Frequently Asked Questions
Design Verification
What is design verification?
Design verification is an independent check of an engineering design, carried out by a qualified design verifier who was not involved in creating it. The verifier confirms the design is safe and code compliant, that the correct materials have been specified, that no unsupportable assumptions or faulty logic have been applied, and that arithmetic errors have been found and corrected.
It is a compliance step, not a design review or a second opinion. The outcome is a design verification certificate.
Does my pressure equipment need design verification in New Zealand?
Pressure equipment, cranes and passenger ropeways used in New Zealand workplaces must be design verified under the Health and Safety in Employment (Pressure Equipment, Cranes and Passenger Ropeways) Regulations 1999, known as the PECPR Regulations. Design verification must be carried out by an accredited inspection body before the equipment can be manufactured, imported or brought into service.
If you are unsure whether your equipment falls within scope, contact us and we will tell you.
What equipment can Index Engineering design verify?
Index Engineering is accredited by IANZ as an Inspection Body for Design Verification in four areas:
Cranes
Pressure vessels
Pressure piping
Boilers
We are accredited to design verify pressure vessels and pressure piping across hazard levels A to E. Our current scope of accreditation is published on our Design Verification page.
What information do you need to design verify my equipment?
The information required depends on the equipment, its hazard level and the code it has been designed to. It typically includes design drawings, design calculations, material specifications and the relevant design certificates.
If you have not been through design verification before, talk to one of our engineers before you submit the job. We will explain exactly what is needed and can provide one of our checklists where appropriate. Incomplete submissions are the single most common cause of delay.
What is a Type C inspection body?
A Type C inspection body is an organisation that carries out both design work and design verification, and has satisfied IANZ that the two functions are adequately separated within the business. Index Engineering has been recognised as a Type C inspection body under Regulation 25 of the PECPR Regulations since 2010, and became accredited as an Inspection Body for Design Verification in 2011.
Can Index Engineering design verify a design that Index Engineering created?
Yes we can. We have separate design and design verification teams so that these two aspects remain independent, with assurance of impartiality.
What quality system do you work under?
We maintain a quality management system in accordance with ISO/IEC 17020:2012, the international standard for bodies performing inspection. The system is subject to annual internal audits and annual external audits by IANZ. Our accreditation is what allows our design verification certificates to be recognised under the PECPR Regulations.
Is there a minimum size of job you will take?
No. Our jobs range from a single certificate and a single drawing, potentially covering just one valve, right through to very large verifications involving multiple drawings and certificates. We have three design verifiers on the team, so we can scale to suit the job.
Our Services
What does Index Engineering do?
Index Engineering is a consulting mechanical engineering practice offering four main services:
Design review — producer statements, seismic and fatigue analysis, finite element analysis and fitness for service assessments
Technical support — maintenance and upgrade work, plant breakdown response, API tank inspections and rotating cylinder analysis
Mechanical design — concept, preliminary and detailed design, 3D modelling and simulation
Design verification — accredited inspection body for pressure equipment, pressure piping, boilers and cranes
What is a fitness for service assessment?
A fitness for service assessment determines whether existing equipment is safe to keep operating in its current condition. It considers the damage or degradation present, the operating conditions, and the applicable code, and gives the plant owner an engineering basis for deciding whether to continue running, repair, or replace it. We also carry out remaining life studies.
What is a design review statement, and can you provide one?
A design review statement is a written statement from a suitably qualified engineer confirming that work has been designed or reviewed in accordance with the relevant standards. Index Engineering provides design review statements and PN19 statements, supported by concise reports setting out what was assessed and on what basis.
Do you help with urgent plant breakdowns?
Yes. We respond to urgent plant breakdown issues and provide timely expert technical advice, including on site. Our engineers work regularly through shutdowns and start-ups, where the pressure is on and decisions need to be made quickly and correctly. Phone 07 350 2220 to talk to an engineer.
Do you carry out API 653 tank inspections?
Yes. Tom Knight is a certified API 653 Aboveground Storage Tank Inspector, so we can carry out tank inspections and advise on whether your tanks remain fit for purpose and meet the acceptance criteria of the relevant standards and codes. We handle both regular scheduled inspections and one-off assessments.
What is a kiln shell laser scan, and why would I need one?
A kiln shell laser measures deformation in rotary kilns, dryers and other slowly rotating large cylinders while they are running. It is contact free, so there is no need to shut down. It can be used as a spot check on individual cross sections or to measure a whole kiln across several measurements.
Regular measurement identifies deformation and misalignment early, which lets plant owners make informed decisions and avoid costly repairs.
Do you offer 3D scanning?
Yes. We operate a Leica BLK360 G1 portable imaging laser scanner, which captures photorealistic full dome scans. The LiDAR sensor captures 360,000 points per second and scans up to 60 metres. Because each new scan combines with scans we have already taken on site, we spend less time aligning data and more time producing useful deliverables.
What engineering software do you use?
Our team works in Solidworks and Solidworks Simulation, SMAP 3D, Microstran Pro, Bricscad, Autodesk Inventor, AutoPIPE Advanced, NozzlePro, AME Tank, Tank, COMPRESS, PV Elite, Mecway and Mathcad. Our designers also use Solidworks animation to illustrate a flow or action, and can produce models by 3D printing.
Working With Us
Where is Index Engineering based, and do you travel?
We are based at 1340 Hinemoa Street, Rotorua. We provide on-site technical support to clients throughout New Zealand, particularly in the pulp and paper, energy, wood processing and food and beverage sectors. Design verification and design work can be submitted from anywhere in the country.
What industries do you work with?
We work with clients who have significant investment in machinery and plant equipment, primarily in pulp and paper, forestry and wood processing, oil and gas, renewable energy, and food and beverage processing. We also welcome unusual problems and one-off innovative projects that do not fit a standard brief.
Are your engineers chartered?
Yes. Four of our team are Chartered Professional Engineers (CPEng), and our Managing Director Jan Snyman is a Fellow of Engineering New Zealand. We have three qualified design verifiers, and our two senior designers have more than 50 years of experience between them. Index Engineering is a member of Engineering New Zealand, ACENZ, HERASCNZ and APPITA.
How long has Index Engineering been operating?
Index Engineering was founded in Rotorua in 2010 by Jan and Ingrid Snyman, to address a gap in the design verification sector and to provide mechanical engineering services with a focus on quality. The name INDEX is an acronym for Industrial Design Excellence. We have been an accredited inspection body since 2011.
How do I get started or request a quote?
Phone 07 350 2220, email admin@indexengineering.co.nz, or use our contact form. For design verification work in particular, we recommend a short conversation first so we can confirm what information you will need to supply. That usually saves time on both sides.
We donate 1% of consulting fees to charity:
The foundation is working with urgency to preserve New Zealand’s most threatened indigenous flora and fauna, to save them from mass extinction. They fund and lead a diverse range of projects including: a backyard biodiversity movement, a network of plant breeders for threatened plants, 3D printing of NZ fairy tern eggs and awareness-raising about the threats to the Maui Dolphin.
KidsCan believes that education is a child’s ticket out of poverty. 1 in 5 kiwi kids are affected by poverty, and KidsCan partners with schools and early childhood centres across NZ to provide the essentials of food, clothing and health products to kids in need.
“I can vouch for the very real difference KidsCan makes for the children in our schools who live in poverty” – Principal
St John is at the frontline of medical response, providing ambulance services throughout New Zealand.
They are also part of a much broader picture of health care, through provision of first aid training, event medical services, AEDs (defibrillators), first aid kits and supplies, medical alarms, youth groups and a wide range of community programmes.
While STEM professionals are essential to driving major innovations and progress for New Zealand, NZ’s STEM education is currently in crisis, according to Engineering NZ. This means that investing in STEM education with the aim of inspiring the next generation into STEM careers is the right call!
The Wonder Project is a series of New Zealand curriculum-aligned and fun programmes for Year 5–13 students supported by volunteer STEM professionals, while the Valkyries and SAGE are local high school teams focussed on robotics and aquabots.
Let’s work together
Get in touch and find out how we can help with your project today