Incoming inspection requirements

Incoming Inspection  

Incoming Inspection (also known as Inward Goods Inspection or Receipt Inspection) is a quality control process conducted when materials, components, equipment, or stores are received at a railway workshop, depot, or store. It ensures that only conforming, defect-free items are accepted into inventory and used for maintenance or manufacturing activities

Key objectives of Incoming Inspection:

• Verify that received items conform to specified standards and purchase order requirements
• Detect defects, damages, or non-conformances before acceptance
• Prevent sub-standard material from entering the supply chain
• Ensure safety and reliability of railway operations
• Protect the railway organization from financial losses due to defective supplies
• Incoming Inspection  

Governing Standards & Codes

Incoming inspection in Indian Railways is governed by:

• IRS (Indian Railway Standard) Specifications for materials and components
• RDSO (Research Designs & Standards Organisation) guidelines and drawings
• IS standards specification
• BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) specifications where applicable
• IEC/IS standards for electrical and electronic items
• Purchase Order conditions and Schedule of Requirements
• Types of Incoming Inspection
• Incoming inspection Process

Types of incoming inspection

 Pre-inspection Activities

• Review of Purchase Order, specification, approved drawings, and inspection notes
• Availability check of measuring instruments, gauges, testing equipment

Visual / Dimensional Inspection

• Check for physical damage, corrosion, dents, scratches, or contamination
• Check markings: part number, batch/lot number, date of manufacture, country of origin
• Dimensional verification using vernier callipers, micrometres, gauges etc.,
• Incoming inspection Process

Document Verification

• Test Certificate / Mill Certificate (chemical composition, mechanical properties)
• Inspection Certificate from approved Third Party Inspection (TPI) agency
• Guarantee / Warranty Certificate

Mechanical / Chemical / Electrical Testing

• Mechanical tests: tensile strength, hardness (Brinell/Rockwell/Vickers), impact test, bend test
• Chemical analysis: spectrometric analysis, wet chemical methods
• Non-Destructive Testing (NDT): UT (Ultrasonic Testing), MPI (Magnetic Particle Inspection), DPT (Dye Penetrant Testing), RT (Radiographic Testing)
• Electrical tests: insulation resistance, dielectric strength, continuity, polarity checks
• Hydraulic / pneumatic pressure tests for pipes, cylinders, and valves
• Functional tests: operation of assembled units, torque checks, fit and mating checks

Inspection of Stores

• Stores are received by the stores Depot with Pre- inspection of TPI (Third Party Inspection) Agencies / RDSO/ Consignee inspections/ consignee against certificate issued by other Testing Agencies/Laboratories.
• Generally PO value below 5 Lakhs to be consignee inspection except some of the safety items and newly introduced items.
• PO value above Rs.5 Lakhs to be Pre-inspection except in case of emergency and material received from PSUs/ Production units etc.,.
• In Pre-inspection also two stage inspection to be conducted for some items Processing (raw material) inspection/ mfg Stage and final product inspection.
• Some times stores will accept the material based on test report submitted by the firm, this conducted may be Govt. Laboratories or Private Laboratories.

TPI Inspection & Agencies

• Before 2023 Pre-inspection agencies are Govt. testing agencies, but 2023 onwards the Inspection wing is outsourced and contract entered with the following TPI Agencies.

1. M/s. TUV India Private Limited
2. M/s Bureau Veritas India Private Limited
3.  M/s RITES Limited
4. M/s Intertek India Private Limited

• In case of TPI inspections the Receipt section incharge has to scrutinise the inspection marks, material received as per PO condition, specification etc.,.
• If not fulfilled as per PO condition and Inspection certificate Depot has to reject the material

Consignee Inspection Procedure

• In case of consignee inspection and other receipts, Receipt in-charge has to check the material with PO condition and existing stock, if fulfilled the material will be accepted. In case any doubt in the material, he may refer the material to user Depot for fitment and further inspection.
• In case any deviations observed he can refer the material to CMT/ other outside Testing laboratories.
• Based on the reports material will be accepted/ rejected. If accepted R Note/RO will be prepared. If the material failed,  serve the Rejection Advice duly imposing the Incidental charges, testing charges If any.

UDM Procedure

• UDM:- Now the user has to generate CRC (Consignee Receipt Certificate) for Advance payment, for balance payment user has to generate CRN (Consignee receipt Note). If no advance payment involved consignee has to  generate CRN
• If damaged material received, the same will be rejected.

Acceptance/ Rejection of Material

• As per IRS condition for IREPS POs, any consignee has to accept/Reject the material with in 90 days from the date of receipts, otherwise the rejection is not valid
• In case GeM POs any consignee has to accept/Reject the material with in 10 days from the PRC (Provisions Receipt Certificate), otherwise the rejection is not valid and payment will be processed on 11 day. Auto CRAC will be generated (consignee Receipt and Acceptance Certificate)
• Now a days as per Railway Board guidelines the DRR will be cleared with in 7 Days only
• Warranty claims also to be performed with in the stipulated period mentioned in the PO. Generally the warranty/guarantee claims for IREPS POs is 30 months from the date receipt of the material.
• In case of GeM PO the warranty/guarantee claims  is 12 months from the date receipt of the material.
• However if specified warranty/guarantee  period vary from above, the specified period is considered.

Reasons for Rejections

Material rejected in the following conditions

1. Material not on par with PO condition, specification & drawing etc.,
2. Material received after expiry of Delivery date and item made NNR
3. Material received in damaged /broken condition (IRS 4.1-Risk in Goods)
4. Material received excess to PO Qty i.e, excess to 5% Tolerance and the value exceeds to Rs.8 Lakhs (SOP Part-D Sl.No.5)
5. Material received not pertains to the Depot.
6. Material received without IC and IC Marks
7. Material received after cancellation of PO
8. Material received after expiry of 75% Shelf life etc., (IRS 7.3 (e))

Rejections -IRS conditions

• The contractor has to replace the rejected goods with 21 days from the date of rejection. Replacement of goods  expenses to be born by the contractor (IRS clause 7.6) in case of GeM PO- 10 Days, warranty rejections -60 days
• Replacement is not effected, the Railway have full power to terminate the contract as per IRS clause -13
• If material rejected, the Contractor has to pay all other expenses incurred like , freight, Testing and incidental charges.
• All the rejected goods shall in any event and circumstances remain and always at the risk of the contractor

Rejection Advice Preparation

While preparing Rejection Advice (Form No.S 764) the following points to be notified. Proper rejection register to be maintained (S-765)

• Reason for Rejection and Rejected Qty to be clear
• Recoveries to be endorsed. Incidental Charges, Testing charges, Freight charges, wharfage, Demurrage charges, Advance payment etc.,
• The firm has to lift the rejected material with in 21 days of the rejection advice. In case items have infectious nature, the firm has to lift the material with in 48 hours.
• Once the item rejected the item not to pertains to the Railways and always risk of the contractor .
• If the firm not lifted the material with in 21 days, Railways will impose the Ground Rent. Rs.1/- per day for below 50 kg weight and Rs.5/- per day for above 50 Kgs item. It may  be vary.
• If the firm requested for waivel of Ground Rent, Depot Officers have to powers upto 50,000/- and HQrs Dy.CMM empowered upto Rs.1 Lakh, CMM and PCMM have full powers as per MSOP 2018

Joint Inspection procedure

All Pre-inspected items rejected on technical grounds, Railways have to call for joint inspection with in 21 days of rejections. For imports – 45 days. Authority Rly Bd letter No. 2000/RS(G)/379/2 dt 18.01.2018

• Representative of Inspecting Agency, Firm, User and Depots have to be participate in Joint inspection. Inspecting authority and Firm not participated in the joint inspection, consignee decision is final.
• In case, rejection not agreed by inspecting agency and firm, if the material has to referred third party. Sometimes rectification also to be permitted.
• If rectified the rejection will be withdrawn. In case of pre-inspected items, the replacement also to be pre-inspected.