RECOMMENDED PRACTICE

ISA–RP42.1–1992

Nomenclature for
Instrument Tube
Fittings

Approved 30 September 1991

ISA–RP42.1–1992, Nomenclature for Instrument Tube Fittings

ISBN 1-55617-256-7

Copyright 1992 by the Instrument Society of America. All rights reserved. Printed in the United
States of America. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher.

ISA
67 Alexander Drive
P.O. Box 12277
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709
Preface

This preface is included for informational purposes and is not part of ISA-RP42.1-1992.
This recommended practice has been prepared as part of the service of ISA toward a goal of
uniformity in the field of instrumentation. To be of real value, this document should not be static,
but should be subject to periodic review. Toward this end, the Society welcomes all comments
and criticisms, and asks that they be addressed to the Secretary, Standards and Practices
Board, ISA, 67 Alexander Drive, P.O. Box 12277, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, Telephone
(919) 549-8411, e-mail: standards@isa.org.
The ISA Standards and Practices Department is aware of the growing need for attention to the
metric system of units in general, and the International System of Units (SI) in particular, in the
preparation of instrumentation standards. The Department is further aware of the benefits to
U.S.A. users of ISA standards of incorporating suitable references to the SI (and the metric
system) in their business and professional dealings with other countries. Toward this end, this
Department will endeavor to introduce SI-acceptable metric units in all new and revised
standards to the greatest extent possible. The Metric Practice Guide, which has been published
by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers as ANSI/IEEE Std. 268-1982, and future
revisions, will be the reference guide for definitions, symbols, abbreviations, and conversion
factors.
It is the policy of ISA to encourage and welcome the participation of all concerned individuals and
interests in the development of ISA standards. Participation in the ISA standards-making
process by an individual in no way constitutes endorsement by the employers of the individual, of
the ISA, or of any of the standards that ISA develops.
The following people served as members of ISA Committee RP42:

NAME COMPANY
W. D. Wilson Crawford Fitting Company
F. Zikas Parker Hannifin Corporation
K. L. Hopkins BP America
B. J. Traylor Sandwell, Inc.
B. Fogleman Fogleman Company
R. Lacluyse Lesman Instrument Company

This recommended practice was approved for publication by the ISA Standards and Practices
Board on September 30, 1991.
NAME COMPANY

J. Rennie Factory Mutual Research Corporation

W. C. Weidman Gilbert/Commonwealth, Inc.
H. D. Bauman H. D. Bauman & Associates
D. N. Bishop Chevron USA. Inc.
C. R. Gross Dow Chemical
H. S. Hopkins Utility Products of Arizona

ISA-RP42.1-1992 3
K. P. Lindner Endress & Hauser GmbH & Company
G. R. McFarland ABB Power Automation, Inc.
E. M. Nesvig ERDCO Engineering Corporation
R. D. Prescott Moore Products Company
D. E. Rapley Rapley Engineering Services
R. H. Reimer Allen-Bradley Company
R. C. Webb Pacific Gas & Electric Company
Dr. J. R. Whetstone Nat'l Inst. of Standards & Technology
M. A. Widmeyer The Supply Company
C. A. Williams Eastman Kodak Company
P. Bliss* Consultant
W. Calder III* The Foxboro Company
L. N. Combs* Consultant
N. Conger* Retired
T. J. Harrison* Florida State University
R. T. Jones* Retired
R. E. Keller* Consultant
E. C. Magison* Honeywell,Inc.
R. G. Marvin* Consultant
A. P McCauley* Chagrin Valley Controls,Inc.
W. B. Miller* Retired
J. W. Mock* Bechtel Western Power Corporation
G. Platt* Consultant
K. Whitman* ABB Combustion Engineering
J. R. Williams* Stearns Catalytic Corporation

*Directors Emeriti

4 ISA-RP42.1-1992
 Contents

1 Purpose ............................................................................................................................. 7

2 Scope ................................................................................................................................ 7

3 Specifications ................................................................................................................... 7

4 Fittings .............................................................................................................................. 9

ISA-RP42.1-1992 5
1 Purpose

The purpose of this standard is to aid in the proper specification and application of instrument
tube fittings by standardizing nomenclature. Proper use of this standard should result in data
that: more accurately describes a particular fitting for all interested parties; permits better
communications between manufacturer, vendor, purchaser, and ultimate user; provides
standardized nomenclature to be used by drafting, billing, purchasing, and stores groups; and
makes more clear the use of standardized drafting symbols and abbreviations for the more
commonly used instrument tube fittings.

2 Scope

This standard defines nomenclature for tube fittings most commonly used in instrumentation. It
is not intended as a substitute for manufacturers' catalog numbers, nor does it apply to special
fittings. This standard is intended to apply to mechanical flared and flareless tube fittings as
commonly used in instrument tubing systems.

3 Specifications

3.1 Each tube fitting in a bill of material or purchase order should be specified in the following order:
a) Fitting material
b) Tube outside diameter
c) Pipe thread (NPT* or NPTF**)
d) Standard name (see Section 4)
e) Flared or flareless
Example: brass 1/4 in. x 1/4 in. NPT male connector, flareless

3.2 Special tube fittings not covered by this standard should be specified as listed in manufacturers'
catalogs. Manufacturer and catalog number should be given after size and other pertinent data.

3.3 The ports for each tube tee or cross shown in details 4.8 to 4.13 should be specified in the
order indicated by the port numbers in the detailed drawings.
Example: Using 4.9: brass 1/4 in. x 1/4 in. NPT x 1/4 in. tube male run tee, flareless

*ANSI Standard Taper Pipe Thread from ANSI B2.1-1968

**ANSI Standard Taper Pipe Thread (Dryseal) from ANSI B1.20.3

ISA-RP42.1-1992 7
3.4 Standard abbreviations may be used on drawings and bills of material as shown in Section 4.

3.5 Symbols used on drawings should be as shown in Section 4.

3.6 When metric tubing sizes are in use, the specifications should use metric dimensions. If pipe
threads other than NPT and NPTF are required, they should be spelled out as follows:
Example: Brass 6 mm OD x 1/4 in. ISO R7 tapered male connector, flared
Male or female ISA taper (ISO R7)
Male or female ISO parallel (ISO R228)

3.7 CAD-generated detailed drawings may be substituted for the equivalent schematic symbol.

8 ISA-RP42.1-1992
4 Fittings

ISA-RP42.1-1992 9
10 ISA-RP42.1-1992
ISA-RP42.1-1992 11
12 ISA-RP42.1-1992
ISA-RP42.1-1992 13
Developing and promulgating technically sound consensus standards,
recommended practices, and technical reports is one of ISA's primary
goals. To achieve this goal the Standards and Practices Department
relies on the technical expertise and efforts of volunteer committee
members, chairmen, and reviewers.
ISA is an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) accredited
organization. ISA administers United States Technical Advisory
Groups (USTAGs) and provides secretariat support for International
Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and International Organization for
Standardization (ISO) committees that develop process measurement
and control standards. To obtain additional information on the
Society's standards program, please write:

ISA
Attn: Standards Department
67 Alexander Drive
P.O. Box 12277
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709

ISBN: 1-55617-256-7