Incoming inspection is the receiving check that links delivered refractory brick to its purchase order, approved drawing, packing identity and required evidence before a project authority releases it for installation. Receiving a container is not the same as accepting every item or approving its furnace suitability.
This guide gives importers and project teams a sequence for preserving discrepancies before material is mixed into site stock. It is a procurement and receiving framework, not a universal acceptance standard; the contract and approved inspection plan govern sampling, tolerances and release authority.
Before arrival: freeze the inspection basis
Collect the purchase order, itemised packing list, approved drawing and revision, grade specification, document register and inspection plan. Identify who may accept, quarantine or reject a lot. A report required before shipment but absent at arrival is an open item, not something to assume will be supplied later.
On arrival: preserve condition evidence
Before pallets are redistributed, record the arrival date and location, package count and labels, and any moisture, impact or breakage. Photograph the container or vehicle, affected packaging and adjacent normal packages. A delivery note establishes receipt of listed packages; it does not itself settle technical conformity.
Match item and lot identity
Compare each label with the purchase-order line and packing list. Separate grades, shapes and production lots. If marking is missing or products are mixed on one pallet, identify and quarantine the affected material, record its location and request written clarification. Do not use a result from one lot to release another unidentified lot.
Check appearance and dimensions against the contract
Identify the approved drawing, dimensions and measurement locations. Photograph chips, cracks, distortion and packing damage with item and lot references. Do not invent an allowable chip size or tolerance at the receiving dock. ISO 12678-1 concerns dimensions and conformity to drawings; ASTM C134 covers size, dimensional measurements and bulk density. Their public scope pages do not establish this project's acceptance limits.
Check reports for product and lot coverage
For each mandatory document, compare manufacturer, offered grade, test method, units, date, specimen or lot identification and reported result against the order. A generic datasheet is not automatically a batch test report. A third-party result from another product or lot may not satisfy a lot-specific requirement. Record missing or inconsistent evidence as open, not approved.
Use one receiving record for each item and lot
This worksheet is a project communication aid, not a standard-mandated form. Align its fields with the approved inspection plan and authority register before use.
| Check | Link to the same item and lot | When unresolved |
|---|---|---|
| Package identity | PO line, packing-list line, label and stored location | Separate unidentified or mixed material; request clarification |
| Arrival condition | Package count, date, photographs and affected quantity | Preserve condition evidence before repacking or use |
| Dimensions and appearance | Drawing revision, measured location, method and observed defects | Record the discrepancy against the agreed criteria |
| Required reports | Product, test method, lot coverage and document revision | Keep missing or inconsistent evidence open |
| Disposition and handover | Decision reference, authorised sign-off and accepted-lot location | Do not release for installation without the required decision |
Quarantine, disposition and release
Issue a discrepancy record with item ID, lot, affected quantity, photographs, measurements and contract reference. Keep the material separate until the authorised buyer or project authority records a written disposition. Additional inspection, approved concession, replacement or rejection depends on the contract. ISO 5022 concerns sampling and acceptance testing of shaped refractories; acceptance against a specification does not by itself prove suitability for a furnace application. This guide supplies no universal sampling rate or rejection threshold.
Hand over a traceable lot record
Keep the final purchase-order line, drawing revision, packing and lot identity, receiving photographs, measurement sheet, reports, discrepancy decisions and release signature together. The installation team should be able to link material in each work area to its accepted lot.
For pre-order scope, use the Refractory Brick RFQ Checklist. For test-method and lot-coverage checks, see How to Read a Refractory COA.
Sources and scope
The linked official ISO and ASTM catalogue pages support only the named standards' scopes. No standard full text or project acceptance plan was supplied; this article does not reproduce test instructions, sampling numbers, dimensional tolerances or damage limits. Receiving, concessions, claims and release must follow the applicable contract and approved project requirements.
For a document or scope question, submit the item list and relevant requirements. Product support, document availability and quotation timing remain subject to review; this article cannot release a shipment or decide liability.