Your Reliable Custom Brass Fittings Manufacturer

D&R Metal Industry – Your Leading Manufacturer of Custom Brass Fittings in China

In China, D&R Metal Industry is a popular manufacturer of high-quality custom brass fittings. We are known as a No.1 custom brass fittings manufacturer. As a professional, we are dedicated to providing customers a one-stop solution to your needs.

Whether for your projects or business, we offer a wide range of custom brass fittings. We have custom barb fittings, Custom Brass Bulk Head Pipe Fittings, Custom Brass Conduit Fittings, Custom NPT Air Brake Fittings, and more.

We manufacture custom brass fittings with customizable sizes and configurations. All our brass fittings are customizable according to your specifications. You can send us your ideas or sample so our customer service and engineering team will coordinate with you to manufacture your ideal product.

Additionally, we have custom brass fittings with anti-corrosion properties. Thus, you can assure that your custom brass fittings are durable enough and can be used for a long period of time. These are also made from 100% solid brass materials to ensure high performance.

Our custom brass fittings are also available in a wide range of thread sizes and shapes. It allows adaptation, control, and connection of any gas or liquid in a pipe. D&R custom brass fittings are not easy to disintegrate or crack. It has a high ductility so it can be used even at high temperatures.

At D&R Metal Industry, we have a strong research and development team that specializes in designing and manufacturing innovative custom brass fittings. Thus, our custom brass fittings are widely used in different industries such as construction machinery, steel industry, machine tool industry, and more.

To increase durability and safety, we can manufacture specific types of custom brass fittings according to your applications. Aside from that, we always make sure that we comply with international quality and guidelines. Indeed, D&R Metal Industry is a reliable custom brass fitting manufacturer!

Inquire now for your next custom brass fittings order!

Custom Brass Fittings: The Ultimate FAQs Guide

A brass fitting is a small detachable metallic part of a piping system or machine.

Outrightly, brass fittings can be described as connectors specially made of brass.

Custom Brass Fittings

Uses Of Brass Fittings

Below are the typical uses of brass fittings, especially in plumbing and constructions:

1. Connecting two or more pieces to aid in the transfer of substances. Undoubtedly, this is the most critical usage of brass fittings.With custom brass fittings, you guarantee absolutely no leakage whatsoever. This ensures that your work environment remains hygienic even if transferring a health hazard substance.
2. Connecting dual or multiple dissimilar materials or pipes. The piping fittings are essential if you need to attach piping of different dimensions, materials, shapes, or those with varying directions of fluid flow.
3. Changing the direction of flow of fluids. The custom brass fittings ensure that your diversion is effective and reliable.
4. To revert the pipes, just in case you need to change the diameter of your piping connection. The fittings ensure that the flow gets stable from the smaller to large diameter pipes and vice versa.
5. Controlling the rate of flow; custom brass fittings efficiently regulate the liquid flow according to your specifications. This enables you to improve, reduce or even stop the flow at your will.

How Custom Brass Fittings Compare To Custom Steel Fittings

Let’s Start With The Similarities

• Customization: Evidently, manufacturers specially tailor custom brass fittings and custom steel fittings to meet your unique demands and purposes. So, you can quote your configurations and sizes for manufacturing.
• Application And Usage: Better still, the two fittings have similar applications and range of uses. For instance, they are all applicable for your plumbing, constructions, electrical, and automotive needs.
• Lifespan: Brass is an alloy of zinc and copper and therefore would last up to a century. This duration also applies to steel.

Consequently, both brass fittings and steel fittings would serve you for a period of between 80-100 years.

Custom Steel Fittings

• Corrosion Resistance: both steel and brass fittings almost offer an equal degree of corrosion resistance. For instance, brass provides good corrosion resistance to petroleum products, while steel has excellent resistance to the same products.

Specifically, brass offers resistance to non-oxidizing acids, meaning that you have to avoid oxidizing acids. On the flip side, steel has excellent resistance to most acids.

Now Let’s Explore The Differences

• Constituent Material; Brass is an alloy, and therefore brass fittings comprise zinc and copper material. On the contrary, steel is a stand-alone material and singularly applicable.
• Malleability: brass is outrightly more malleable than steel. For that matter, you can flexibly mold or shape it to fit your tight plumbing needs.

Also, brass fittings would readily suit in tight plumbing or construction spots that steel would not fit in. Therefore, brass is better for welding purposes.

• Temperature Ranges: the optimum temperature range for brass varies from -198 degrees Celsius to 204 degrees Celsius (-325F to 400F). Conversely, that for steel ranges from -254 degrees Celsius to 649 degrees Celsius (–425 to 1200°F).

Therefore, you should use custom brass fittings in applications with optimum temperature conditions. Beyond 400F, brass becomes soft and thus exhibits decreased strength.

However, custom steel fittings can operate in extremely low to high temperatures.

• Strength: Custom brass fitting offers moderate strength and toughness for a wide range of applications. On the other hand, custom steel fittings offer absolute strength and toughness.
• Pressure Resistivity: Brass fittings have a pressure rating of up to 3000 psi, meaning that they can withstand high pressure. Nevertheless, they are often applicable in low-pressure conditions.

Alternatively, steel fittings can withstand maximum pressures of 10,000 psi and are prevalent for industrial uses and applications.

• Affordability: custom steel fittings are pretty expensive compared to custom brass fittings.

Limitations Of Custom Brass Fittings

When working with custom brass fittings, you should acknowledge the following shortcomings:

1. It is not advisable to use them in more than 4000F temperature conditions. Such conditions weaken them, thus lowering their strength.
2. Not recommended for applications in high-pressure conditions. Although they can withstand a maximum of 3000 psi, a typical brass fitting works better at low pressures.
3. Not advisable to use with oxidizing acids or liquids because they would easily corrode.
4. It is weak to strong solutions including hydroxides, and cyanides.

Factors Determining Custom Brass Fitting Prices

The following is an outline of the specific parameters that would determine your expenditure on brass fittings.

Quality And Grade Of The Brass Fitting

Usually, the quality of the brass fitting hugely depends on the ratio of composition of both copper and zinc. A quality grade of brass should have more components of copper compared to zinc, which would attract higher pricing.

Customized Configurations

With the custom fittings, your options are endless. You can uniquely configure your fitting depending on your demands and applications.

Remember, any additional specifications you need to be incorporated rather than the standard ones would attract different prices. For example, if you need a specially tailored finishing or a complicated structural framework, you have to pay more.

Dimensions Of Custom Brass Fitting

The inclusion of an extra inch from the standard sizes similarly raises the costs of manufacturing and thus price. Besides, bigger-sized custom brass fittings cost more.

Again, thick brass fittings require additional material, thus translating to higher production costs and finally increased prices.

Number Of Intermediaries Involved

Custom brass fitting cost usually increases with the number of intermediaries between the manufacturer and the vendor.

Doing away with them cut costs and, finally, product prices.

Therefore, purchasing directly from the manufacturer eliminates unnecessary expenditure and thus decreases product prices.

Costs Of Specific Materials

the prices of the corresponding material components either directly or indirectly influence the prices of the brass fittings. Any slight change would also shift the costs.

How to Test Quality of Custom Brass Fitting

You can test the quality of the custom brass fitting right from the preliminary stages of manufacturing until the final product’s completion.

To guarantee the surety of the quality, below are the various tests and procedures you can use to ascertain the grade of the custom brass fitting.

Note that we can widely classify the tests into Destructive and Non-Destructive tests.

Destructive Tests

These are tests that ascertain the ability of the fittings to resist stress, abrasion, strength, etc. Since they may deform the fittings, you should conduct the destructive tests on a few samples.

The typical destructive tests you may consider include:

1. Corrosion: here, you expose the fittings to different corrosive fluids and assess their resistivity.
2. Tension: stretch the fittings until they deform while assessing their strength, elongation, yield, etc.
3. Bending: continuously bend the fittings till you observe deformations on their structure (face, side, root, etc.).
4. Metallographic tests: pick a few samples, then with the help of a microscope, study the physical, structural properties of the fittings.
5. Charpy impact: you can use this test to assess how much energy is absorbed by the fitting up to its fracture from an impact.

Non-Destructive Tests

These tests are responsible for measuring or assessing the performance of the fittings without necessarily damaging the fittings.

They include:

1. Material Testing: the manufacturer may conduct specific tests on the brass materials to ensure their capability of making a quality fitting. After these tests, the manufacturer proceeds to cut the material in readiness for the forging process.
2. Dye Penetrant: insert the fittings in a dye or apply the dye to reveal hairline cracks on the surface or even porosity.
3. Hydrostatic: you can perform this test to measure for any pressure loss due to defects.
4. Positive Material Identification: this test involves an analysis of the metallic alloy to determine the ratio of composition of each element. It uses special equipment such as optical emission spectrometry or x-ray fluorescence. Radiography uses this test to discover potential weaknesses in the fittings with the aid of x-rays and gamma rays.
5. Macrography: involves making photographs usually in 3 dimensions of those structural frameworks of the visually viable fittings.
6. Micrography: here you use a microscope to observe the intrinsic properties of the fittings.

Types Of Custom Brass Fittings

Some of the frequently used custom brass fittings include:

Types of Custom Brass Fittings

Custom Brass Elbow

Brass elbows are the most prevalent in the plumbing and construction industry. Its primary purpose is to change the direction of the pipe by bending it.

The elbows are available in two types: Standard types and radius types. The main standard types are 900 and 450 types though you can customize your angle of cutting. Radius types include Short Radius (1D) and Long Radius (1.5 D).

Custom Brass Union

Brass unions are relatively shorter fittings more applicable in low-pressure piping to join two tubing or pipes together. These fittings are a classic alternative to flanges.

Note that the custom brass unions need to be fixed in piping which you frequently dismantle. This is because they are easily detachable.

The two primary categories of the brass union are the socket weld ends and threaded ends type. The custom brass unions have three significant parts, i.e., male end, female end, and a nut.

The female and male ends join together while the nut provides the required reinforcement to keep it in place.

Custom Brass Tee

A brass tee is a typical shorter pipe with a perpendicular branch protruding from the center of the pipe. The pipe either effectively collects or distributes the fluid from the horizontal main run pipe.

In accordance with the diameter of their branches, the brass tees exist in two configurations below:

• Custom Straight Brass Tee – for this, the branch and run pipe both have equal diameters.
• Reducing Tee- this tee has a smaller diameter branch compared to that of the run pipe.

According to design, the brass tees are available in:

• Barred Brass Tee/ Scrapper Tee; commonly applied in pigged pipelines. It comprises welded bars that regulate free flow from the run pipe.
• Wye brass tee/ lateral; this tee type has a 45 degrees or 90 degrees less inclined branch from the run pipe. Thereby, enables the connection of another pipe to the same angle of inclination.

The wye tee is vital since it dramatically reduces the resistance of flow.

Custom Brass Reducer

These fittings minimize the size of the pipe by having one of its ends equal in diameter to the pipe while the other being smaller.

The available types of brass reducer are concentric and eccentric.

• Concentric Brass Reducer/Conical; for this, the centers of both the ends lie in the same horizontal axis. Therefore, it keeps the centreline of the elevation in check.

This means that you use the concentric brass reducer whenever you need to maintain the center’s axis of smaller and larger pipes.

• Eccentric Reducer; unlike the concentric reducer, this type of reducer maintains the bottom of the pipe elevation of the pipeline.

Thus, if you need to keep the outer segment of the pipe in place, then an eccentric reducer is the best.

Custom Brass Bends

The bends are vital in fluid transportation, which needs pigging. The custom brass bends have a longer radius and flexible, thus lowering the pressure while enhancing the smooth flow of liquid.

The bends are available in 3D and 5D sizes.

Custom Brass Cross

It is also commonly known as four-way pipe fitting. A brass cross has four openings with three of those either inlets, while one outlet or three outlets with an inlet.

The crosses are not common in regular piping but are used in the firewater sprinkler line.

Custom Brass Caps

These are the end connection covers. You use them to temporarily seal the end of pipe it till a future date when you shall require more connection, such as headers.

Custom Brass Stub Ends

Stub ends are complimentary of the lap joint flange. For this configuration, the stub bend gets welded to the pipe while flange can freely move on top of the stub.

Custom Brass Coupling

These are permanently welded fittings to the tubing or pipes. They are similar to the brass unions except for being permanent while the unions are temporary.

We can group brass couplings as follows:

• Full Coupling; typical for making connections on small bore pipes such as between pipes, pipes and swage or nipple. It has both threaded and socket end types.
• Half Coupling; vital in joining small bore branch to a large pipe. It is either threaded or socket type. Besides, it either has a thread or socket end on a single side.
• Reducing Coupling; for joining two varied dimensional pipes.

The reducing coupling is akin to the concentric reducer, which keeps in line the centreline of the pipes. However, they are smaller.

Custom Brass Swag Nipple

A brass swag nipple is a short pipe with a male piped thread at both ends or on a single side.

You use it to connect other two fittings such as valves and hoses. The brass swag nipples are applicable in low-pressure piping.

Custom Brass Saddle

A brass saddle is a unique fitting because it provides support to the piping. The saddle should be beneath the pipe, thus taking some weight off the pipe.

Therefore, it prevents potential breakage of the pipe due to underlying liquid weight.

Common End Connections for Custom Brass Fittings

Having successfully installed your preferred custom brass fitting, it is now time to add an end connection. Below are some of the particular types of end connections you may consider:

Butt Weld

This connection involves welding the brass fitting to the tubing or pipe along the joint.

You do the welding while keeping both the fitting and pipe on the same plane.

You can butt weld your brass fitting in four ways: Firstly, you can choose either single-sided full or partial penetration.

Alternatively, go for either the double-sided full or partial penetration.

Socket Weld

The socket welding procedure involves inserting the pipe into the recessed part of the fitting. Afterward, you cut the pipe, fit it into a square-sized shape, and then join and weld them together.

Note that this connection is popular with small diameter pipes.

Socket Weld Brass Fittings

Flanged

Flanged connection is only possible with custom brass fittings and piping which have flanges. You shall also need a gasket to bolt both of them midway to reinforce the sealing.

Threaded

The two significant threaded end connections include:

1. Parallel Threads; this kind of thread has a uniform diameter along its length, i.e., from top to bottom.

Examples of brands of parallel threads are Metric parallel, British standard pipe parallel thread (BSPP), and UNF/ UN.

1. Tapered Threads; the diameters of these kinds of threads narrow towards the bottom.

Examples include British standard pipe taper thread (BSPTT), metric tapered, National Pipe Thread, etc.

Also, male types have threads on the exterior segments while female type have threads in the interior parts.

Buttress

Buttress end connections have the threads cut far apart, hence appearing coarse. They are more applicable in making hydraulic seals.

Spigot

Whenever you need to make connections between two fittings, then a spigot would be the best choice. However, you would need to use it in tandem with the sockets.

Therefore, for that combination, a spigot will perform as a male end while a socket acts as a female end.

Quality Standards For Custom Brass Fittings

The manufactured custom brass fittings have to pass a few critical pre-determined quality standards, as mentioned below.

• ISO 9001: 2015
• DIN 2999
• ASME/ANSI B16.9
• ASME B31.1
• ASTM B687-99(2016), ASTM B16
• SAE and DOT FMVSS 571. 106
• EN 1591

Chemical Composition Of Custom Brass Fittings

Custom brass fittings have their central material structure being brass, which is an alloy of copper and zinc.

However, you can flexibly vary the composition of the two metals to achieve several kinds of brass.

Nevertheless, a standard custom brass fitting consists of 67% copper and 33% zinc.

Better still, the composition of the copper could vary in a range of 55% – 95% while zinc 5% – 45%.

An extra option exists for the addition of 2% lead to the brass.

The lead is crucial in enhancing the machinability of the brass.

How Custom Male Brass Fitting Compare To Female Brass Fittings

The male and female custom brass fittings vary accordingly, depending on the type of connection. Therefore, the male fitting would connect and fit into the tube or pipe.

Conversely, the female brass fitting accommodates the tube or pipe, i.e., the tube gets into the fitting.

A more distinct variation would be related to the threads.

A custom male brass fitting has threads on the outer surface, while their female counterparts have threads in the interior layers.

Concerning fitting, the male fitting would connect to a female pipe, whereas a female fitting connects to a male pipe.

Considerations When Choosing Custom Brass Fittings

To guarantee a leak-free and secure connection, you have to evaluate the following five factors when picking the right custom brass fittings.

Dimension

For all tube fittings, you have to consider the wall thickness and tube OD. Additionally, other complementary factors such as system pressure, temperature, and the work environment also influence size.

Temperature

The environment and system temperature would equally influence finishing, coating, and plating to the brass fittings.

Therefore, you do also have to take note of those parameters before settling on a specific type.

Application

Working environments such as vibration, mechanical load, pressure spikes, and external temperature equally influence fitting selection.

Media

The kind of fluid/ substance you need to convey would equally affect your choice.

Pressure

The marked dynamic pressure of the custom brass fitting should either be equal to or higher than your system pressure.

Causes Of Failure Of The Custom Brass Fittings

The common causes of failure in custom brass fittings include:

Dezincification

This is the continued leaching of the zinc component from the brass alloy, leaving behind copper with tiny traces of zinc.

The result is a fitting with significantly reduced mechanical strength.

Stress Corrosion Cracking

Stress corrosion cracking is resultant stress which arises from exposure to the corrosive environment.

The consequence is minor cracks in the interior parts of the fittings, which may build up over time.

Stress Corrosion Cracking in Custom Brass Fitting

Corrosion Fatigue Cracking

When you expose fittings to highly corrosive fluids, there may be pits forming, which ultimately fatigue them. The pits, in turn, develop into cracks.

Surface Degradation

This is the consistent formation and build-up of zinc oxide and copper oxide on the fitting interface.

Cumulatively, these oxides may damage the metallic surface.

Causes Of Leakages In Custom Brass Fitting

Here are the possible reasons why a custom brass fitting would leak:

• Improperly sealed or loose union joint.
• Using incorrect sizes of custom brass fittings.
• General corrosion on the body of the brass fitting.

Recommended Pressure And Temperature Rating For Custom Brass Fitting

Pressure Ratings

As earlier noted, it is not recommended to use custom brass fitting in high-pressure conditions. That is so because brass tends to lose its mechanical properties and machinability under high pressure.

Consequently, brass has a recommended pressure rating of 300 psi. However, its pressure rating may shoot to a maximum of 3000 psi in optimum conditions.

The preferred temperature rating ranges from 198 degrees Celsius to 204 degrees Celsius (-325 F to 400 F)

Reasons For Choosing Brass For Custom Pipe Fitting

Some of the main reasons for choosing these pipe fittings include:

Longer Lifespan

Brass is durable and would last for up to 100 years, therefore, eliminating frequent needs for replacements and servicing.

Highly Malleable

Unlike steel and iron, brass is more malleable, enhancing its flexibility in a wide range of projects.

Versatility

Due to its malleable nature, brass fittings come in a range of designs that you can randomly pick and use.

Thermal Tolerance

Brass can withstand a high degree of temperature and heat without hampering its structure.

Corrosion Resistance

Brass is not easily prone to corrosion due to several liquids except for a few, such as the oxidizing agents.

How To Determine The Sizes And Dimensions Of Customs Brass Fitting

Usually, you need to be aware of the diameters of the customs brass fittings, and how you do that is straight up.

You will often notice that the manufacturers have already imprinted the dimensions of the custom brass fittings on the respective equipment.

Nevertheless, you could still physically measure the diameters with the help of a thread/ string, ruler, and nominal diameter conversion chart.

Difference Between Custom Solid Brass Fitting And Custom Brass Plating Fitting

The custom solid brass fitting is the ideal fitting made from an alloy of brass.

On the other hand, custom brass plating fitting refers to any fitting with a brass plate.

Usually, plating means adding an extra layer onto the surface of another metal.

Implying that a fitting of any material could be plated with brass, forming a custom brass fitting with brass as an additional layer.

Therefore, such custom brass plating benefits from a blend of properties of the plated metal and the primary material.

Specifically, brass plating introduces the malleability property.

How To Connect Custom NPT Brass Fitting

Follow these simple steps to connect the custom NPT brass fitting:

• Step 1; Insert the male thread into the female brass fitting.
• Step 2:Now, turn the male thread in a clockwise direction.
• Step 3: continuously turn the male thread in the same direction till you reach a stopping point.
• Step 4: with the help of a pipe wrench, tighten the NPT fitting. Ultimately, it would be best to have a tightly sealed joint between the male and female fitting.

Factors Determining Service Lifespan Of Custom Brass Fitting

Here are the parameters of the common factors that dictate the lifespan of custom brass fitting:

Media

Remember, brass is susceptible to oxidizing agents, and therefore, you always need to avoid highly corrosive liquids. Such fluids would damage the fittings.

System Environment

Brass metal does not tolerate temperatures above 400 degrees F and pressures exceeding 3000 psi.

Consequently, you need to avoid such conditions for a longer lifespan.

Difference Between Threading And Tapping Of Custom Brass Fitting

Threading of custom brass fitting entails creating threads on the exterior surfaces of the fitting, while tapping creates threads on the inside of the fitting.

Threading results in a male brass fitting, while tapping gives a female fitting.

A die is used to thread a fitting, whereas a tap would effectively give you a tapped fitting.

Male Vs. Female Custom Brass Fitting

How To Manufacture Custom Brass Fitting

The manufacturing process differs depending on the type of custom brass fitting.

However, here is an overview of the critical steps in manufacturing custom brass fitting

1. Planning Phase; manufacturer and client work together to come up with fitting specifics, including developing part identification.
2. Raw Material Selection; manufacturer chooses the best brass material depending on the customer’s specifications.
3. Material Testing; involves conducting quality tests on the material to assess its viability. If fine, then the following procedure follows.
4. Cutting And Forging; material cutting and forming the material into the desired shape depending on the order requirement.
5. Welding is necessary for complicated fittings, such as elbows, reducers, caps, bends, or returns.
6. Inspecting Fittings And Testing; this is done according to the customer’s demands and general standards.
7. Brass Plating; inclusion of different plating according to customer’s specifications incorporating various degrees of thickness, color, and plating material etc.
8. Assembly Of Brass Valves; includes assembling brass fittings from various parts and coming up with the ultimate valves.
9. Documentation And Shipping; this is the final delivery stage to the customer.

For all your custom brass fittings from China, you can contact us.