Our shop sits in San Pedro at the Port of Los Angeles, so ships are part of the view every day. Navy ships, Coast Guard cutters, container ships and cruise ships all depend on hydraulics, instrument lines and gauges that have to work in salt air and constant vibration. After 20 years in the instrumentation valve and fitting business, here's how A-Best Industrial Inc. Fittings, Valves, and Tubing helps the people who keep those vessels running.
U.S. Navy Ships
A-Best Industrial Inc. Fittings, Valves, and Tubing and DK-Lok are no strangers to Navy work. DK-Lok is the primary tube fitting brand the U.S. Navy and Austal USA use to build U.S. Navy ships. When you order DK-Lok from us for a Navy job, you're getting the same brand the ships are built with.
For military applications, we supply DFARS compliant fittings and tubing, including 316/316L and 304/304L stainless tubing. Buy compliant fittings and compliant tubing together so every wetted metal part in the run meets the contract. See our tubing page for what's on the shelf.
U.S. Coast Guard Cutters and Boats
Coast Guard cutters and small boats run hard in rough water. Steering, davits, winches and deck gear lean on hydraulic hose and fittings, and the engine room depends on gauges a crew can read at a glance. Our hoses are US Coast Guard approved, and we build hose assemblies while you wait.
If you're buying for a government vessel, tell us up front what the contract calls for, such as DFARS compliant material, so we quote the right parts the first time.
Container Ships at the Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach
Our harbor is one of the busiest in the country. Container lines like Maersk, MSC, CMA CGM, COSCO, Evergreen and Ocean Network Express (ONE) bring ships into the harbor every week. Every one of those ships has hydraulic hatch and crane systems, fuel and lube lines, and gauges that need attention between voyages.
When a ship engineer, port maintenance crew or marine contractor needs a hose or fitting before the ship sails, time is short. We're minutes from the terminals, and we can build the hose while you wait.
Cruise Ships at the World Cruise Center and Long Beach
Cruise lines like Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, Norwegian Cruise Line and Virgin Voyages sail from the Los Angeles World Cruise Center here in San Pedro, and Carnival Cruise Line sails from the Long Beach cruise terminal. Turnaround days are tight. If a hydraulic line, valve or gauge needs replacing before the ship leaves, the crew and the contractors who support them need parts on hand that day.
What We Supply for All of Them
- Fittings, including DK-Lok instrumentation tube fittings in 316 stainless in standard and metric sizes, plus pipe fittings and hose fittings. Browse our compression tube fittings.
- Hydraulic hose assemblies built while you wait. Our hoses are US Coast Guard approved. See our hose assemblies page.
- Stainless pressure gauges, glycerin filled and dry. A glycerin-filled gauge steadies the needle under engine vibration, and an all-stainless case holds up in salt air.
- Valves, including DK-Lok instrument valves, Mercer Valve pressure relief valves and industrial pipe, valves and fittings.
- Tube clamps to support tubing runs against vibration, so fittings don't work loose and tubing doesn't fatigue.
- Tools for tube prep: RIDGID tube benders and RIDGID tube cutters made for stainless, deburring tools, pre-swaging tools, gap inspection gauges, the GRIP-IT TOOL that keeps tubing from spinning while you cut, and the Fitting Tool that holds fittings steady while you work. They're on our tools page.
Already Have Swagelok or Parker Aboard?
You don't have to replumb a ship to use DK-Lok. DK-Lok tube fittings are 100% interchangeable and intermixable with Swagelok and Parker A-Lok for like size and material, properly assembled per the DK-Lok catalog. In ASTM F1387 testing witnessed by TÜV Rheinland, 14 combinations of intermixed DK-Lok and Swagelok nuts, ferrules and bodies passed 100% of the testing, with "No failure observed." DK-Lok also confirms it in its Parker A-Lok interchangeability letter. We can also supply Swagelok and Parker when a project needs them.
Leak Test Every Joint You Touched
Once the line is pressurized per site procedure, apply Gator Leak Detector all the way around each joint you touched and watch for bubbles or foam. On male connectors and other NPT-to-tube fittings, check the pipe-thread joint as well as the tube nut. If something leaks, isolate and depressurize before putting a wrench on it. Never tighten a fitting under pressure.
After-Hours Emergency Service
Ships don't always break down during business hours. We're open Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM Pacific, and we offer after-hours emergency service when a vessel can't wait until morning.
Let Us Help Keep Your Vessel Moving
Whether you're working on a Navy ship, a cutter, a container ship or a cruise ship, A-Best Industrial Inc. Fittings, Valves, and Tubing is right here at the Port of Los Angeles. Call 310-833-3353 or email sales@abesttube.com.
Swagelok, Parker A-Lok, Maersk, MSC, CMA CGM, COSCO, Evergreen, Ocean Network Express (ONE), Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, Norwegian Cruise Line, Virgin Voyages and Carnival Cruise Line are trademarks of their respective owners. Names are used only to identify ships that call at our harbor; no affiliation or endorsement is implied.