It's important to know what to look for in tubing quality and we have you covered with our checklist below. Still looking for more information on tubing, download our Tubing Data PDF.
There are 5 main parts to a tube fitting connection. Nut, back ferrule, front ferrule, and fitting body are all parts that are manufactured to exacting tolerances and standards at Swagelok. The fifth component, that Swagelok as a manufacturer has no control over, is the tubing.
There are a number of standards that apply to tubing depending on material, but we will focus on the stainless steel specs as this makes up the bulk of what we see being used in northern Alberta.
ASTM sets a number of standards for tubing, so when you get your tubing, it is always a good practice to check the lay line on the tubing for the ASTM standard to which it is manufactured. It should be printed on the tube, along with the heat number for the tubing.
For stainless steel tubing, ASTM A269 or A213 are common grades. A269 refers back to ASTM A1016 General Requirements, which gives us the following information:
Even with the ASTM specs, there is a lack of standards and there can be variations in the quality of the tubing that you get. Tubing quality really does depend on the integrity and quality consciousness of the tubing supplier.
Before installing any piece of tubing into a Swagelok fitting, the installer should take a moment to take a look at the following items:
If you have any questions about the quality of the tubing you are using, please contact your local Swagelok supplier. Edmonton Valve has a number of tools that we can use to help improve the overall quality of your tube fitting connections.
For even more information, the Swagelok Tubing Data Sheet has lots of great information and pressure ratings for most common types of tubing.
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