Last Tuesday afternoon, a warehouse manager on a municipal water utility project messaged us on WeChat: "The valves have arrived, the site is in a hurry to install them — can we sign for them and put them straight into storage?" We answer this question several times every year. Incoming valve inspection is precisely the step most likely to be skipped. The situations we encounter are remarkably consistent: the delivery is signed for on the day it arrives, the boxes are opened days later, and by then a nameplate or shipping document problem is hard to attribute.

Incoming Valve Inspection Step 1: Check the Paperwork Before Opening the Boxes

On the day the valves arrive, check the delivery note against the contract or order line items. Confirm the number of boxes and pieces, look for damaged or damp packaging, and check whether a packing list is included — ten minutes is all it takes.

Damaged packaging doesn't necessarily mean a damaged valve, but it must be recorded and photographed on the spot before you sign. Signing first and checking later leaves the burden of proof on you.

Nameplate Check: These Items Must Match the Order

After unboxing, check the nameplate first. Go through the manufacturer, model, nominal size, pressure class, body material, end connection, and serial number one by one against the order. If the box label matches but the nameplate doesn't, don't install it.

And if the model matches but the material is unclear, raise it with the supplier in writing. On real projects this happens often: a valve problem is reported by phone only, and later nobody accepts responsibility — written records are what hold up.

Two Details That Are Easy to Miss

One is the flow direction arrow. Globe valves and swing check valves installed backwards will at best fail to open and at worst trap pressure. The other is the port protection caps. Whether the flange sealing faces are dented and whether the caps are still in place directly determine whether this batch of valves can go onto the pipeline right away. Also, do not store gate valves half-open for long periods, and never improvise with them as throttling valves.

Shipping Document Check: What Isn't in the Contract Is Hard to Add After Delivery

Accept documents according to the contract: certificate of conformity, material certificates, pressure test reports, packing list, plus any other documents the contract requires — check them off one by one. Our advice: put the shipping document list into the contract at the inquiry stage. Requirements that were never written in leave both sides in a difficult position once the goods arrive.

For valves purchased through an authorized channel, the original factory documents are also the proof of authenticity — two sides of the same coin as verifying SUFA authorization.

These Four Documents Are the Bottom Line

Certificate of conformity, material certificate, pressure test report, and packing list. If any one is missing, raise it in writing the same day. If you're unsure how to specify requirements during selection, first compare valve series parameters in the product center, then check the documents against them.

Finish the Inspection Record on the Spot — Not the Next Day

Record five things: delivery date, delivery note number, nameplate photos, a list of any discrepancies, and the receiver's signature. Report discrepancies the same day — don't let them pile up. In the valve projects we've supported, the ones that completed the records on day one had far fewer disputes later. The half hour spent on incoming valve inspection is worth far more than supplying documentation after the fact.

If you have questions about the shipping documents, or would like the supplier to accompany your unboxing inventory check, send your valve list via the contact us page and we will verify each item against the contract.

The next time valves reach your site — will you open the boxes first, or send them to storage first? Pass this on to whoever handles the delivery; it might save one round of rework.

Suzhou Akameng Automation Equipment Co., Ltd. · Officially Authorized SUFA Distributor (Authorization No. SFSQ-0036) · Tel 0512-66673578 (WeChat 15851489497)