The National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors was established in 1919 to “formulate uniform qualification and examination requirements for boiler inspectors to be used by all states.” Its goal was to regulate safety and quality standards used for boilers and pressure vessels and to standardize them across state lines.

The first National Board law passed in Kansas in 1953. In May 1954, Superior Boiler, then known as Superior Boiler & Supply Co., began manufacturing a C-1 model boiler for Tomlinson Cleaners in Stafford, Kansas. On Oct. 7, 1954, the 2-pass steam boiler was issued a National Board No.1 registration number. Though it wasn’t the first boiler Superior had built, it was the first required to be registered to the National Board following the passage of the law in Kansas.

The 10-hp boiler had a small capacity compared to many boilers now but was an average-sized unit at the time. The boiler was welded, painted, tested, and then shipped in November 1954, six months from the receipt of the order. Lead times have drastically improved since then, from six months to 16 to 18 weeks for Superior’s Scotch Marine boilers.

The unit remained in operation for more than 40 years and was still in working order at the time Tomlinson Cleaners closed in the early 2000s. Following the company’s closure, the unit was returned home to Superior Boiler in Hutchinson, where it has remained as a key piece of Superior’s history.

Superior Boiler Issues National Board No. 20,000

Now, more than 68 years after its first National Board boiler shipped, Superior Boiler operations are still in full swing. The company has seen large growth, improvements, and continuous investment in research and development.

On Dec. 6, 2022, Superior Boiler issued National Board No.20,000 to a Wichita steam boiler. At more than 13 feet tall, 25 feet long, and 8 feet wide, the unit is large enough to fit the National Board No. 1 boiler inside its furnace.

The 2-pass wetback boiler features a 2,000-hp capacity and a design pressure of 200-psi steam. Sold by Mechanical Sales, one of Superior’s representatives, it will be delivered to a Midwest soybean processing facility. The customer will use the equipment to create process steam as it creates domestic, renewable energy for the biodiesel industry. The National Board No. 20,000 Wichita boiler will be paired with a twin boiler, a 3,300-gallon spray deaerator, and a blowdown separator to complete the customer’s boiler room.