Fitness-for-Service (FFS) engineering assessments determine whether in-service equipment is suitable for continued use, and estimate the remaining useful life of such equipment. FFS assessments are performed on equipment in which a flaw or undesirable condition has been detected, generally during periodic inspections. The FFS procedure recognizes that most process equipment degrades with use, and undertakes to study the condition, operating stresses, detected flaws and degradation mechanisms to determine:
- Whether the equipment, in its current condition, can be returned to service, and
- The estimated remaining service life of the equipment.
These assessments also yield a great deal of information about the operating conditions, environmental factors and damage mechanisms that affect equipment integrity and reduce its useful life. This information can be used to improve the way the equipment is operated, managed and maintained, leading to long-term improvements in safety, reliability and performance.
API 579-1/ASME FFS-1/2007 describes a procedure for FFS engineering assessments, including specific guidance for certain types of equipment common in the refining and petrochemical industries. Quest Reliability staff were instrumental in the development of the underlying technology for API 579-1, and deliver broadly-based expertise in the application of API 579-1 to many types of equipment in the refining, chemical and gas processing, power and pipeline industries. Our proprietary software product Signal Fitness-For-Service™ is an industry-leading tool for modeling, visualization and analysis of flaws in the following equipment and components (click on links for more details):
For further information about asset-specific Fitness-for-Service assessment, please contact us.