Butt Weld Fittings for Pressure Pipeline Systems

Welcome to another product blog from ValvesTubesFittings.com where we offer help and information on all our valve and pipeline products. The subject of today’s write up is our range of butt weld fittings and how the standards can be incorporated into your pressure pipeline systems.

If you would prefer not to read an entire blog on the subject of butt weld fittings, contact our sales team for the required information. As the author of nearly our entire Blog library, my personal preference would be plenty of readers.

Butt Weld Fittings ASME B16.9-2018

This range of butt weld fittings are in fact manufactured to American standards and are the most widely produced in the world. Some of you will know them as ANSI B16.9-2018 and if you’re of a certain generation from the United Kingdom; BS 1640 would be more familiar. Butt weld fittings are available from stock here at ValvesTubesFittings.com in sizes from 15mm (1/2") to 400mm (16"). Larger sizes are available from 450mm (18") and upwards, with the largest being offered at 900mm (36").

They come in a wide range of types including butt weld elbows, tees, concentric reducers, eccentric reducers and caps. Once you have chosen the type of fittings you require it is time to consider wall thickness, which is found in the various schedules available. The norm for our business as in most commonly used are schedule 40 (sch40) butt weld fittings. The schedule of wall thicknesses can be found by following the link to our downloads and calculators page. Where you will find a list of wall thickness associated with nominal bore sizes and on a separate data sheet pressures and temperature information.

Butt Weld Fittings 1921 to 2019

As with all products the standards for butt weld fittings are constantly developing and improving. The first ASME B16.9 standard was produced in 1937 and published three years later as ASA B16.9:1940. This was the culmination of the work completed by The American Society of Mechanical Engineers, The Heating & Piping Contractors National Association (MCAA); and The Manufacturing Standardisation Society of the Valves & Fittings Industry (MSS). The ASA became the American Standards Association and later the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)

The B16 refers to the number of the committee formed in 1921 to unify the standards of the ASA and ASME. These very recognisable producers of American and World-Wide standards are still working together today in 2019. Almost a century since they nominated this committee to start work in this particular standard. The first British equivalent to this standard was published as BS 1640:1950; although like so many British Standards. Somewhere in the archives of the British Standards Institute will be an earlier WW2 version of this.

Butt Weld Fittings BS EN 10253-2:2007

Butt weld fittings to BS EN 10253-2:2007 cover the steel version of the product we carry in stock. There are other versions of this same standard covering different materials, the present standard has work in hand which may see it updated in the future. Again for that certain generation, many will remember this range of products as BS 1965:1963; although the first version of this standard was ten years earlier in 1953.

Butt weld fittings to BS EN 10253-2:2007 are available in medium and heavy grades and match the British system of pipe sizes. As with ASME B16.9 products they are available as elbows, tees, concentric reducers, eccentric reducers and caps. Additional products also include branch bends, something unique to this particular range. This fitting allows the creation of a swept branch on pipework; that can be the same size or reduced in size. These fittings are actually manufactured to the previous BS 1965:1963 standard, although they will conform to the latest standards.

Butt Weld Fittings BS EN 10253-2:2007 Type A and Type B

Having spoken with our manufacturers, we can assure our customers that all our stock fittings are butt weld fittings BS EN 10253-2:2007 type B. Offering the full pressure range associated with this type of butt weld fittings. Type A fittings work on a lower temperature and pressure range; due to differences in the wall thickness between the bevelled area and the centre of the fittings. These wall thicknesses are apparently more uniform on type B fittings.

Butt Weld Fittings Traceability

As an ISO 9001:2015 registered business, quality assurance plays a leading part in our culture. Butt weld fittings BS EN 10253-2:2007 are 3.1 certified products, ensuring that we offer as with so many other certified products full traceability. The 3.1 certification does give our installers and end users complete confidence in our company and their supply chains. We service many businesses with product across the United Kingdom, the full specification for the majority of our products can be found at www.besseges-vtf.co.uk or by talking to our very knowledgeable sales team.

Our range of butt weld fittings to ASME B16.9-2018 come with 3.1 certification, although many businesses still refer to 3.1b certification which is now obsolete. All our certification to 3.1 gives full traceability on the certified products and is an important aspect for all installers and specifiers. Besseges VTF and ValvesTubesFittings.com are leading suppliers of quality butt weld fittings. We offer quality and traceability at competitive prices and can deliver to anywhere on the UK mainland the following business day; subject to our terms and conditions and the time of order. We look forward to either supplying you via our eCommerce site or for more regular users please apply for a business account.

Disclaimer: Information correct at the time of publishing (February 2019) but is subject to change. E&OE.