332996: Fabricated Pipe and Pipe Fitting Manufacturing

What this code covers

Census assigns 332996 to plants that fabricate pipe and pipe fittings from pipe they buy, by cutting, threading, bending, and welding. The mill that makes the pipe uses a different code, and so does a shop that forges or casts fittings from raw metal.

In defense and aerospace that means shipboard piping spools and assemblies, bent tube and pipe sections, welded manifolds and headers, exhaust and vent sections, fuel and cooling water runs for shore facilities, and piping for test stands and launch pads. Fluid power tube fittings made in volume fall under 332912.

What federal buyers typically ask for

Naval shipyards and ship repair activities are the heaviest public buyers of fabricated pipe, posting spools and assemblies for overhauls and availabilities. Navy supply activities post piping assemblies by stock number. NASA centers, test ranges, and the Army Corps of Engineers post piping for facilities and test stands. DLA posts some pipe assemblies through its maritime supply chain.

Naval work sets the quality bar. Expect welding and brazing qualification to Navy technical publications, weld inspection and nondestructive test records, hydrostatic or pneumatic testing, cleanliness rules for oxygen, hydraulic, and potable water systems, and material certs traced to the heat. Submarine work adds a material control program that most new shops must build toward. Steel, nickel alloy, and titanium pipe carry the DFARS specialty metals clause. Facility piping follows construction specifications and often needs submittals and stamped drawings.

Total small business set-asides are common on shipyard spools and small assemblies. Larger availabilities often bundle piping inside a ship repair contract held by a prime.