Who would have thought that tubing could be such an interesting topic? Alan Aldum of Swagelok entertained a good turnout at the Johannesburg Branch meeting in February. He fascinated them with insights into the factors involved in selecting the correct tubing and smashed some of the myths around the subject. For instance, did you know that in a good installation, the tubes are likely to burst before the fittings part? Or that, even though a gas may be at a lower pressure than a liquid, it requires a thicker wall? He also pointed out that using tubing can save money over the equivalent piping installation through its bendability, resulting in fewer fittings.
Ann de Beer thanks Alan Aldum for the presentation.
He also covered the way in which tubing is made and tested and the factors affecting tube quality. Most of us were amazed at the variety of tubing materials available and the factors affecting their selection. And by the way, did you know the difference between tubing and piping? Tubes are defined by their outside diameter, as opposed to pipes where the inside diameter defines the size.
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SAIMC
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