Pipe Fittings Dimensions & Material

Wrought Pipe Fitting dimensions are always in line with connecting pipe dimensions.

• Pipe Fittings are sized with respect to pipe size. In Nominal pipe size (NPS) & also as a Diameter nominal (DN)
• Thicknesses are marked in schedule no. Fittings generally have a higher thickness than the pipe to avoid any rejection due to thickness reduction during manufacturing. To avoid mismatch of fittings ID to pipe ID, manufacturer bevel the inside edge of fittings.

Forged Pipe Fittings are classified based on its pressure-temperature class

• Socket weld & Threaded end fittings are available from NPS 1/8” to 4” size
• Forged Fittings are available in following pressure-temperature rating class
  • 2000 (Only Threaded Fittings)
  • 3000 & 6000 (for both types)
  • 9000 (Only Socket Weld Fittings)

The standards used to check Dimensions of Pipe Fittings

• For Wrought Product (WP) Dimension is covered in
  • ASME B16.9- which is standard for Factory-made Wrought Butt-welding Fittings for size NPS 1⁄₂ to NPS 48” and
  • And B16.28- which is standard for Wrought Steel Butt-Welding Short Radius Elbows and Returns for size NPS 1⁄₂ to NPS 24”
• For Forged Fittings Dimension are covered in
  • ASME B16.11- a standard for Forged Steel Fittings that covers Socket Welding and Threaded fittings

What to Check During Fittings Dimension Inspection?

Following to be confirmed during inspection of pipe fitting dimensions

• Diameter
• Length
• Thickness schedule no
• Straightness & perpendicularity of the fittings ends
• Degree of elbows & bends
• And Concentricity of reducer

Check the following pages for the Pipe Fitting Dimensions and Tolerance

• Pipe Elbow Dimensions (Long Radius and Short Radius Elbow)
• Long Radius Return Dimensions (Long Radius Pipe Bends)
• Pipe Tee Dimensions
• Concentric Reducer Dimensions and Eccentric Reducer Dimensions
• Stub End Dimensions
• Pipe Coupling Dimensions

Fitting Materials

Fittings are always connected with pipe hence, Chemical and Mechanical property of these materials to match with pipe material

• Fittings are manufactured in different material grade to match pipe material such as carbon steel, alloy steel, stainless steel and exotic material such as titanium, copper alloy etc.
• ASME B16.9;16.28 provides list of material used to manufactured wrought fittings
• ASME B16.34 Provides list of material used to manufactured forged fittings as per ASME B16.11
  • ASME B16.9 is standard for – Factory-Made Wrought Buttwelding Fittings & ASME B16.28 is standard for – Butt-Welded Short Radius Elbows & Returns Bends
  • ASME B16.11 is standard for – Forged steel socket welding & threaded fittings which refer another ASME standard for material which is standard for ASME B16.34 Flanged, Threaded, And Welding End Valves

Material grade shall be prefixed with WP if fittings are made as per ASME B16.9 & B16.28

• Commonly used material grades for wrought fittings are listed here
• For Carbon Steel:- ASTM A234Gr.WPA/B, ASTM A420 Gr.WPL6
• For Alloy Steel:- ASTM A234 WP1 /WP5 /WP7 /WP9 /WP11 /WP12 /WP22
• And for Stainless Steel:- ASTM A403 WP304 /WP304L /WP304H /WP316 / WP316L/ WP321/ WP347

Pipe Fittings Manufacturing Process

There are various Pipe Fittings Manufacturing Process that used to manufactured Elbow, Tee, Reducers and other pipe fittings.

Fittings are manufactured from Seamless Pipe and from Welded Pipe with filler material (ERW & EFW pipes cannot be used to manufactured fittings). large diameter fittings are manufactured from Plate.

To manufactured wrought fitting various methods are used, these are the different type of Hot and cold forming process.

These methods are

• Hot forming or Extrusion Method
• Hydraulic Bulge method – Cold forming
• UO or Single weld seam Method
• Monaka or Double weld seam Method
• Deep Drawing Method for caps
• Flare Method for Stub ends

ELBOWS Manufacturing Process:

Mandrel method (Hot Forming)

• One of the most common Pipe Fittings Manufacturing Process for manufacturing Elbows from the pipe is mandrel method which is kind of hot forming methods.
• In this method, the pipe is cut in pieces and push with the help of hydraulic ram. Induction heating coil heats the pipe and, it is pushed over a die called “mandrel” which allows the pipe to expand and bend simultaneously.
• This method can be used to manufacture a wide range of the diameter of elbows

ELBOWS Mandrel method

Extrusion Method

In cold Extrusion method, a pipe with the same diameter as finished product is pushed through a die and formed into its desired shape. Usually applied to stainless steel small to medium sizes elbows.

Extrusion Method

UO Method

UO method is used to manufacture medium size of the elbow, tee, and reducers. The plate is cut out into a specially designed shape, it is formed first into a U-shape using a die and then into an O-shape or tubular form using another die, that is why this method is known as UO method. Once the fittings formed in tumbler shaped it is welded from inside and outside of the closing seam. A cut plate is 1st from in U shape and then in O shape.

UO Method

Hot Forming Method

In a Hot Forming Die Bending method, a Pipe is heated to forming temperature & formed in the die with the specific shape, this process may be repeated as needed to obtain the required shape, size and wall thickness. Usually applied to thick-wall items that cannot be bent on a mandrel die.

Hot Forming method for Elbow Manufacturing

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TEE Manufacturing Process:

Hydraulic Bulge Method

Hydraulic Bulge method is used to manufacture Tee. Cut piece of Pipe is placed in hydraulic die and liquid is fill inside the pipe, Hydraulic pressure pushes out the branch, in the fixed opening in the die. This method gives the good surface finish. However, higher thickness Tee cannot be manufactured by this method.

Hydraulic Bulge Method for Tee Manufacturing

Hot Extrusion Method

Tee with large diameters, heavy wall thickness and /or special material with challenging workability that cannot be manufactured using the hydraulic bulge method are manufactured using hot Extrusion Method. In hot Extrusion Method, Normally Bigger diameter pipe is used than the finished product size, the branch outlet is extruded from the pipe with help of extrusion tool. Other dimensions of body and branch can also be adjusted by pressing the die if required.

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Reducer Manufacturing Process:

Outer Die Method

Most common method for manufacturing Reducers is Outer Die method. The pipe is cut and pressed in the outer die; compressing the one end of the pipe into a smaller size. This method is useful for manufacturing of small to medium size of reducers.

Outer Die Method

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Cap Manufacturing Process:

Deep Drawing Method

CAPS are manufactured by Deep Drawing method. In this method, Plate is cut out in a circle and formed by deep drawing die.

Deep Drawing Method

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Stubend Manufacturing Process:

Flaring Method

Stub Ends or Lap Joints Flange are manufactured by flaring method. Pipe end is a flare or spared out to form flange face. Stub ends are also manufactured by forging in which forge block are machined to final dimension.

Fitting Heat Treatment
Hot finished pipe fittings do not require heat treatment, however, for Cold finished pipe fittings Heat treatment is required as per applicable ASTM standard.

Common Heat Treatment for Fittings are

• Normalizing
• Quenching
• Tempering
• Solution Annealing
• Stress relieving
• And Combination of above

What is the manufacturing process of ASTM A234 WPB pipe fittings?

The WPB is not short hand for any process. It is simply an identifier developed by ASTM. The fittings in question are manufactured in the same manner as the companion pipe for this specification.

ASTM A234 WPB pipe fittings

In very large sizes, the fittings may be manufactured in pieces and welded together as is the case for many large fittings.

The term used for the manufacturing is called “wrought” which means it is worked as opposed to being cast or forged.

As to the W standing for weldable, I’m not sure that is correct since that are many, many pipe fittings that are weldable but carry designations other than a W. Note the reference below.

Forging is the manufacturing process of ASTM A234 WPB pipe fittings.

W = WELDABLE / wrought
P = RELATED TO P NUMBER OF ALLOY MATERIAL
B = REFER TO MINIMUM YIELD OF MATERIAL

LATEST STANDARD IS:

ASTM A234/A234M-07
Standard Specification for Piping Fittings of Wrought Carbon Steel and Alloy Steel for Moderate and High Temperature Service

This standard covers wrought carbon steel fittings of seamless and welded construction which are manufactured to the dimensional specifications of ASME B16.9 and B16.28. These fittings are primarily for use in pressure piping and in pressure vessel fabrication for service at moderate and elevated temperatures.

MSS SP75 WPHY 60 Pipe Fitting

Presenting a wide range of precisely engineered range of MSS SP75 WPHY 60 Pipe Fitting. Fabricated from superior quality raw material, our MSS SP75 WPHY 60 Pipe Fitting are ideal for multiple connections of pipes.

MSS SP75 WPHY 60 Elbows

These products find applications in sugar mills & distilleries, pumps & petrochemicals, cement and construction industries. Fabricated using premium quality raw material, these fittings are highly durable, robustly constructed, and perfectly finished. These are available in variety of sizes and dimensions as per varied requirements of clients.

We manufacture this MSS SP75 WPHY 60 Pipe Fittings in the following form.

• MSS SP75 WPHY 60 Elbow
• MSS SP75 WPHY 60 Tee
• MSS SP75 WPHY 60 Cap
• MSS SP75 WPHY 60 Reducer

MSS SP75 WPHY 46 Pipe Fitting

Sunny Steel manufactures and export high quality MSS SP75 WPHY 46 Pipe Fitting which are used as pipes & fittings in several petrochemical or other commercial industries. We trade this MSS SP75 WPHY 46 Pipe Fitting after complete quality and performance measure inspection.

MSS SP75 WPHY 46 Tee

Specially sourced from the trusted and certified manufacturers, this MSS SP75 WPHY 46 Pipe Fitting is highly recommended for superior quality, high performance and durability.

We Supplier & Manufacture this MSS SP75 WPHY 46 Pipe Fittings in the following form.

• MSS SP75 WPHY 46 Elbow
• MSS SP75 WPHY 46 Tee
• MSS SP75 WPHY 46 Cap
• MSS SP75 WPHY 46 Reducer

MSS SP-97

MSS SP-97 Standard Practice covers essential dimensions, finish, tolerances, testing, marking, material, and minimum strength requirements for 90 degree integrally reinforced forged branch outlet fittings of buttwelding, socket welding, and threaded types. Integrally Reinforced Forged Branch Outlet Fittings – Socket Welding, Threaded, and Buttwelding Ends.

Pipe fittings Buttwelding Ends

Fittings manufactured to this Standard Practice are designed to make a fully reinforced branch connection in accordance with applicable piping code requirements, when attached, at an opening in a run pipe by means of a full penetration weld.

Fittings may be made to special dimensions, size, shape, tolerances, or of other wrought material by agreement between the manufacturer and the purchaser.

MSS

MSS(Manufacturers Standardization Society) is the only organization in the world dedicated exclusively to the technical needs of the valve and fittings industry. Standards and codes are written and revised by 25 technical committees and address topics such as valves, valve actuators, pipe fittings, flanges, and pipe hangers.

ASTM A420 Standard Specification

ASTM A420/A420M-07 Standard Specification for Piping Fittings of Wrought Carbon Steel and Alloy Steel for Low-Temperature Service. ASTM A420 WPL6 Grade is associated with ASTM A420 for pipe fittings manufactured of Wrought Carbon Steel. WPL6 is a normalized grade of carbon steel that has been Charpy Impact tested at -50 degree F for use in low temperature service. See Also ASTM A333 Grades 1 and 6 (for pipe) and A350 LF2 for flanges.

ASTM A420 WPL6 Elbow after complete quality and performance measure inspection. These are widely appreciated for excellent quality, corrosion abrasion and high tensile strength with long life service.

Materials shall consist of forgings, bars, plates, seamless or fusion welded tubular products with filler metal added, and shall be produced by open-hearth, basic-oxygen, or electric-furnace process. Forging or forming operations shall be performed by one or a combination of two or more of the following procedures: hammering, pressing, piercing, extruding, upsetting, working, bending, fusion-welding, or machining. All welding shall be completed prior to the austenitizing heat treatment, which shall be executed in the normalized, normalized and tempered, annealed, or quenched and tempered conditions. Steel specimens shall conform to required values of chemical composition, tensile strength, yield strength, elongation, wall thickness, and Charpy V-notch impact value. All fusion-welded butt joints shall undergo radiographic examination, while hydrostatic testing of fittings is not required in this specification. Repair welding shall be permissible for parts made to dimensional standards.

This abstract is a brief summary of the referenced standard. It is informational only and not an official part of the standard; the full text of the standard itself must be referred to for its use and application. ASTM does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents of this abstract are accurate, complete or up to date.

Scope of ASTM A420

1.1 This specification covers wrought carbon steel and alloy steel fittings of seamless and welded construction, covered by the latest revision of ASME B16.9, ASME B16.11, MSS SP-79, MSS SP-83, MSS SP-95, and MSS SP-97. Fittings differing from these ASME and MSS standards shall be furnished in accordance with Supplementary Requirement S58 of Specification A960/A960M. These fittings are for use in pressure piping and pressure vessel service at low temperatures.

1.2 Optional supplementary requirements are provided for fittings where a greater degree of examination is desired. When desired, one or more of these supplementary requirements shall be specified in the order.

1.3 This specification is expressed in both inch-pound units and in SI units. However, unless the order specifies the applicable “M” specification designation (SI units), the material shall be furnished to inch-pound units.

1.4 The values stated in either SI units or inch-pound units are to be regarded separately as standard. Within the text, the SI units are shown in brackets. The values stated in each system may not be exact equivalents; therefore, each system shall be used independently of the other. Combining values from the two systems may result in non-conformance with the standard.

Chemical Composition (%) of ASTM A420

Grade	C	Mn	P	S	Si
WPL6(1)(2)	0.3	0.60-1.35	0.035	0.04	0.15-0.30
WPL9	0.2	0.40-1.06	0.03	0.03	-

Grade	Ni	Cu	Cr	Mo	V	Nb
WPL6(1)(2)	0.4	0.4	0.3	0.12	0.08	0.02
WPL9	1.60-2.24	0.75-1.25	-	-	-	-

GENERAL NOTE:
All values are maximum unless otherwise indicated.

NOTES:
(1) For each reduction of 0.01% C below 0.30%, an increase of 0.05% Mn above 1.06% will be permitted, up to a maximum of 1.35%.
(2) Fittings made from forgings may have 1.35% max Mn.

Mechanical properties of ASTM A420

Tensile Requirements	WPL6	WPL9
Tensile Strength min, ksi [MPa]	60-85[415-585]	63-88[435-610]
Yield Strength min, ksi [MPa]	35[240]	46[315]

Where the wall thickness lies between two values above, the min elongation value is determined by the following equations:

WPL6,WPL9
Longitudinal E=48t+15.00,E=48t+13.00
Transverse E=32t+6.50,E=32t+8.00
E = elongation in 2in [50mm], %
t = actual thickness of specimen, in [mm]

What is the manufacturing process of ASTM A234 WPB pipe fittings?

The WPB is not short hand for any process. It is simply an identifier developed by ASTM. The fittings in question are manufactured in the same manner as the companion pipe for this specification.

ASTM A234 WPB pipe fittings

In very large sizes, the fittings may be manufactured in pieces and welded together as is the case for many large fittings.

The term used for the manufacturing is called “wrought” which means it is worked as opposed to being cast or forged.

As to the W standing for weldable, I’m not sure that is correct since that are many, many pipe fittings that are weldable but carry designations other than a W. Note the reference below.

Forging is the manufacturing process of ASTM A234 WPB pipe fittings.

W = WELDABLE / wrought
P = RELATED TO P NUMBER OF ALLOY MATERIAL
B = REFER TO MINIMUM YIELD OF MATERIAL

LATEST STANDARD IS:

ASTM A234/A234M-07
Standard Specification for Piping Fittings of Wrought Carbon Steel and Alloy Steel for Moderate and High Temperature Service

This standard covers wrought carbon steel fittings of seamless and welded construction which are manufactured to the dimensional specifications of ASME B16.9 and B16.28. These fittings are primarily for use in pressure piping and in pressure vessel fabrication for service at moderate and elevated temperatures.

Pipe Fitting by Types

Pipe fittings are widely demanded for any piping and plumbing systems used in industrial and commercial applications.

16Mn Alloy elbow, Low alloy steel pipe fittings, 16Mn elbow

Fittings allow pipes to be joined or installed in the appropriate place and terminated or closed where necessary. Fittings are available in various shapes and sizes. They can be expensive, require time, and different materials and tools to install. They are an essential part of piping and plumbing systems. There are thousands of specialized fittings manufactured. Each type of pipe or tube requires its own type of fitting, but usually all pipe fittings share some common features. Pipe fittings are available everywhere where plumbing materials are sold.

How are pipe fittings connected to pipes?

Pipe fittings are either male fittings or female fittings. In threaded pipe fittings, female threads are on the inside while male threads are on the outside. Pipe fittings that have one female end and one male end are called street fittings. Pipe fittings are used to connect pipes or tubes in two ways:

• By threading: Threaded pipes screw together to connect or join. Generally metal pipes are threaded and they have threaded fittings.
• By slip fit: Slip fit pipes use sleeves that slip into one another. The plastic pipes are either threaded or slip fit.

Accordingly pipe fittings are organized as follows:

• Male threaded: Exterior threads. Are screwed into the inside of pipe end of a larger diameter with internal threading.
• Female threaded: Interior threads. Receive male threaded pipe fittings.
• Male slip fit: There are no threads. Receive a narrower.
• Female slip fit: Female slip fit: There are no threads. Made to slip into slightly larger male sleeve.

Purpose of a pipe fitting:

The basic purposes of any pipe fitting are as follows:

• Connecting the bores of two or more pipes or tubes.
• Connecting pipe sections.
• Connecting a pipe to a different apparatus.
• Changing the direction of fluid/liquid flow.
• Maintaining or regulating the flow.
• Closing and sealing a pipe.
  

  Forged Flange

Selection criteria for pipe fittings:

Pipe fittings are to be chosen considering certain factors. They are as follows:

• Connection types: When purchasing pipe fittings, you should be aware of the fact that a fitting can have two different connector types. One end of the fitting might be female threaded while the other female threaded. One end might be male slip while the other end is threaded, in the case of plastic fittings. They can also have matching ends which can accommodate any requirement.
• Materials of construction: As a rule, the pipe fitting should be of the same material as the material used in the making of the pipe in which it is to be fitted. However, in some cases, materials conforming to certain codes or standards can also be used in pipes of another material.
• Check for flow: To keep the flow consistent, the ends of pipe fittings should be slightly larger than the rest of the pipe so that they can accommodate connections without narrowing the inner diameter (ID) of the pipe.
• Type of fitting: Besides pipe materials, pipe fittings are identified by the type of fitting — threaded or slip, male or female.
• Size: When measuring the size of pipe fittings, it is to be noted that the male threaded fittings are measured to the outside edge or OD, while female fittings are measured to the inside edge of the inlet or ID.
• Thickness: Just as pipes are available in a number of different thicknesses or “schedules”, so also the pipe fittings.
• Design: Each pipe or tube is designed to carry certain specific types of fluids, liquids, gases, chemicals under varying conditions. Accordingly, the pipe fittings are also available in variety of designs.
• Standards and codes: There are certain standards and codes set by various organizations by which the different pipe fittings are graded. For example, ASTM, ASME, BSP etc. are certain standards assigned to pipe fittings and those standards dictate their use.

Types of pipe fittings:

Depending on the purposes served, pipe fittings can be categorized as under:

• Pipe fittings to extend or terminate pipe runs: For example, Couplings, Adapters, Unions , Caps and Plugs Pipe.
• Fittings to change a pipe’s direction: For example , Elbows
• Pipe fittings to connect two or more pipes: For example: Tees, Cross, Side-inlet Elbows, Wyes
• Pipe fittings to change pipe size: For example, Reducers, Bushings, Couplings
• Pipe fittings to manage or regulate flow: For example, Valves
• Pipe fitting tools: For example, Pipe fasteners
• Pipe flanges