Precision-Engineered Sanitary Tubing
Manufactured to the highest standards for hygienic and critical-service applications. ASTM A270 seamless and welded austenitic stainless steel tubing — delivered with full traceability and certified compliance.
304/316L
Alloy Grades
0.25–12"
OD Range
Ra ≤ 32μin
Surface Finish
3A
Dairy Compliant
Built for the Most Demanding Hygienic Environments
Seamless & Welded Options
Available in both seamless and welded configurations per ASTM A270, with welded products featuring a superior interior bead condition suitable for sanitary service.
Corrosion Resistance
304 and 316L austenitic grades deliver outstanding resistance to corrosive media, ensuring long service life in chemical processing and high-purity environments.
Surface Finish Quality
Interior surfaces meet Ra 32 μin (0.8 μm) maximum for sanitary applications. Electropolished finishes available to Ra 15 μin upon request.
Full Certification
Material Test Reports (MTRs), heat traceability, and EN 10204 3.1 certification provided with every shipment. PMI testing available on demand.
Tight Dimensional Tolerance
OD tolerance held to ±0.005" for sizes under 1.5" and ±0.010" for larger diameters. Wall thickness uniformity within ±10% as standard.
3-A & FDA Compliant
Products meet 3-A Sanitary Standards and FDA 21 CFR requirements for dairy, food, and beverage contact surfaces — fully validated and documented.
Material Specifications & Dimensional Data
Material Properties
- Specification
- Process
- Grades
- OD Range
- Wall Thickness
- Length
- Interior Finish
- Exterior Finish
- Annealing
- Testing
- Tensile Strength
- Yield Strength
- ASTM A270
- Seamless / Welded
- TP304, TP304L, TP316, TP316L
- 1/4" – 6" (6.35 – 152.4 mm)
- 0.028" – 0.120" (0.7 – 3.0 mm)
- Up to 24 ft (7.3 m) standard
- Ra ≤ 32 μin (0.8 μm)
- Ra ≤ 60 μin (1.5 μm)
- Solution annealed
- Hydrostatic, ECT, PMI
- ≥ 70 ksi (485 MPa) for 304
- ≥ 30 ksi (205 MPa) for 304
| DN | Tube OD | Wall Thickness | OD Tolerance | WT Tolerance | Length Tolerance | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| inch(mm) | inch(mm) | inch(mm) | inch(mm) | (kg/m) | ||
| 8 | 1/4" (6.35) | 0.035" (0.89) | +/-0.005" (0.13) | +/-10.0% | +1/8" (3.18) -0 | 0.124 |
| 15 | 1/2" (12.7) | 0.065" (1.65) / 0.049"(1.25) | +/-0.005" (0.13) | +/-10.0% | +1/8" (3.18) -0 | 0.454 |
| 20 | 3/4" (19.1) | 0.065" (1.65) / 0.049"(1.25) | +/-0.005" (0.13) | +/-10.0% | +1/8" (3.18) -0 | 0.717 |
| 25 | 1" (25.4) | 0.065" (1.65) / 0.049"(1.25) | +/-0.005" (0.13) | +/-10.0% | +1/8" (3.18) -0 | 0.976 |
| 40 | 1-1/2" (38.1) | 0.065" (1.65) / 0.049"(1.25) | +/-0.008" (0.20) | +/-10.0% | +1/8" (3.18) -0 | 1.50 |
| 50 | 2" (50.8) | 0.065" (1.65) / 0.049"(1.25) | +/-0.008" (0.20) | +/-10.0% | +1/8" (3.18) -0 | 2.02 |
| 65 | 2-1/2" (63.5) | 0.065" (1.65) | +/-0.010" (0.25) | +/-10.0% | +1/8" (3.18) -0 | 2.54 |
| 80 | 3" (76.2) | 0.065" (1.65) | +/-0.010" (0.25) | +/-10.0% | +1/8" (3.18) -0 | 3.06 |
| 100 | 4" (101.6) | 0.083" (2.11) | +/-0.015" (0.38) | +/-10.0% | +1/8" (3.18) -0 | 5.23 |
| 150 | 6" (152.4) | 0.109" (2.77) | +/-0.030" (0.76) | +/-10.0% | +1/8" (3.18) -0 | 10.32 |
| 200 | 8" (203.2) | 0.109" (2.77) | +/-0.030" (0.76) | +/-10.0% | +1/8" (3.18) -0 | 13.86 |
| 250 | 10"(254) | 0.120"(3.05) | +/-0.040" (1.016) | +/-10.0% | +1/8" (3.18) -0 | - |
| 300 | 12"(304.8) | 0.120"(3.05) | +/-0.040" (1.016) | +/-10.0% | +1/8" (3.18) -0 | - |
Trusted Across Critical Industries
omplete range of bioprocessing-grade stainless steel tubes, manufactured and inspected in full compliance with the latest ASME BPE standard revision.
Dairy & Food Processing
3-A sanitary compliant tubing for milk, juice, and liquid food processing lines with CIP compatibility.
Pharmaceutical & Biotech
High-purity tubing for WFI, clean steam, process fluids, and CIP/SIP systems in GMP environments.
Brewery & Beverage
Bright-annealed or pickled tubing for wort transfer, bright beer lines, and glycol systems.
Chemical Processing
316L alloy tubing for aggressive chemical service, high-temperature process piping, and ultra-pure water systems.
Dimension of ASTM A270
| DN | Tube OD | Wall Thickness | OD Tolerance | WT Tolerance | Length Tolerance | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| inch(mm) | inch(mm) | inch(mm) | inch(mm) | (kg/m) | ||
| 8 | 1/4" (6.35) | 0.035" (0.89) | +/-0.005" (0.13) | +/-10.0% | +1/8" (3.18) -0 | 0.124 |
| 15 | 1/2" (12.7) | 0.065" (1.65) / 0.049"(1.25) | +/-0.005" (0.13) | +/-10.0% | +1/8" (3.18) -0 | 0.454 |
| 20 | 3/4" (19.1) | 0.065" (1.65) / 0.049"(1.25) | +/-0.005" (0.13) | +/-10.0% | +1/8" (3.18) -0 | 0.717 |
| 25 | 1" (25.4) | 0.065" (1.65) / 0.049"(1.25) | +/-0.005" (0.13) | +/-10.0% | +1/8" (3.18) -0 | 0.976 |
| 40 | 1-1/2" (38.1) | 0.065" (1.65) / 0.049"(1.25) | +/-0.008" (0.20) | +/-10.0% | +1/8" (3.18) -0 | 1.50 |
| 50 | 2" (50.8) | 0.065" (1.65) / 0.049"(1.25) | +/-0.008" (0.20) | +/-10.0% | +1/8" (3.18) -0 | 2.02 |
| 65 | 2-1/2" (63.5) | 0.065" (1.65) | +/-0.010" (0.25) | +/-10.0% | +1/8" (3.18) -0 | 2.54 |
| 80 | 3" (76.2) | 0.065" (1.65) | +/-0.010" (0.25) | +/-10.0% | +1/8" (3.18) -0 | 3.06 |
| 100 | 4" (101.6) | 0.083" (2.11) | +/-0.015" (0.38) | +/-10.0% | +1/8" (3.18) -0 | 5.23 |
| 150 | 6" (152.4) | 0.109" (2.77) | +/-0.030" (0.76) | +/-10.0% | +1/8" (3.18) -0 | 10.32 |
| 200 | 8" (203.2) | 0.109" (2.77) | +/-0.030" (0.76) | +/-10.0% | +1/8" (3.18) -0 | 13.86 |
| 250 | 10"(254) | 0.120"(3.05) | +/-0.040" (1.016) | +/-10.0% | +1/8" (3.18) -0 | - |
| 300 | 12"(304.8) | 0.120"(3.05) | +/-0.040" (1.016) | +/-10.0% | +1/8" (3.18) -0 | - |
Finish Specifications
The standard mandates that the interior surface must be smooth, non-toxic, non-absorbent, and corrosion-resistant. This is primarily achieved through a mechanical polishing and electropolishing process. The result is an ultra-smooth finish that minimizes the ability for microbes and product particles to adhere, and it allows for effective cleaning and sterilization.
The most common and accepted finish is defined by a maximum Ra (Roughness Average) value. A typical Ra specification for ASTM A270 tubing is ≤ 0.38 µm (15 microinches) or better, often referred to as a “sanitary finish” or “micro-finish.” Some applications, like high-purity pharmaceutical or biotech processes, may require an even smoother finish of ≤ 0.25 µm (10 microinches).
This smooth surface is created by first mechanically abrading the tube with progressively finer abrasives to remove imperfections and weld beads. This is often followed by electropolishing, an electrochemical process that removes a thin layer of surface material. Electropolishing further smooths the surface, removes embedded contaminants, and enhances the natural passive oxide layer, which significantly improves corrosion resistance.
The primary purpose of this meticulously controlled surface is to prevent contamination, facilitate easy and effective cleaning-in-place (CIP) and sterilization-in-place (SIP) procedures, and provide superior corrosion resistance against aggressive cleaning chemicals and process fluids.
| Process | RA Micro Inch | RA Micron | ISO Designation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 150 grit | 30-35 | 0.75-0.875 | N6 |
| 150 grit + Electropolish | 12-20 | 0.3-.05 | |
| 180 grit | 20-25 | 0.5-.0625 | |
| 180 grit + Electropolish | 10-16 | 0.25-0.4 | |
| 240 grit | 15-20 | 0.375-0.5 | N5 |
| 240 grit + Electropolish | 8-12 | 0.2-0.3 | |
| 320 grit | 8-12 | 0.2-0.3 | N4 |
| 320 grit + Electropolish | 6-12 | 0.15-0.3 |
Tensile Properties
| Material | Heat Treatment | Yield Strength Ksi (MPa), Min. | Tensile Strength Ksi (MPa), Min. | Temperure Min. ℉(℃) | Elongation %, Min |
| ASME SA270 304 | Solution | 30(205) | 75(515) | 1900 (1040) | 35 |
| ASME SA270 304L | Solution | 25(170) | 70(485) | 1900 (1040) | 35 |
| ASME SA270 316 | Solution | 30(205) | 75(515) | 1900(1040) | 35 |
| ASME SA270 316L | Solution | 25(170) | 70(485) | 1900(1040) | 35 |
Sanitary Fittings in Process Piping (Food, Pharma, Dairy, etc.)
In industrial contexts, Sanitary Fittings (or Hygienic Fittings) refer to the specialized components used to connect pipes in systems where purity and cleanliness are critical. They are designed to prevent bacterial growth, allow for complete cleaning, and ensure product integrity.
Key Idea: These are the connectors and pipes themselves, used to build a system for processing sensitive products.
Key Characteristics:
Smooth, Polished Surfaces: Internally, they have a very smooth finish (often measured in Ra micro-inches) to prevent bacteria from clinging and to allow for easy cleaning.
No Crevices or Dead Spaces: They are designed to be flush with the pipe, creating a seamless flow path so that product or cleaning fluids don’t get trapped.
Easy to Disassemble and Clean (CIP/SIP): They are designed for frequent cleaning, often using methods like Clean-in-Place (CIP) or Sterilize-in-Place (SIP).
Material: Almost exclusively made from 304 or 316L Stainless Steel for its corrosion resistance and non-reactivity.
Common Types of Sanitary Fittings:
Clamp Fittings (Tri-Clamp): The most common type, using a three-piece clamp to seal a gasket between two ferrules.
Butt Weld Fittings: Permanently welded to create a perfectly smooth, crevice-free joint. Used where disassembly isn’t needed.
Bevel Seat Fittings: An older style, similar to clamp fittings but with a different gasket and connection system.
DIN/SMS Fittings: Standards more common in Europe, using a threaded nut to compress a gasket.
Common Components:
Elbows (90°, 45°)
Tees
Reducers
Caps
Ferrule (the stub end that gets connected)
Description
ASTM A270 is the definitive standard established by ASTM International that specifies the requirements for seamless and welded austenitic stainless steel tubing intended specifically for sanitary service. This standard is critical in industries where absolute cleanliness, corrosion resistance, and smooth, cleanable surfaces are non-negotiable. Unlike more general tubing standards like A269, A270 is meticulously designed for applications involving the processing, conveyance, and handling of consumable products where contamination and bacterial growth pose significant risks. Its specifications are tailored to meet the stringent hygienic demands of the food, beverage, dairy, pharmaceutical, and bioprocessing industries.
A270 covers common austenitic stainless steel grades, primarily S30400 (304) and S31600 (316), and their low-carbon variants S30403 (304L) and S31603 (316L). The low-carbon “L” grades are highly preferred as they resist sensitization (the formation of chromium carbides at grain boundaries) during welding, thereby maintaining their maximum corrosion resistance and making them ideal for the welded constructions typical in sanitary systems. The tubing is produced as either seamless or welded (automatic TIG welded). A mandatory solution annealing heat treatment is required after welding to restore the alloy’s microstructure and corrosion resistance. Following heat treatment, the tubes must be pickled and passivated to remove any scale or iron contamination and to reform the protective chromium oxide layer on the surface.
