How to Order EN 10253-2 Type B Fittings: A Purchase-Order Template for European Buyers

Why the purchase order matters more than the RFQ

Most problems with imported fittings are not caused by bad manufacturing. They are caused by an order that left something open. The RFQ stage is where you ask for prices; the purchase order is the contract the manufacturer builds to, the inspector inspects to and the certificate is written against. If the PO says "EN 10253-2 elbows" and nothing else, the supplier is entitled to deliver any fitting that meets that sentence, which may not be the fitting your piping designer assumed.

We have covered the enquiry stage in how to write a pipe fitting RFQ that gets an accurate quote. This article picks up after the quotation has been accepted and focuses on the points that are specific to EN 10253-2 Type B.

Type A or Type B: say it in words

EN 10253-2 covers buttwelding fittings in non-alloy and ferritic alloy steels with specific inspection requirements. It defines two design types:

• Type A fittings have a reduced pressure factor. They are made with the same nominal wall as the pipe, and the piping designer must account for the lower pressure capacity of the fitting.
• Type B fittings are for use at full service pressure. They have the same strength as the connecting pipe of the same material and wall thickness, which usually means additional wall in the highly stressed zones (for example the intrados of an elbow or the crotch of a tee).

Because both types sit under the same standard number, "EN 10253-2" on its own is incomplete. Type A is usually cheaper to make, so an open order invites a Type A offer. Write the type in full on every line item, and repeat it in the general technical clauses so that it cannot be lost when lines are copied. Our page on EN 10253 Type A vs Type B fittings explains the difference in more detail.

The purchase-order template

The template below is a starting point. Adapt it to your company's PO format and to your project specification, and delete clauses that do not apply. Text in square brackets is for you to fill in.

1. Header and commercial data

The order acknowledgement clause is more useful than it looks. It forces any deviation (a different wall, a different material starting form, a different certificate type) to surface before steel is cut, not at final inspection.

2. Line item description

Every line should carry the fitting type and geometry, the standard and type, the steel name and number, the outside diameter and wall of the connecting pipe, the end preparation and the inspection document. EN product standards list the information the purchaser must supply and the options the purchaser may choose; anything you do not specify falls back to the manufacturer's default.

3. Bore matching

A Type B fitting can have a smaller bore than the pipe it joins, because of the extra wall it carries. For most lines that is acceptable. For lines that will be pigged, inspected internally, or where a smooth root run matters for welding, ask for the ends to be machined to match the bore of your pipe. Arshya offers bore machining as a service; the PO should state the pipe inside diameter or the pipe standard and wall so that the machined length and transition can be agreed.

4. Technical clauses that apply to all lines

5. Inspection and test plan

For project orders, ask for an inspection and test plan (ITP) and mark the points where your inspector or a third party must witness. Typical hold or witness points are chemical and mechanical testing on the material, final dimensional inspection including wall thickness at the Type B reinforced zones, and the review of the final certificate. See our guide to inspection and test plans for pipe fitting procurement for a fuller list.

6. Certificates: 3.1 or 3.2

EN 10204 3.1 is issued by the manufacturer's authorised inspection representative, independent of the manufacturing department. EN 10204 3.2 adds a countersignature from the purchaser's authorised inspector or an inspector designated by official regulations. If you need 3.2, name the body on the PO. Arshya issues 3.1 as standard and arranges 3.2 with TÜV, Lloyd's Register, Bureau Veritas, DNV, SGS or your own inspector on request. Our page on EN 10204 3.1 vs 3.2 certificates explains what each document must contain.

7. Deviations and concessions

Add one sentence: "Any deviation from this order requires written approval from the buyer before manufacture or dispatch." It sounds obvious, but without it a supplier who cannot source a particular wall may substitute a heavier one and machine it, which may or may not be acceptable for your design.

Common mistakes on EN 10253-2 orders

• Mixing ASME and EN in one line. "DN 200 SCH 40 EN 10253-2" mixes an ASME schedule with an EN standard. State the wall in millimetres for EN orders.
• Grade without the material number. Give both the steel name and number, for example P265GH (1.0425), so there is no doubt.
• No connecting pipe data. Without the pipe standard and wall, the manufacturer cannot confirm the Type B wall or bore.
• Leaving PED to the end. If the piping is in a PED category that needs specific documentation for materials, say so on the order.
• Nickel alloys under EN 10253. EN 10253 covers steels only. Nickel alloy fittings are ordered to other specifications.

How Arshya handles an EN 10253-2 order

Type B is our specialism, although we supply Type A as well. Fittings are manufactured at our group manufacturing facility, Arshya Engineers & Fabrications Pvt Ltd (AEFPL), at Village Dundsa, Palwal, Haryana. AEFPL holds a PED 2014/68/EU material manufacturer certificate issued by TÜV Rheinland (notified body 0035, test basis EN 764-5 / AD 2000-Merkblatt W0), together with AD 2000-Merkblatt HP 0, ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001. Heat treatment is done in-house, and capacity is around 300 tonnes of fittings. You can download the certificates from our quality page.

Before we confirm an order we run a technical review of grade, fitting type, dimensions, wall thickness, testing and documents, so that any open point is closed at the acknowledgement stage. We quote in EUR, USD or INR, with no minimum order. For more on how a European order is shipped and documented, see export to Europe.

Frequently asked questions