Hybrid Tees: Obtaining the Impossible
On large or unusual pipelines, the fitting you actually need often does not exist as a standard, off-the-shelf part. That is the gap hybrid tees are built to close. They combine the custom flexibility of fabrication with the full pressure rating of a moulded fitting, enabling Advanced Piping Systems to supply fully rated PE tees in sizes and configurations that would otherwise be impossible to source. The result is a made-to-order fitting that behaves like a standard one on the pressure chart.
What is a hybrid tee?
Every HDPE project eventually faces the same decision between fabricated and moulded fittings. Moulded fittings maintain their full pressure rating but are available only in a limited set of sizes and shapes. Fabricated fittings can be built to almost any size and configuration, but they are usually derated to account for the welded joints, so you trade flexibility for pressure capacity. We unpack that trade-off in detail in Fabricated or Moulded: which fitting is best?
Hybrid tees are the answer to choosing. By combining moulded and fabricated techniques, a hybrid tee keeps the made-to-order freedom of fabrication while retaining the full pressure rating you would expect from a moulded part. In practical terms, you get the exact tee your design calls for without the usual capacity penalty.
Full pressure rating without the size limit
This is where hybrid tees obtain the impossible. A conventional fabricated tee at a large diameter is typically derated, so a big pipeline can end up with a fitting that quietly caps the pressure of the whole run. Our hybrid tees are fully pressure-rated up to PN25 across the range, up to PE at 1600 mm. That means the fitting is no longer the weak point in a high-pressure system, and designers do not have to work around a derated component.
For projects that comply with Australian standards, matching fittings correctly to the pipeline is central to good design, and the PIPA industry guidelines remain the authoritative reference for PE pressure systems. Hybrid tees make that job easier because the fitting carries the same rating as the pipe it joins.
The range at a glance
Our custom range of equal and reducing hybrid tees covers the configurations most projects need:
- Size range from 110 mm to 1600 mm
- Fully pressure rated up to PN25
- Available as equal tees, reducing tees, crosses or combination fittings
- Suitable for both gas and water applications
- Custom and made to order to suit your design
Because they are made to order, hybrid tees are ideal when a drawing calls for a branch, reduction or crossover that simply is not offered as a standard moulded part.
Choosing the right configuration
Getting the most from a hybrid tee starts with specifying the right shape for the duty. If you are weighing up equal versus reducing branches, or working out how a tee sits within a larger assembly, our guide on how to choose the right tee for the job is a useful starting point. It is also worth understanding why the quality of your fittings matters, since a fitting is only as good as the way it is made and rated.
Talk to us about your next project
If your design needs a large-diameter or non-standard PE tee without a pressure penalty, hybrid tees are almost certainly the answer. Talk to us about how you can use them in your next project. Our Customer Service team is available five days a week, 7.00am to 5.00pm, on 1300 362 229.
