316 Stainless Steel ORB Fittings - For Corrosive Environments

The Shop Floor Truth on Stainless ORB

Anyone can make a fitting shiny. Keeping it from turning into a pile of rust is a different game entirely. If you're spec'ing parts for hard-use equipment, here’s the straight dope—no marketing BS.

When to Stop Gambling with Plated Steel

This is simple. You switch to stainless when your fittings are going to be constantly attacked. That means:

• Saltwater & Salt Spray: On boats, docks, offshore rigs. Plating will eventually fail here. It’s not if, but when.
• Caustic Chemicals: In processing plants where they use harsh cleaners. A standard zinc coating gets stripped right off.
• Food & Pharma: You can't have rust flakes in the product. Period. Stainless is the only option.
• Urea / DEF Systems: Diesel Exhaust Fluid is notoriously corrosive to many metals, including carbon steel. 316 SS is one of the approved materials.

The Only Grade That Matters: 316. Period.

Don't let a supplier sell you on generic "stainless." There's a night-and-day difference. We use 316 Stainless, and here’s why it matters: Molybdenum. That’s the secret sauce. It’s an element they add to the steel that specifically fights off rust from salt and other chlorides. Using a cheaper 304 fitting on a boat is just plain negligence—it’ll pit, it’ll rust, and it’ll fail.

The No-BS Trade-Offs

• It Costs More. Yeah, no kidding. Machining this stuff is tough on our tools and takes more time. You're buying uptime, not cheap metal. The cost of one failure on a critical piece of equipment dwarfs the cost of the fitting.
• The Threads Can Seize (Galling). This is a real problem. Stainless-on-stainless threads can lock up tight if you install them dry. Use a little anti-seize paste that's right for your system, or you’ll be cutting it off later.

Bottom line is this: a stainless fitting is a calculated decision. It’s the part you use when a leak is more than just a drip—it's a critical failure that could shut down an entire operation. It's an insurance policy written in steel.

Straight Answers to Stainless ORB Questions