What's the Difference Between AN and JIC Fittings & Where Does Air-Way "Fit" In?

Friday, March 9, 2018

Are JIC and AN hydraulic fittings the same thing? In the hydraulics industry, JIC and AN fittings are terms thrown around and searched for online interchangeably. Air-Way digs in to uncover whether or not JIC and AN are related.

Historical Context of the AN Fitting

AN stands for Air Force – Navy Aeronautical Design Standards (also known as “Army Navy”) that are used in U.S. Military aviation applications. These fittings are made to meet strict performance standards related to the aeronautical industry. The use of "AN" fittings increased to include most branches of U.S. Military, Military Contractors, General Aviation and Commercial Aviation. As these fittings were adopted for use in many land and sea applications, confusion between AN and its industrial counterpart, the SAE 37° fitting occurred. In the 1960s, several versions of 37° flare fittings flooded the industrial market, all claiming the AN standard, creating a nightmare for the users. 

JIC Steps In

The Joint Industries Council (JIC), sought to clear the air by standardizing the specifications on this type of fitting by creating the "JIC" fitting standard, a 37-degree fitting with a slightly lower class of thread quality than the military AN version. The SAE went on to adopt this JIC standard as well. It’s important to note that the AN and JIC specifications are no longer in existence in most cases.

The majority of the hydraulic population agrees, the JIC (or SAE) 37 degree fittings are generally interchangeable with AN fittings. JIC fittings are not acceptable for military aviation or aerospace use, but for agricultural equipment, construction equipment, heavy machinery applications or material handling. JIC / SAE adapters are the answer. And it’s worth noting that the JIC fittings are a fraction of the price of their true "AN" counterparts.  

Difference Details

Technically speaking, AN fittings are manufactured to MIL-F-5509, and industrial 37-degree flare fittings are manufactured to meet SAE J514/ISO-8434-2. (Learn how to cross reference Military Specification numbers with this Air-Way tutorial.)

The most notable difference between these standards are in the threads. AN fittings use an increased root radius thread ("J" thread) and a tighter tolerance (Class 3) to achieve a 40% increase in fatigue strength and 10% increase in shear strength. Material requirements also differ greatly.  These two fittings function the same, they look the same, AND the industrial version is much less expensive to manufacture. The “JIC” / SAE J514 fittings produced by Air-Way exceed all of the qualification requirements specified.

How Air-Way Fits In  

AW FLARE-O® Hydraulic Fittings provide the most reliable seal on the market, including an elastomeric seal for a leak-proof, drop-in replacement for SAE 37 Degree Flared Tube Fittings. In other words, The FLARE-O® adapter is fully compatible with the industrial 37° flare design, with its dual seal system.  Make sense? And, with the addition of an elastomeric O-Ring, hydraulic leaks vanish.

Whether your fitting needs are Mil Spec, SAE, or custom, we have the experience and technical capability to provide you with accurate pricing structures and quick RFQ responses. Our goal is to streamline communication, simplify the process, and compress delivery time by staying up-to-date on all technical aspects of production. To learn more about our hydraulic fittings and adapters for any kind of application, please call us at 800-253-1036 or contact us today.

 

Sources:

http://blog.parker.com/an-37-flare-vs-industrial-37-flare-fittings-whats-the-difference

http://www.onallcylinders.com/2013/06/06/quick-tech-an-vs-npt-fittings-and-how-they-relate/

http://www.valvers.com/engineering/an-and-jic-fittings/