Best Practice: Tube Fittings
Best Practice: Tube Fittings
The Swagelok tube fitting is a sequential-phase, controlled-action sealing and gripping device. Superior design, rigid manufacturing tolerances, and strict quality assurance programs produce an all-metal sealing and holding device that performs leak-tight when properly installed.
How Tight Is Right?
Generally speaking, tubing is inserted into the completely assembled fitting until it bottoms against the shoulder of the fitting. From finger-tight, the nut is tightened 1 ¼ turns1. During this tightening, a number of different movements take place within the fitting in a preplanned sequence ensuring optimized tube grip, gas seal, and vibration resistance.
Swagelok’s tube fittings are developed with such stringent control over all variables that a gap inspection gauge can be used to ensure proper tightening when the fittings are first installed. On initial installation, the Swagelok gap inspection gauge assures the installer or inspector that the fitting has been sufficiently tightened.
1Swagelok tube fittings up to 1 inch - click here for full installation instructions
Can I Intermix/Interchange Tube Fitting Components?
Many manufacturers claim their products are interchangeable with other manufacturer’s tube fittings. Interchanging and intermixing components made by different manufacturers can result in unpredictable performance, environmental releases, safety problems, and increased cost.
This practice is unsound and can be dangerous in critical applications. No manufacturer can reliably, repeatedly, and uniformly replicate the products of another manufacturer.
Why?
- There is no industry-wide, third-party commercial design standard for tube fittings and components of the type Swagelok manufactures. Each manufacturer establishes and follows its own internal standards, meaning design differences are inevitable. Thus, an intermixed/interchanged tube fitting is a new design for which the user alone must assume complete responsibility.
- There is no effective validation testing for the intermixing/interchanging of different tube fitting designs. No testing can address the many component design, tolerance, and manufacturing process variables that are uncontrolled among two or more manufacturers.
- Some manufacturers “guarantee” an intermixed/interchanged tube fitting but do not provide any effective responsibility when poor performance occurs.
Do not mix and match components from different manufacturers
Access additional reference to tube fitting best practices, or learn more about the Swagelok Tube Fitting Advantage:
Swagelok Tube Fitters ManualSwagelok Tube Fitting Advantage