Non API products need to comply to API Q1?

[Thadng74]

Hi all. Need advise on this and hope friends over here will be able to help.

My company has API Q1 certificate and understand that for API manufacturing or repairs, we need to comply to API Q1 Quality Management System.

However, we also do manufacturing for non-API products for general industries. Thus will like to know if :-

1) for non-API manufactured products, do we also need to comply to API Q1 requirements?

2) for non-API products, are we able to purchase from raw materials from suppliers who did not submit the API vendor qualification questionnaire?

 

[jmech]

This is a question that you should ask APIQR to ensure that they interpret it the same way as you do and to ensure that your scope is clear enough.

Generally, APIQR will expect you to conform to API Q1 requirements (including supplier qualification) for all products intended for use in the oil & gas industry. For example, if you make a valve intended to be used in oil & gas applications, you need to meet all API Q1 requirements for that valve, regardless of whether it is an API 6A valve or not or whether it is API monogrammed to any standard. However, if you also build valves for water utilities (not oil & gas industry related), you should be able to exclude these from your API Q1 registration scope and then you would not have to meet any API Q1 requirements (including supplier qualification) for these water valves.

If you want to exclude any products from your Q1 registration scope, I recommend being very clear with APIQR about it and getting their approval for the exclusion. As well, you will likely need to demonstrate that your system is effective at applying the correct requirements for in-scope and out-of-scope products (for example, your system is set up so that you will only use vendors that you qualified per API Q1 for any materials incorporated in your oil & gas products).

 

[Thadng74]

Hi Jmech,

Your understanding is correct. There are products that we manufacture which are not intended for Oil & Gas industry.

Thanks for your advise and will check with APIQR. Appreciated.

 

[lanley liao]

Hi, Guys,
I think that Jmech is very right. I have encountered a question that the API asks the auditor to audit the non-API products in the audit report, unless which is not the sope of your QMS registered.