How to choose the right fittings and pipes?

Today, all Stainless Steel Flanges Manufacturer offers in their different catalogue ranges of pipes and fittings: materials, sizes, colours. The combinations are almost endless!

How do you choose the right pipes and fittings for your application?

Barbed fittings and push-in fittings

There are two leading pneumatic connection technologies: the barbed fitting and the plug-in fitting.

On the barbed fitting, the hose is attached to the WP22 fittings from the inside. A socket is then screwed to hold the pipe pressed on the fitting. This solution requires pipes with a calibrated internal diameter. Widely used on older designs, this technology guarantees the best seal.

However, the time required to wire these fittings prompted most users to switch to the plug-in fitting, which is much faster to install and uninstall.

Choose the material

The first factor is to take into account when choosing the material of A234 WP91 fittings and pipes is the environment in which your pneumatic solution is integrated.

Many environments require the use of suitable materials. Here are the most common:

Welding area

A standard determines the different thresholds for protecting plastic materials against fire risks: the UL-94 standard.

It is recommended to use fireproof components that meet the UL-94 standard to prevent weld splashes from burning the carbon steel pipe fittings. In general, their special coating will be sufficient.

But for specific more critical applications, there are individual polyamide pipes, with two superimposed layers that guarantee the integrity of the pipe as well as the absence of leaks.

Food environment

Pneumatic technology is mainly present in food environments:

The use of waterproof components and the simplicity of wiring facilitate the installation of pneumatic components in these environments.

In this case, it is recommended - for fittings - to use corrosion-resistant materials, such as nickel-plated brass, or even Carbon Steel Flange for the most corrosive environments.

For even more extreme pressures and temperatures, Teflon or perfluoroalkoxy pipes, also approved by the FDA, will be the best solution.

The electrical and electronic environment

These environments are often subject to the presence of static electricity, which can disturb the operation of electro-pneumatic installations.

Some polyurethane pipes have the characteristic of being antistatic. By combining them with A234 WP11 fittings, it is more accessible to earth the installations for better protection.

Standard applications

For these environments without particular constraint, polyurethane, or even polyethylene pipes, are economical solutions adapted to applications without particular limitation.

Plastic fittings will also respond perfectly to this type of need.

Choose size

The following combinations are recommended for the size of pipes and stainless steel pipe fittings:

It is often recommended to mount the pipe diameter one size to increase the flow and make the cylinder faster.

There is free sizing software to define all the organs of the pneumatic chain: jacks, pipes, fittings, distributors, and air conditioning units to help you with the sizing of your installations.

Pipes and fittings, the essential components of installations, and sometimes also the most neglected, ultimately have a high impact on your productivity. The quality of the connectors ensures the longevity of the pneumatic installations and reduces the risk of leaks.