OREANDA-NEWS. June 26, 2012. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) recently certified ThyssenKrupp VDM’s quality assurance system in accordance with international guidelines. ASME develops technical guidelines and standards for among other things pressure vessels and piping in the nuclear industry. The Quality System Certificate (QSC-671) confirms that ThyssenKrupp VDM is a reliable supplier of material for these applications, reported the press-centre of ThyssenKrupp.

The preparation for the certification lasted around one year, the detailed on-site audit then took a further week. “We are pleased that we passed the audit without any discrepancies,” explains Dr. Stephan Greimers, Head of Central Quality and Environment Management. The certificate is valid for three years; the ASME will review once a year without notice whether the guidelines are being complied with.

"The recognised certificate saves our customers considerable expense,” adds Dr. Greimers. Manufacturers of components that are used for example as piping inside a nuclear reactor have to have suppliers with QSC or undertake extensive audits themselves. The QSC certificate awarded by ASME completes the existing set of internationally accepted approvals for ThyssenKrupp VDM products for e.g. use in apparatus construction and the chemical industry with the most important seal for the nuclear industry. The latest certificate is very important to support ThyssenKrupp VDM to expand its position in particular in the growing Asian market.

The activities of the Inoxum Group, part of ThyssenKrupp AG, are divided into two segments: the Stainless Steel segment stands for the worldwide production, processing and distribution of stainless steel flat products. The High Performance Alloys segment brings together the production and distribution of high-performance materials such as nickel alloys, titanium and zirconium. ThyssenKrupp VDM based in Werdohl (Germany) is responsible for this segment. The Inoxum Group includes companies with plants in Germany, Italy, Mexico, China and the USA employing roughly 11,500 people. On January 31, 2012, ThyssenKrupp AG announced the combination of Inoxum and Outokumpu, a global stainless steel corporation with headquarters in Finland. The combination is subject to regulatory approval. The transaction is expected to be completed by the end of 2012.