Technical Bulletin

Type Approvals and Product Certifications

Overview

Product certification can be obtained through a number of certifying bodies and can be carried out to varying levels of customer requirements. Samson holds many certifications covering product design, quality policies and procedures, manufacturing procedures, and product compliance to national, international, and industry standards. Samson may also obtain certifications for specific project requirements through third party certification.

CURRENT TYPE APPROVAL CERTIFICATIONS HELD BY SAMSON TO ISO 2307:

ABS, BV, DNV, and Lloyd’s Register.

To qualify for MEG4 certification, the manufacturing, testing, and documentation steps are carried out as instructed in MEG4 Appendix B, with the results captured on a uniquely formatted Base Design Certificate. A certifying class society (ABS) reviews the product’s documentation and alignment to the MEG4 requirements and, upon approval, provides their endorsement on the product’s certificate. Having this certification enables the user to be in compliance with the latest industry guidance, adhere to terminal requirements, and easily compare the performance indicators of multiple products while ensuring they meet a performance baseline. For each product, the regime of tests and endorsement must be renewed every 5 years.

There are three certificates associated with Bureau Veritas type approval.

1. Company Recognition Certificate: Samson has obtained BV Mode I recognition, which is obtained through in-depth audits of the quality systems and policies in place to manufacture and self-certify ropes in accordance with BV rule NR 320 Section 3. The recognition certificate stands for the Ferndale, Washington manufacturing facility.
2. Type Approval Certificate (TAC): The TAC recognizes the product design and manufacturing method meet BV requirements. TACs are granted to product families of the same design for a given size range, as specified within the certificate.
3. Certificate of Product Conformity (CPC): The CPC recognizes a specific product run for its conformance to product specifications. To issue a CPC, sample testing on the production run must be performed and witnessed.

*BV’s POSA framework qualifies the rope for permanent mooring at a jetty, making EverSteel-X the first and only high-performance synthetic rope to achieve this designation. The testing requirements for this certification are extensive: break strength, fatigue characteristics, performance at elevated temperatures, and dynamic stiffness are all tested to verify the rope conforms to specifications and to provide confidence that the product is fit for the intended operational environment.

Type Approval

Samson’s most commonly requested type approvals include those through ABS, BV, DNV, and Lloyd’s Register.  

To obtain type approval, manufacturers must first submit all information regarding a specific product to the class society; including quality procedures and processes, detailed construction information, manufacturing procedures, and product specifications, such as weights and strengths. After review of the specifications, a testing program is established to manufacture and test selected sizes for the product in accordance with the specified test procedures. All testing is witnessed by a representative from the class society to assure accuracy and compliance. For further details of the applicability of each type approval, please view the certificate through the respective society’s type approval database.

Once approved, there is typically an annual or bi-annual plant inspection/audit performed by the class society. This is done to review the manufacturer’s quality manual, such as an ISO 9001 manual, and to verify that there are no issues with the quality system or the manufacture of the product. Hence, the quality and consistency of the product is ensured.

A type approval certificate provides the most assurance as to both quality and consistency of a product supplied by the manufacturer, which are all backed by the rigorous testing, inspections, and audits that are required.

Third Party Certification

Different from type approval, a third party certification is a one-time inspection of a specific product and/or production run.

In order to obtain a third party certification from Samson, we require:

• Exact product and diameter(s) to be certified
• The certifying body required
• The certification requirements needing attestation (i.e. the specification, standard and/or test method)

Samson will contact the certifying body to arrange the requested validation.

Once the certifying body completes the required validation, a certified report documenting all results will be provided.

General Samson Recognition and Certifications

In additional to product-specific type approvals, Samson has been recognized by Lloyd’s Register, Bureau Veritas, and the America Bureau of Shipping for its quality systems. Samson maintains certifications for ISO 9001:2015 (LR), manufacturing assessment (ABS), and Mode I recognition (BV). These certifications ensure proper traceability and consistency of products in accordance with industry and international standards.

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