacturer inspection certificate. The custom liner quality-document guide helps buyers define the package.
Dimensional inspection starts with datums
Inspect from the drawing-defined datums, not from a rough, worn or flame-cut edge unless the drawing makes it a datum. Identify the instrument, resolution and measurement method for critical characteristics. Temperature, support and part orientation can affect large or flexible panels.
Record actual values for critical fit dimensions instead of only ticking “OK.” A signed report should identify the part, drawing revision, characteristic, nominal/tolerance, actual result, instrument and date. Sampling is acceptable only where the purchase specification defines it.
Outline, profile, bends and curvature
Check overall size, diagonal or squareness controls, edge profile, bend angle, leg dimensions, taper, radius and twist where applicable. A curved liner may need a template, coordinate check or scan comparison rather than one tape-measured radius. A bent plate may need both angle and flange dimensions after springback.
Related methods are covered in curved liner radius measurement and bend angle and radius measurement.
Hole pattern, slots and countersinks
| Feature | Check | Installation risk |
|---|---|---|
| Round hole | Diameter, true location, pitch and edge distance. | Bolts cannot enter or liner is forced into position. |
| Slot/keyhole | Width, length, large/small end, orientation and retention direction. | Panel cannot be installed or may move toward release. |
| Countersink/recess | Angle/profile, diameter, depth, concentricity and seating trial where specified. | Head protrusion, poor seating or inadequate remaining section. |
| Stud/insert | Position, projection, thread/condition and attachment evidence. | Mismatch with shell holes or inadequate nut engagement. |
Use the bolt-hole pattern checklist for drawing inputs. A single master template should itself be identified and verified before it is used to accept a batch.
Thickness and hardness checks
Verify thickness at specified locations and distinguish source-plate thickness from finished thickness after machining. For castings, state whether dimensions are as-cast or machined and how variable sections are checked. Report units and actual results.
Hardness is checked only when ordered and technically applicable. Define method, location, surface preparation, sampling and acceptance basis. Portable tests can be valuable for screening but must not be represented as laboratory certification without an agreed correlation and procedure. See hardness testing for chute liners.
Visual condition and workmanship
Inspect finished surfaces, cut edges, holes, bends, cast surfaces, machined areas and attachments against stated acceptance criteria. Photographs should include a scale or identification where useful. Terms such as “good workmanship” cannot replace defined criteria for cracks, laps, undercut, gouges, incomplete machining or other relevant conditions.
Rust, scale, oil, paint and preservation condition should match the contract and the next manufacturing or installation step. Do not coat over an inspection surface or part ID that must remain visible unless the approved procedure addresses it.
Welded and attached components
Where the liner includes welds, studs, inserts or backing, verify the approved drawing and applicable procedure. Records may include material identity, WPS, personnel qualification, parameters or heat-treatment evidence, visual examination and ordered NDT. The contract must define the applicable acceptance standard and extent.
A request for “100% NDT” is incomplete without method, examination area, timing, procedure, personnel qualification and acceptance criteria. The inspector should verify that a repair, if made, was authorized and re-examined as required.
Trial assembly and interface checks
A full trial assembly is not necessary for every liner, but critical interfaces may justify a fixture, template, mating-bolt trial or controlled layout. Adjacent panels should not create unintended upstream ledges or close the minimum opening. Record flow direction and orientation on the liner map.
The panel joints and flow-direction checklist covers gaps, overlaps and edge presentation. Define whether the inspection is individual, subassembly or complete-set verification.
Nonconformance and deviation control
A nonconforming dimension or material cannot be accepted by editing the report or silently reworking the part. Record the requirement, actual condition, affected part and proposed disposition. Rework, repair, use-as-is or remake decisions require the authority defined by the contract.
Approved concessions should reference the specific part, characteristic and revision and travel with the final document package. After rework, repeat the affected inspection and any linked checks. Close the record before shipment unless the buyer explicitly approves another disposition.
Packing and shipping verification
| Packing check | Required evidence | Failure prevented |
|---|---|---|
| Crate contents | Part and quantity list linked to crate/pallet number. | Missing or mixed shutdown kits. |
| Part protection | Separated wear faces, protected threads/edges and suitable restraint. | Transit damage, corrosion or lost small parts. |
| Handling | Mass, centre-of-gravity or lifting information where required. | Unsafe handling and damaged packaging. |
| External marks | PO, equipment, crate number, destination and orientation/weather marks. | Misrouting or opening every crate to find one panel. |
| Photo record | Parts before closure, internal arrangement and closed package. | Unverifiable packing condition. |
Minimum final document package
- approved drawing and BOM revision list;
- material certificates and traceability map as ordered;
- dimensional report with actual critical values;
- hardness, heat treatment, welding or NDT reports where applicable;
- nonconformance and approved concession status;
- part-marking and final-condition photographs;
- packing list mapped to crate or pallet IDs;
- certificate of conformity if contractually required.
Buyer release checklist
Before release, confirm that required hold points are signed, open nonconformances are resolved, document revisions agree, quantities match and the electronic package is readable. Check that the physical marks connect the liner, report and packing list. A complete folder with inconsistent IDs is not a traceable release.
The equipment owner should also confirm that lifting, storage, installation sequence and shutdown access have been planned. Factory inspection does not approve site structure, fit-up under changed field conditions or installation safety.
Quality and safety boundary
This checklist is a practical procurement framework, not a universal acceptance standard or authorization to enter equipment. The purchase order, approved drawings, applicable standards and agreed ITP govern. Qualified personnel must approve material, geometry, repair, lifting and installation, and site work must follow isolation and stored-energy procedures. Updated by the EB China engineering-content team as the final article in the scheduled bulk-rewrite programme.