As-Built Documentation
The final set of drawings and records that reflects the equipment exactly as it was built — including any field changes from the design.
As-Built documentation is delivered alongside or as part of the MDB at handover. It captures any deviation between the original design and the final installed configuration. In construction and infrastructure projects, as-built drawings are sometimes the only deliverable expected; in fabrication, they form one chapter of a larger Quality Dossier.
ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers)
The U.S. professional body whose code is the global reference for pressure equipment and piping construction.
ASME publishes the Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (BPVC), of which Section VIII Div. 1 and Div. 2 govern unfired pressure vessels, and Sections IX (welding) and V (NDT) are referenced throughout MDBs. ASME B31.3 is the standard for process piping.
Bookmark (PDF)
A navigable entry in a PDF's table of contents, typically auto-generated by an MDB platform from the chapter structure.
Bookmarks are not optional in a professional MDB — clients expect to navigate a 500-page book by chapter from the first page. Manual bookmarking in Adobe Acrobat is one of the most time-consuming MDB-assembly tasks; server-side assembly removes it entirely.
CE Marking
The European conformity mark indicating a product complies with all applicable EU directives.
CE marking is required for many industrial products placed on the EU market — including pressure equipment under PED 2014/68/EU and steel structures under EN 1090. The mark is supported by a Declaration of Conformity and the underlying Technical Dossier.
Declaration of Conformity (DoC)
A signed declaration by the manufacturer that the product complies with all applicable EU directives.
The DoC is a short legal document — typically one page — but it is backed by the entire Technical Dossier and underlying Quality Dossier. The signing party assumes legal responsibility for compliance.
EN 1090
European standard for the execution of steel and aluminium structures, with execution classes EXC1 through EXC4.
EN 1090-2 defines the technical requirements for steel structures, including welding, NDT, dimensional tolerances and corrosion protection. The execution class drives the required documentation depth — EXC4 (highest) demands far more evidence in the Quality Dossier than EXC1.
FAT (Factory Acceptance Test)
A formal test conducted at the manufacturer's facility — usually witnessed by the customer or a third-party inspector — to verify the equipment meets specification before shipment.
The FAT report is one of the most scrutinised documents in any Vendor Data Book. It typically gates ship-release and the corresponding payment milestone. A SAT (Site Acceptance Test) may be performed later at the installation site.
Final Documentation Package
The agreed set of final documents delivered at equipment handover or project close-out.
Depending on the contract, this package can include the manufacturing record book, as-built drawings, inspection and test reports, certificates and operating manuals. Its scope, required revisions and submission format follow the project document requirements; it is not a universal fixed list.
Handover Documentation
The documents and records transferred to the client or operator when equipment or a project is handed over.
This can combine fabrication evidence with the information needed to commission, operate and maintain the equipment. An MDB may form part of the handover documentation, alongside as-built drawings and IOM manuals. The contract defines the required contents and acceptance process.
IFR / IFA / Approved
The standard three-step revision flow for documents in industrial projects: Issued for Review → Issued for Approval → Approved.
Each transition between IFR, IFA and Approved typically involves customer comments, supplier responses, and a revision letter increment (Rev. A → B → C). A capable MDB platform tracks each revision separately and preserves the audit trail of every comment.
Inspection Record Book (IRB)
A project-specific label for a compiled set of inspection and test records.
Where a customer uses this label, confirm its meaning in the purchase order or documentation specification. The book may collect completed inspection sheets, test reports and release records against the inspection and test plan. Do not assume that an IRB includes the full scope of an MDB or that the abbreviation is used consistently across industries.
IOM Manual (Installation, Operation, Maintenance)
The manual delivered with equipment that explains installation, normal operation, troubleshooting and maintenance procedures.
The IOM is part of nearly every Vendor Data Book and a contractually required deliverable in most EPC contracts. Operators rely on it for training, commissioning and the equipment's entire operational life.
ISO 9001
The international standard for Quality Management Systems, the foundation underneath most engineering Quality Dossiers.
ISO 9001 does not prescribe the contents of a Quality Dossier directly, but its requirements for documented information (clause 7.5), externally provided processes (8.4), and release of products (8.6) are what give the dossier its structural shape.
ITP (Inspection & Test Plan)
A document defining the sequence of inspections and tests, who performs them, who witnesses, and what acceptance criteria apply.
The ITP is one of the foundational documents in any quality system — it links the contract specification to the actual inspections that will be performed. A well-built ITP becomes the spine of the MDB index, with each line corresponding to a section in the final dossier.
MDB (Manufacturing Data Book)
The complete quality documentation package handed over with a fabricated industrial deliverable.
MDB is the dominant term in European pressure equipment and engineering. Synonyms include MRB (oil & gas), Quality Dossier (general European), Vendor Data Book (EPC supply chain), and Final Documentation Package (project close-out language).
MRB (Manufacturing Record Book)
The oil & gas / offshore / EPC term for what European engineering calls a Manufacturing Data Book.
MRB is the dominant terminology in projects led by EPC contractors such as TechnipFMC, Saipem, Subsea7, Aker Solutions and Wood. The contents are structurally identical to an MDB; the labelling and transmittal conventions differ.
MTR (Material Test Report)
The certificate produced by a steel mill or material producer that documents the chemical, mechanical and dimensional properties of a material batch.
MTRs are typically certified to EN 10204 grade 3.1 (for materials produced under inspection by mill personnel independent of production) or 3.2 (with additional witness by a notified body or customer). MTRs are routinely the largest single category by page count in an MDB.
NDT / NDE (Non-Destructive Testing / Examination)
Examination methods that detect defects without damaging the inspected item — radiography, ultrasonic, dye-penetrant, magnetic-particle, eddy-current.
NDT reports document the methods used, the equipment, the technician's certification, and the findings. NDT is one of the most heavily regulated and code-referenced categories in an MDB.
NORSOK
The Norwegian petroleum industry's standards for offshore and oil & gas equipment.
NORSOK M-101 governs structural steel fabrication, M-630 covers material data sheets for piping, and M-650 specifies qualification requirements for manufacturers of special materials. NORSOK is mandatory on Norwegian Continental Shelf projects and widely referenced internationally.
PED (Pressure Equipment Directive 2014/68/EU)
The EU directive that governs the design, manufacture and conformity assessment of pressure equipment.
PED requires that all pressure equipment placed on the EU market comply with essential safety requirements and be supported by a Technical Dossier. The categorisation of equipment into hazard categories (I to IV) drives the required conformity assessment module and the involvement of a notified body.
PQR (Procedure Qualification Record)
A record demonstrating that a specific welding procedure (WPS) actually produces welds meeting the code requirements.
A PQR is created by welding a test coupon under controlled conditions, then performing the destructive and non-destructive tests required by the code. The PQR validates the WPS; the WPS in turn governs production welding.
Quality Data Package (QDP)
A collection of records submitted to demonstrate that supplied equipment or parts meet specified quality requirements.
Purchase-order requirements determine the contents. Examples include inspection results, material certificates, manufacturing records, test reports and certificates of conformity. A QDP may cover a specific part, batch or shipment; it does not necessarily include every drawing or manual in a complete handover dossier.
Quality Dossier
The general European term for a structured documentation package demonstrating conformity to contract and standards.
Quality Dossier is broader in scope and language than MDB or MRB; it is rooted in the supplier's ISO 9001 quality management system and may cover an entire project rather than a single piece of equipment.
Technical Dossier
A structured collection of technical evidence about a product's design, manufacture and conformity.
Its meaning depends on the product and the applicable requirements. A regulatory technical file can include design drawings, calculations, risk assessments and test evidence, and is not automatically the same package delivered to the customer as an MDB. Confirm which documents must be retained and which must be supplied for the specific equipment and contract.
Transmittal
A cover document accompanying every formal document delivery between supplier and customer, listing what is being delivered and at which revision.
Transmittals are the audit trail of document delivery in EPC projects. They are tracked, numbered, and matched against the VDR (Vendor Document Requirements list). A modern MDB platform generates transmittals automatically from the data.
VDB (Vendor Data Book)
The documentation package delivered by an equipment supplier to its EPC customer or end-user.
VDB is the supplier-side counterpart to the EPC's MRB. Its contents are defined by the contract's VDR (Vendor Document Requirements list) and typically include data sheets, drawings, certificates, FAT reports, IOM manuals and a Declaration of Conformity.
VDR (Vendor Document Requirements list)
The structured list of documents an EPC contractor requires from each supplier, attached to the Material Requisition and Purchase Order.
The VDR specifies which documents must be delivered, in which revision sequence, by which milestone, and in which format. It is the supplier Document Controller's primary working document throughout an EPC project.
WPS (Welding Procedure Specification)
A formal document specifying how a particular weld is to be made — material, process, parameters, filler, position, preheat, post-weld heat treatment.
Every production weld in a regulated environment must be made in accordance with a qualified WPS. The WPS is supported by a PQR that proves it produces sound welds under the applicable code (ASME IX, ISO 15614, EN 15614).
Frequently confused terms.
What is the difference between an MDB and an MRB?
An MDB (Manufacturing Data Book) and an MRB (Manufacturing Record Book) are the same deliverable under different names. 'MRB' is the term used in oil & gas and offshore, especially by EPC contractors and under NORSOK; 'MDB' is used more broadly across pressure equipment, structural steel and general fabrication. Both compile the same categories — materials, welding, NDT, testing, drawings and certificates — into one structured dossier handed over at completion.
What is the difference between an MDB and a Vendor Data Book (VDB)?
It comes down to scope. A Vendor Data Book (VDB) is the documentation a single supplier delivers for their equipment, while a Manufacturing Data Book (MDB) is the project-level book the contractor compiles — often by gathering several suppliers' VDBs and adding their own records. Many VDBs flow upward into one MDB (or MRB) for the client.
Is a Quality Dossier the same as an MDB?
Largely, yes. 'Quality Dossier' is a broader European term for the compiled evidence that a product was built to specification. In practice a Quality Dossier and a Manufacturing Data Book contain the same kinds of documents; 'MDB' tends to be used for a specific fabrication or equipment deliverable, while 'Quality Dossier' is used more generally across manufacturing and CE-marking contexts.
What does ITP stand for, and how does it relate to an MDB?
ITP stands for Inspection and Test Plan — the document that defines which inspections and tests happen at which stage of fabrication, and who witnesses or holds each point. The ITP is effectively the plan; the MDB is the evidence that the plan was followed. Each completed inspection or test in the ITP produces a record (a certificate or report) that is collected into the corresponding chapter of the Manufacturing Data Book.