W.H. Tildesley Limited (WHT), the West Midlands based forged components company, has recently been awarded NORSOK M-650 accreditation by Aker Kvaerner E&T. The accreditation is a major accolade and testament to the precision and quality of WHT’s forgings.

NORSOK M-650 is the Norwegian standard for suppliers of special materials. This is a rigorous system by which equipment manufacturers have to qualify suppliers’ manufacturing processes to ensure components will always perform to specification in the demanding offshore environment. Essentially, it is a special accreditation awarded to a supplier by the customer – in this instance, Aker Kvaerner has awarded WHT.

This means that WHT’s closed-die forgings – including valve bodies, bonnets and fittings – can be used in North Sea offshore applications. WHT’s forgings have been approved in three separate materials: ASTM A182-F44, ASTM A182-F51 and ASTM A182-F55. WHT is now approved to manufacture all forged parts currently requiring NORSOK approval.

WHT Managing Director, John Tildesley, commented: “We are very pleased to have been awarded NORSOK approval, but even more so that approval has come from the recognised leader in this area – Aker Kvaerner. This accreditation adds another string to our bow and is further proof of the quality of our forgings and the dedication and hard work of the WHT team.”