Product tools · Manufacturing stage
BetaMaterial certificate review: check MTRs against the purchase requirements
The Material Certificate Review reads material test certificates and checks each one against the purchase requirements, material specification and bill of materials. It verifies grade, heat number, chemical composition, mechanical tests, heat treatment, supplementary tests and EN 10204 certificate type. Quality engineers and buyers get cited conflicts and omissions per certificate.
Material Certificate Review is in beta. Request access and we onboard each team ourselves: we run your first real documents with you and check the results together.
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What goes in and what you get out
What goes in
- Certificate PDFs (required, several files)
- Purchase requirements (optional)
- Material specification (optional)
- BOM or material list (optional)
What it checks
- Verify chemical composition
- Verify mechanical properties
- Verify heat treatment
- Verify certificate type (EN 10204)
What you get out
- An inventory of every certificate and heat number read
- Certificate-level findings for each required property, with the certificate value and the requirement quoted
- Conflicts such as wrong certificate type, out-of-range results, missing heat treatment or a grade that differs from the BOM
- CSV or JSON export for your incoming inspection records
Who uses it: Quality engineers, Incoming inspection, Buyers and purchasing, Project managers.
20 questions about the Material Certificate Review
What is a material test certificate (MTC or MTR)?
A material test certificate, also called a mill test certificate or material test report, is the document a mill, foundry or forge issues with material. It identifies the material by grade, standard and heat or batch number, and reports the chemical analysis, mechanical test results and heat treatment. It is the main evidence that the material supplied meets the order.
What is the difference between EN 10204 3.1 and 3.2?
Both are inspection certificates with specific test results for the delivered material. A 3.1 certificate is validated by the manufacturer's authorised inspection representative, who is independent of production. A 3.2 certificate is validated by that representative and also by the purchaser's representative or an inspector named in official regulations. The tests can be the same; who signs is the difference.
What are EN 10204 2.1 and 2.2 certificates?
Type 2.1 is a declaration of compliance with the order, with no test results. Type 2.2 is a test report with non-specific results, meaning typical results from the producer's routine testing rather than tests on the delivered material. Neither is normally accepted where an order asks for 3.1. A 2.2 supplied against a 3.1 requirement is a common finding.
What is a heat number?
A heat number identifies one melt or cast of metal at the mill. Every piece made from that heat shares its chemistry, and the certificate reports results for that heat or a test unit from it. The heat number is marked on the material and printed on the certificate. Matching the two is how you prove a part is covered by a certificate.
What does the Material Certificate Review check?
It reads every certificate and lists its heat numbers. Then it checks each one against the requirements: grade and standard, heat identity, chemical composition, mechanical properties, heat treatment, supplementary tests and the EN 10204 certificate type. Each finding quotes the certificate value and the requirement. It reports conflicts and omissions certificate by certificate.
Which documents do I upload to the Material Certificate Review?
The certificate PDFs are required, and you can upload many at once. To check them against your order, add the purchase requirements, the material specification and the bill of materials or material list. Without requirements, the tool can still read and list the certificates, but it has less to compare them against. It reads PDF, Word, Excel and CSV files.
How do you review a material certificate by hand?
Check that the certificate names the right grade, standard and certificate type. Match the heat number to the material. Then compare each chemical element and each mechanical result with the limits in the standard and the order. Check heat treatment and any extra tests the order asks for. Finally, check the signature. It takes time per certificate, and errors creep in.
What are the most common problems on material certificates?
Common ones are a 2.2 test report where the order asks for 3.1, a chemistry or strength value outside the limits, missing heat treatment, and missing impact test results. Others are a heat number with transposed digits, a grade that differs from the bill of materials, and a supplementary test the order asks for that the certificate does not report.
What is carbon equivalent on a material certificate?
Carbon equivalent (CE) is a single number that combines carbon with other alloying elements to show how hard a steel is to weld. A common formula, the IIW formula, is C + Mn/6 + (Cr + Mo + V)/5 + (Ni + Cu)/15. Many specifications set a maximum CE for welded parts. The certificate may state it, or you work it out from the chemistry.
How are Charpy impact results checked?
A Charpy test usually uses a set of three specimens at a stated temperature. Specifications often set two limits: a minimum average for the set and a minimum for any single specimen. A certificate can pass on the average and still fail on one specimen. Check the test temperature too, because results at the wrong temperature do not meet the requirement.
What are supplementary requirements on material?
They are tests or limits the order adds beyond the base material standard. Examples are impact tests at a set temperature, hardness limits, extra chemistry limits or specific heat treatment. The certificate must show each one. A certificate can fully meet the material standard and still miss a supplementary requirement, which is why checking against the order matters.
What does an inspector expect to see on a material certificate?
An inspector expects a clear link to the material: grade, standard, heat or batch number and dimensions. They expect results for every test the standard and the order require, the heat treatment, the certificate type, and a valid signature. For a 3.2 certificate, they expect the second validation by the purchaser's or a named inspector.
Can the tool check certificates against the bill of materials?
Yes, if you upload the bill of materials or material list. It compares the grade on each certificate with the grade the BOM calls for, and flags a mismatch. This catches material that meets its own standard but is the wrong material for the part. To check that each part is covered by a certificate, use the Material Traceability Check.
Why check material certificates before manufacturing starts?
Problems are cheapest to fix before the material is cut, machined or welded. A wrong certificate type can often be fixed by asking the mill for a new certificate. Material that fails the order may need to be replaced. Found at final inspection or in the record book, the same problem can delay shipment or mean rework.
What do I get back from the Material Certificate Review?
You get a list of the certificates and heat numbers read, and findings for each certificate. Each finding says which property was checked, the value on the certificate and the requirement, with a quote from each. Conflicts and omissions are listed per certificate. You can export the results as CSV or JSON for your incoming inspection records.
Does the tool accept or reject material?
No. It prepares evidence for your quality engineer, who decides whether material is accepted, held or rejected. It does not sign anything or issue a nonconformance report. Treat the findings as a careful first check that shows the exact values and clauses behind each point, not as a final release of the material.
What are the limits of the Material Certificate Review?
It only checks against the requirements you upload. If a limit sits in a document you did not include, it cannot be checked. Results depend on how legible the certificates are, so a poor scan may need a manual check. It does not test material or confirm that a certificate is genuine. The tool is in beta, so we review each team's first runs with them.
Who uses the Material Certificate Review?
Quality engineers and incoming inspection staff use it to check certificates when material arrives. Buyers use it to raise problems with the supplier quickly. Project managers use it to see whether material issues could hold up production. It suits teams that receive many certificates per order and check each one against the same requirements.
Is the Material Certificate Review available now?
The Material Certificate Review is in beta. You can request access, and we onboard each team ourselves: we agree a real set of certificates and purchase requirements to start with, run them with you, and check the results together. That way you see how it handles your suppliers' formats before you rely on it. Document Review, our production tool, is generally available.
Which tools come before and after the Material Certificate Review?
Before it, the VDRL/MDR Tracker lists the certificates and other documents the order requires. After it, the Material Traceability Check links each certificate to parts, welds and final equipment tags, and reports any break in that chain. Together they show that the right material was used in the right place.
Where it sits in the order lifecycle
Related standards, guides and templates
Try the Material Certificate Review on your own documents
Tell us which documents you want to check first. We set up your workspace and run the first package with you.