Safety First: Avoid Intermixing
Safety First: Industrial Fluid System Checklist
Safety First Topic:
Avoid Intermixing
Earlier in this blog series, we discussed the importance of design. In this post, we will discuss how the design of the components in a fluid system is critical, and can vary when you consider more than one manufacturer as the component design may vary in tolerance. The intermixing of these various components with different tolerances, may potentially be incompatible, and decrease the performance of the component.
In any fluid system a leak tight seal that can contain high pressure, vibration, vacuum, and temperature changes is critical—selecting tubing and fittings from the same reliable manufacturer can help eliminate some of that risk. The following should be kept in mind when contemplating intermixing:
- Each manufacturer follows its own standards and processes
- An intermixed / interchanged fitting is essentially a new, untested design
- Intermixing components would eliminate the CRN (Canadian Registration Number)
- Some manufacturers will "guarantee" an intermixed / interchanged tube fitting, but they will claim no effective responsibility or remedy when poor performance occurs
- The Swagelok Limited Lifetime Warranty will become void
In addition, a third party source conducted a series of tests demonstrating the risk of intermixing. Here's what they found:
”Experimental tests and finite element analysis has shown that the swaging and sealing mechanisms of fittings are different despite seeing geometric similarities. It was evident that no two companies produced components to the same dimensional or metallurgical specification and that pressure testing alone should not be used as the only means of validation.”
- Journal of Engineering Design, Vol. 10, No. 4, authored by Musa Mihseiin and Mike D. Seymour.
Intermixing Twin-Ferrule Tube Fittings - Is it Safe?
