8/7/2019 What is PMI 1
1/1
DCI, Inc.600 North 54 AvenueSt. Cloud, MN 56303Ph: (320)
252-8200Fax: (320) 252-0866www.dciinc.com
Positive Material Identification
02/05/04 Rev. BJU PMI FE04
DCI, Inc. prides itself on our ability to meet andexceed our
customers expectations. One of theserequirements is to provide
material traceability ofcomponents built into our product.
Inclusion ofmaterial test reports (MTRs) has been the
acceptedmethod over the years; however, it has been proventhat mill
certifications and heat markings alone canbe unreliable. Since MTRs
are generated at the millsthat provide the raw stock, by the time
the materialreaches a manufacturers facility, it may have
beenthrough many handling processes increasing thechances of error
in the heat markings, therefore, theMTR may not be always trusted.
This is becoming
more common in the stainless steel and nickel alloyfabrication
industries. DCI has quality procedures inplace to document the
material as it moves throughour production process, however, the
problem is inthe identification of the material as it is received
fromsuppliers. In an effort to have complete traceability ofall
materials, DCI has turned to the implementation ofPositive Material
Identification (PMI) to validate rawmaterials before manufacturing
of our product begins.To do this DCI has utilized the latest
technologyusing NITON X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) hand-heldalloy
analyzers to perform the analysis.
NITONs XRF alloy analyzers are portable hand-helddevices that
can perform a non-destructive test on
the material at any time in merely seconds. XRFworks by exposing
the material to a flux of x-rays.The atoms then absorb the energy
and becometemporarily excited and they fluoresce, or emit
x-rays.The x-rays emitted by the samples atoms possessclearly
defined energies that are unique to the
elements present in the sample. By measuring theintensity and
energy, the XRF instrument can providequalitative and quantitative
analysis. In other words,it can identify the elements, measure
theconcentration of each and display them on the unit.In using XRF,
we can make Positive Material
Identification. The data can be downloaded from theunit and
saved for reference or creating reports. Thedata and NDT software
of the NITON analyzerscomply with FDA 21 CFR Part 11, which is
arequirement for many of our customers.
DCI has developed and implemented an internalprocedure for the
PMI by XRF of raw materials,components, and parts. This procedure
followsASTM E1476 and includes calibrations to CertifiedMaterial
References (CRMs) to verify that thematerial and documentation is
correct beforeproduction begins. The performance and
capabilities
of the XRF unit and DCIs procedure guaranteereliable and
accurate results. With theimplementation of PMI, DCI has added
anotherqualification of our vendors. DCI also performs PMIon the
shop floor to ensure that the documentationremains intact during
the manufacturing process. Acustomer can also request a final PMI
of the finishedproduct, in which reports can be provided as part
ofthe turn-over-package. This eliminates the need forany additional
inspection by our customers, to insurethat the material
specifications have been met.
PMI is also important for meeting the ASME Boilerand Pressure
Vessel Code and the ASMEBioprocessing Equipment Standard, which
bothrequire mill certifications and complete materialtraceability.
With PMI implementation, DCI continuesprocess improvements and
procedures to achieveour goal of providing higher quality products
and itguarantees that we meet our customers
stringentspecifications.
Positive Material Identification: Another value addedfeature you
get from DCI, Inc.
PMI Testing of Components
NITON XRF Analyzer Process
