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How to choose between buttweld and forged fittings
Buttweld and forged fittings both join pipe, but they suit different sizes, pressures and jobs. Here is how to pick the right one for your line.
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Engineering Guides
Long radius vs short radius elbows: which one should you specify?
Long radius elbows have a bend radius of 1.5D, short radius elbows 1D. Learn how that changes pressure drop, space and cost, and which to specify.
Materials & Standards
How to read the markings on a pipe fitting
Heat number, grade, size, schedule and standard: what each marking on a fitting means and how to check it against the certificate before you accept it.
Engineering Guides
Socket weld vs threaded forged fittings: choosing the right joint
Socket weld or threaded? Compare forged fittings to ASME B16.11 by pressure class, leak risk, inspection and service so you pick the right small bore joint.
Flanges
Flange facings explained: RF, FF and RTJ, and the gaskets that match
Raised face, flat face and ring type joint flanges each need a different gasket. Learn how to match facing, gasket and class so the joint seals first time.
Flanges
Flange types and when to use each one
Weld neck, slip-on, blind, socket weld, threaded and lap joint flanges compared: strengths, limits and where each earns its place in a piping system.
Materials & Standards
Carbon, stainless and alloy steel fittings: choosing the right grade
A234 WPB, A403 WP316L, A420 WPL6 and A234 WP11 or WP22: what each grade is for, and how to choose between them for temperature, corrosion and cost.
Materials & Standards
Pipe schedules explained and how to match fitting wall thickness
NPS, schedule, STD, XS and XXS decoded. Learn how ASME B36.10M and B36.19M set wall thickness and how to match fittings to pipe without a mismatch.
Materials & Standards
What an EN 10204 3.1 mill test certificate tells you
A 3.1 certificate links your fittings to a heat of steel. See what it contains, how it differs from 2.2 and 3.2, and how to check one before accepting material.
Hygienic & Instrumentation
Hygienic fittings for pharma and food: finish, standards and tri-clamp
Tri-clamp, DIN 11851 and 3-A fittings differ in connection and cleaning behaviour. Learn how surface finish, material and gaskets decide a hygienic design.
Hygienic & Instrumentation
Installing double ferrule compression fittings correctly
Prepare the tube, insert to the stop and tighten by turns. A step-by-step guide to leak-free double ferrule instrument fittings, plus common mistakes to avoid.
Engineering Guides
Choosing and specifying steel gratings for plant platforms
Bearing bar size, pitch, span, finish and fixing: a practical guide to specifying welded steel bar grating for platforms, walkways and trench covers.
Procurement
How to write a complete RFQ for fittings and flanges
The details that get you an accurate quote the first time: size, schedule, grade, standard, facing, certificates, quantity and delivery. A buyer checklist.