API RP 687-2023 (2024) PDF

Full title and description

API Recommended Practice RP 687 — Special‑purpose Rotating Equipment Repairs (2nd Edition, 2023; includes Errata/Adjunct 2024). The document provides recommended practices for inspection, assessment, acceptance criteria and repair of special‑purpose rotating equipment assemblies and components — including rotors, bearings, couplings and related stationary components — used in petroleum, chemical and gas industry services.

Abstract

This recommended practice (2nd edition) consolidates comprehensive guidance for incoming inspection, shop inspection, repair selection and acceptance criteria for special‑purpose rotating equipment. It is organized into introductory and general chapters plus equipment‑specific chapters covering centrifugal and axial compressor rotors, steam turbine rotors, special‑purpose gears, expanders and positive‑displacement rotary rotors, and a chapter addressing stationary components. The guidance focuses on inspection methods, nondestructive examination (NDE), machining/repair limits, balancing and documentation required to return repaired items to service.

General information

• Status: Active / Current.
• Publication date: 2nd edition published October 2023 (document listing shows 17 Oct 2023 / 01 Oct 2023 depending on distributor); Errata/Adjunct issued early 2024 (Errata 1 / INC ERR 1:2024).
• Publisher: American Petroleum Institute (API).
• ICS / categories: Refining / Rotating equipment and machinery (API CRE committee — Section: Refining / Special‑purpose rotating equipment).
• Edition / version: 2nd Edition (2023), includes Errata/Adjunct 2024.
• Number of pages: ~671–672 pages (publisher/distributor listings vary by format).

Scope

Provides recommended practices for inspection and repair of special‑purpose rotating equipment assemblies and components used in petroleum, chemical and gas industry service. The document addresses incoming (owner) inspections, shop inspections, acceptance criteria, repair methods, tolerances, balancing and documentation; it does not cover removal or reinstallation of complete equipment assemblies (removal/reinstallation guidance is outside the RP scope). The RP is intended to be used with related API equipment standards (e.g., API 612, 613, 617, 619, 671) for equipment manufactured to those requirements.

Key topics and requirements

• Incoming inspection and acceptance criteria for rotors and stationary components (recommended inspection checkpoints and measurement methods).
• Shop inspection processes and recommended non‑destructive examination (NDE) techniques and limits.
• Repairability criteria, machining and material repair limits, and when to reject or replace components.
• Rotor dynamics considerations: balancing, allowable runout, tolerances and coupling alignment guidance.
• Equipment‑specific procedures and tolerances organized by chapter (centrifugal compressors, axial compressors, steam turbines, gears, expanders, rotary screw compressors).
• Stationary component inspection and repair guidance (seals, housings, casings, fits and fasteners).
• Documentation and reporting: recommended repair documentation, traceability and owner/repair‑shop responsibilities.
• Guidance for selection and qualification of repair shops and for safe return‑to‑service procedures.

Typical use and users

Used by owner/operators, rotating‑equipment engineers, maintenance and reliability teams, repair shop managers, NDE/inspection contractors, and procurement/specification authors. It supports creation of repair scopes, shop work orders, acceptance criteria for repairs, and technical audits of repair vendors. Facilities with special‑purpose turbomachinery (refineries, petrochemical plants, gas processing plants, FCCU power recovery units and similar) typically apply this RP.

Related standards

Closely related API standards and publications include (but are not limited to) API 612 (Special Purpose Steam Turbines), API 613 (Special Purpose Gears), API 617 (Axial and Centrifugal Compressors and Expander‑Compressors), API 619 (Rotary‑Type Positive‑Displacement Compressors), API 671 (Special Purpose Couplings) and other rotating‑equipment and machinery standards; RP 697 (Pump Repair) is complementary for pump repair guidance. Use of RP 687 in conjunction with the applicable equipment API standard is recommended.

Keywords

rotor repair, rotating equipment, special‑purpose turbines, compressor rotors, expander repair, positive displacement compressors, bearings, couplings, shop inspection, NDE, repair acceptance criteria, balancing, API RP 687.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: API RP 687 is an API Recommended Practice titled "Special‑purpose Rotating Equipment Repairs" (2nd Edition, 2023) that gives recommended practices for inspection and repair of rotors, bearings, couplings and stationary components used in petroleum, chemical and gas industry services.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers incoming and shop inspections, NDE recommendations, repairability and machining limits, balancing and rotor dynamics considerations, documentation of repairs, repair‑shop selection guidance and equipment‑specific repair chapters (centrifugal and axial compressor rotors, steam turbines, gears, expanders, rotary screw compressors and stationary components). It generally does not cover removal or reinstallation of complete assemblies.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Owner/operators, rotating‑equipment engineers, maintenance and reliability teams, repair shops, NDE inspectors and procurement/spec writers at refineries, petrochemical facilities, gas plants and other sites that operate special‑purpose turbomachinery.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: The 2nd edition (2023) is the current edition. An Errata/Adjunct (Errata 1 / INC ERR 1:2024) was issued in early 2024; users should apply the errata alongside the 2023 edition.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: It is part of API's rotating‑equipment and refining machinery family of documents and is intended to be used with related API equipment standards (API 612, 613, 617, 619, 671, etc.). It complements other repair RPs such as RP 697 (pump repair) and RP 698 (reciprocating compressor repairs).

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: rotor repair, rotating equipment, bearings, couplings, compressor rotors, turbine rotors, NDE, shop inspection, repair limits, balancing, API RP 687.