Part 21 Report - 1998-641

ACCESSION #: 9809150166

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SWAGELOK COMPANY

29500 Solon Road, Solon, Ohio 44139-3492 U.S.A.

September 9, 1998

Document Control Desk
Office of Reactor Regulation
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Washington, DC 20555

Subject: Defects Potentially Reportable Under 10CFR21

We are writing to inform you about a possible machining defect in certain one inch stainless steel Swagelok front ferrules, part number SS-1613-1.

The front ferrule is shipped as a component in a Swagelok tube fitting, or sold separately as a replacement part.

A list containing the part numbers of assembled fittings and nuclear safety related certifications under which these ferrules have been sold is enclosed. All of these customers have already been notified by us about this possible problem. Only front ferrules with the heat codes ILA, JVA and JYL stamped on the part are affected; and only one inch ferrules are involved.

The possible defect is that the 45 degree chamfer on the trailing edge of the ferrule may not be correct. A drawing is enclosed that shows this dimension, along with a drawing that illustrates the front ferrules' position in the Swagelok tube fitting. When these ferrules were machined, an improper set-up allowed a few pieces to be manufactured with an inappropriate dimension. Our inspection of the lots involved shows that about 0.019 per cent of the ferrules manufactured in these lots were affected.

Laboratory testing of these parts with this incorrect dimension had the tubing slip out of the fitting at three times working pressure of the tubing.

Our corrective action includes doubling our sample size on these parts and implementing a long term project to 100 per cent inspect using automation.

If there are any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Sincerely, Kennan J. Malec Vice President & General Manager Telephone: 440-248-4600 Fax: 440-349-5970

SWAGELOK COMPANY

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Table "SS-1613-1"

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