End Forming and Fittings

At Listertube, we offer a comprehensive range of tube end forming and fitting services, supporting everything from standard hydraulic and pneumatic connections to bespoke end forms designed for specific applications.

Our extensive range of tooling and specialist equipment covers both custom and industry-standard end forms, including:

ORFS
Triple-Lok
Walform
Hydraulic and pneumatic end fittings
DIN 2353 assemblies
Tube nuts and rings

With decades of experience in fluid transfer systems, we understand the importance of achieving reliable, leak-free connections and can supply fittings either loose or fully assembled to your specification.

Bespoke End Forming Solutions

In many cases, we already have suitable tooling available, helping to minimise cost and lead times. Where a unique solution is required, we can manufacture bespoke tooling to meet your exact requirements.

We also offer machined hose-tail ends for lower-pressure hose connection applications.

Tube Assembly
and Mechanical Joining

Where mechanical fixing or tube-to-tube assembly is required, we provide a range of end-forming options, including:

Notching

Notching, also known as fish-mouthing or cod-mouthing, creates a contoured profile on the tube end, allowing it to fit neatly around another tube. The joint can then be welded or brazed, either by us or as part of your own production process. Notched tube ends are widely used in structural fabrications, frames and furniture manufacture.

Mitre cutting

Mitre cutting produces accurate angled cuts on the end of a tube, making it ideal for tube construction projects. Bespoke cutting jigs can be produced where complex or compound angles are required, ensuring consistent accuracy, repeatability and assembly quality.

Tube flattening

Tube flattening is commonly used for structural applications and mounting points. Where required, holes can also be added to flattened sections to allow bolted assembly between components, providing a simple and effective joining solution.

Swaging & Expanding

Swaging and expanding allow one tube to fit securely inside another, creating flexible assembly solutions that can be temporary, customer assembled, welded or brazed, depending on the application. These methods provide designers with greater flexibility when creating tube-to-tube joints.

Internal and external threading

We offer both internal and external threading on tube ends. While threaded tube solutions can present design challenges relating to wall thickness and post-bend machining, they can provide a robust and reliable joining method. For many applications, attaching a threaded end fitting using a standard end form may offer a more cost-effective solution.

FLOW DRILLING FOR MANIFOLD APPLICATIONS

For manifold assemblies, threading stub pieces on one end can provide an effective connection solution, particularly when combined with our flow drilling capability. This process creates a formed material boss within the tube wall, providing sufficient thread engagement for strong, secure and reliable connections.

Tube End
design guide

Looking for guidance on tube end forming, joining methods and fitting selection?Download our free Tube End Design Guide for expert advice on end forms, threading, swaging, flow drilling and design-for-manufacture best practices.