Blog

The importance of well-crafted fittings

May 26th, 2019

As an established supplier of tube fittings in the Australian and New Zealand markets for over 27 years now, Ultibend has become known as the benchmark for quality tube fittings. However, not all fittings in the market measure up to that level. There can be several faults that significantly increase the difficulty and cost of install. We thought we should point out some of the key differences for you to look out for.

Wall Thickness

AS1528.3, +/- 10% = 0.16mm on 1.6mm tube

How does this affect installing?

A consistent wall thickness makes welding a lot easier as weld penetration remains the same, matchup is more straight forward and install times are reduced. Also, orbital welders will work more efficiently when using bends with consistent wall thickness.

Bend Angle

Where other bends vary widely and are often not bent true to 45,90 or 180 degrees, Ultibend’s highly accurate and fully servo-controlled benders ensure a consistent bend angle is maintained.

How does this affect installing?

Under and overbent fittings can cause the pipeline to wander off square when welded in. If working to a pre-drawn design, the actual fittings may not match the drawings. This can lead to quality assurance issues, increased project costs, and time delays.

Ultibends allow you to map out your tubing runs with confidence

Robbie Wright
Fabrication Contractor

Cut Face Squareness

Cut face squareness can be measured in up to three different ways

Cut square face to face

Cut Square off plane

Cut square face to straight

I can honestly say I have never had any problems when welding Ultibends and have had many tested on-site, with excellent results.

Mike Cook
Contract Fitter Welder

Short Radius Bends