ASME B31.
3-2014
Joints by Soldering of Copper and Copper Alloy Tube
and Fittings.
333.2 Brazing and Soldering Materials
333.2.1 Brazing Filler Metal and Flux. Brazing filler
metal and flux shall comply with AWS A5.8,
Specification for Filler Metals for Brazing and Braze
Welding, and AWS A5.31, Specification for Fluxes for
Brazing and Braze Welding, respectively, or other filler
metals and fluxes that have been qualified in accordance
with ASME Section IX.
333.2.2 Soldering Filler Metal and Flux. Soldering
filler metal and flux shall comply with ASTM B32,
Standard Specification for Solder Metal, and
ASTM B813, Standard Specification for Liquid and Paste
Fluxes for Soldering of Copper and Copper Alloy Tube,
respectively.
333.3 Preparation and Cleaning
333.3.1 Surface Preparation. The surfaces to be
brazed or soldered shall be clean and free from grease,
oxides, paint, scale, and dirt of any kind. A suitable
chemical or mechanical cleaning method shall be used
if necessary to provide a clean wettable surface.
333.3.2 Joint Clearance. The clearance between sur-
faces to be joined by soldering or brazing shall be no
larger than necessary to allow complete capillary distri-
bution of the filler metal.
333.3.3 Flux Removal. Residual flux shall be
removed.
335 ASSEMBLY AND ERECTION
335.1 Alignment
(a) Piping Distortions. Any distortion of piping to
bring it into alignment for joint assembly that introduces
a detrimental strain in equipment or piping components
is prohibited.
(b) Cold Spring. Before assembling any joints to be
cold sprung, guides, supports, and anchors shall be
examined for errors that might interfere with desired
movement or lead to undesired movement. The gap or
overlap of piping prior to assembly shall be checked
against the drawing and corrected if necessary. Heating
shall not be used to help in closing the gap because it
defeats the purpose of cold springing.
(c) Flanged Joints. Unless otherwise specified in the
engineering design, flanged joints shall be aligned as
described in subparas. (1) or (2), and (3).
(1) Before bolting, mating gasket contact surfaces
shall be aligned to each other within 1 mm in 200 mm
(½ 6 in./ft), measured across any diameter.
(2) The flanged joint shall be capable of being
bolted such that the gasket contact surfaces bear uni-
formly on the gasket.
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Copyright© 2015 by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
No reproduction ma be made of this material ~thout written consent of ASME~
(3) Flange bolt holes shall be aligned within 3 mm
(½ in.) maximum offset.
335.2 Flanged Joints
335.2.1 Preparation for Assembly. Any damage to
the gasket seating surface that would prevent gasket
seating shall be repaired, or the flange shall be replaced.
335.2.2 Bolting Torque
(a) In assembling flanged joints, the gasket shall be
uniformly compressed to the proper design loading.
(b) Special care shall be used in assembling flanged
joints in which the flanges have widely differing
mechanical properties. Tightening to a predetermined
torque is recommended.
335.2.3 Bolt Length. Bolts should extend com-
pletely through their nuts. Any that fail to do so are
considered acceptably engaged if the lack of complete
engagement is not more than one thread.
335.2.4 Gaskets. No more than one gasket shall be
used between contact faces in assembling a flanged joint.
335.3 Threaded Joints
335.3.1 Thread Compound or Lubricant. Any com-
pound or lubricant used on threads shall be suitable for
the service conditions and shall not react unfavorably
with either the service fluid or the piping material.
335.3.2 Joints for Seal Welding. A threaded joint
to be seal welded shall be made up without thread com-
pound. A joint containing thread compound that leaks
during leak testing may be seal welded in accordance
with para. 328.5.3, provided all compound is removed
from exposed threads.
335.3.3 Straight Threaded Joints. Typical joints
using straight threads, with sealing at a surface other
than the threads, are shown in Fig. 335.3.3, illustrations
(a), (b), and (c). Care shall be taken to avoid distorting
the seat when incorporating such joints into piping
assemblies by welding, brazing, or bonding.
335.4 Tubing Joints
335.4.1 Flared Tubing Joints. The sealing surface
of the flare shall be examined for imperfections before
assembly and any flare having imperfections shall be
rejected.
335.4.2 Flareless and Compression Tubing Joints.
Where the manufacturer's instructions call for a speci-
fied number of turns of the nut, these shall be counted
from the point at which the nut becomes finger tight.
335.5 Caulked Joints
Caulked joints shall be installed and assembled in
accordance with the manufacturer's instructions, as