North Shields-based Elfab, which specialises in products for pressure relief management, has enhanced its in-house testing capabilities with a new ASME-certified Flow Lab (it is the first rupture disc manufacturer outside the USA to gain this certification).

Developed and assembled by Elfab’s (www.elfab.com) engineering team, the Flow Lab is a test rig that allows the company to establish a rupture disc’s resistance to flow and its minimum net flow area. This data is used by pipeline and process engineering designers.

Elfab’s ASME certification followed a rigorous review of the test facility by the National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors, with flow testing and certification tests being witnessed by an approved National Board Team Leader.

Russell Trotter, innovation director at Elfab, said: “We are delighted to be the first ASME-accepted rupture disc facility outside the USA.

Achieving this universally recognised standard is testament to our commitment to quality and continuous improvement.

"The Flow Lab test rig means we can maximise the design potential of our products.

"Processes that previously took months can now be completed on demand.”

In-house testing using the Flow Lab test rig has begun with the re-certification of a range of discs requiring new certificates every six years. This will be followed by new-product certification.