FasMate® FX External High-Pressure Connection Tool
Collet-based grip-and-seal connector for threaded and custom external applications up to 5000 psi.
- Lever, thumb valve and pneumatic actuations available.
- Fast, safe and repeatable connections.
- Pressure assisted connections.
- Split collet design locks securely and will not damage threaded parts.
ICON™ | Intelligent Connection Technology
ICON™ sealing connection tools generate data and provide LED feedback to improve sealing connection accuracy, maximize production efficiency, and optimize tool maintenance. Available for select models. Learn more.
Designed For: leak testing and other related processes.
FX Datasheet: Click Here
FX Operating Instructions: Click Here
FX ICON Operating Instructions: Click Here
FX Main Seal Replacement: Click Here
FX Rebuild / Repair: Click Here
FX Thumb Valve Rebuild: Click Here
Product Video: Watch Here
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The External High-Pressure Connector for Threads and Tube Features
The FasMate FX is an external high-pressure connector that makes instant FX connections to threaded ports, tube features, and custom external geometries up to 5,000 psi (345 bar). Instead of wrenching a test fitting onto the part, the operator engages the FasMate FX over the external thread or feature and a split collet locks it securely — a fast, repeatable FX connection with no thread tape, no sealant, and no multi-turn engagement.
The split collet is the heart of the FasMate FX: it grips the external thread or feature evenly around its circumference and locks under load, holding the connection at full 5,000 psi test pressure without rotating against or damaging the threads. Because the collet grips rather than threads on, the part’s threads stay undamaged across thousands of test cycles — a critical advantage when testing finished, high-value components.
FX connections are pressure-assisted: as test pressure rises, the seal is energized further, so sealing performance scales with the application rather than fighting it. The FasMate FX is available with lever, thumb valve, and pneumatic actuation, making it equally at home in manual benchtop testing and fully automated high-pressure test stations across fluid power, aerospace, and high-pressure automotive applications.
The FasMate FX is the external counterpart to the FasMate FN: where the FN seals inside an internal threaded bore, the FX seals onto external threads and features. Both share the same 5,000 psi split-collet, no-wrench platform. The FasMate FX is available with ICON™ intelligent connection technology, adding SURE SEAL™ verification, safety interlocks, and real-time data for PLC-integrated automated stations.
The Problem the FasMate FX Solves
Making a high-pressure external connection for leak testing is slow and hard on parts when done with traditional fittings:
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Threading wastes time and wears parts: Wrenching a test fitting onto every external thread — and off again — is slow, and repeated threading galls and wears the threads of finished, high-value components, eventually scrapping good parts.
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High pressure demands a secure lock: At 5,000 psi, a connection that relies on thread engagement alone is both slow to make and a safety concern. The connection has to lock positively and hold under full load.
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Mixed thread and feature types: Production lines test a range of external threads (NPT, BSPT/BSPP, JIC, ORFS, metric) and tube features (flared, beaded, barbed, formed). A single-thread test fitting can’t cover that variety.
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Manual and automated needs differ: Benchtop testing wants a simple lever or thumb valve; automated stations need pneumatic actuation and seal verification. One actuation method rarely fits both.
The FasMate FX solves all of this with a split collet that locks over external threads and features in one motion — pressure-assisted to 5,000 psi, non-damaging to threads, covering a wide range of geometries, and available in lever, thumb valve, and pneumatic actuation.
Key Features
Lever, Thumb Valve, and Pneumatic Actuation
The FasMate FX is offered with three actuation methods so the same connection technology fits any workflow. A lever handle suits manual benchtop testing; a thumb valve adds inline media control at the operator’s fingertip; and pneumatic actuation enables hands-free, PLC-triggered connection on automated high-pressure test stations. One platform spans manual and automated production.
Fast, Safe, Repeatable FX Connections
FX connections are made in seconds with a single motion — no thread tape, no sealant, no wrenching. The connection is consistent across operators and cycles, giving high-pressure test lines the speed and repeatability that hand-threaded fittings can’t match, while the positive collet lock keeps the connection safe at 5,000 psi.
Pressure-Assisted Sealing
The FasMate FX uses pressure-assisted sealing: rising test pressure energizes the seal further rather than working against it. This means sealing performance scales with the application — the higher the test pressure, the more firmly the FX connection seals — delivering reliable results across the full range up to 5,000 psi (345 bar).
Split Collet Locks Without Damaging Threads
The split collet grips the external thread or feature evenly around its circumference and locks securely under load. Because it grips rather than rotating onto the thread, the FasMate FX does not gall, cross-thread, or wear the part’s threads — protecting finished, high-value components across thousands of test cycles. This is the FasMate FX’s defining advantage over threaded test fittings.
ICON™ Intelligent Connection Technology
The FasMate FX is available with ICON™ for select models, adding SURE SEAL™ digital seal verification, LED feedback (green = good connection), safety interlock signals, and real-time data output. For automated high-pressure stations, ICON™ provides the PLC handshake confirming the FX connection has achieved a verified seal before the test cycle initiates.
Technical Specifications
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Product Type | External high-pressure split-collet connector for threads, tube features, and custom external geometries. |
| Connects To | Expanded, flared, beaded, barbed, and formed tubes; JIC 37° swivel nuts and flares; ORFS swivel nuts; NPT, BSPT/BSPP, metric external threads; 45° flare; compression fittings; other threads within range; and custom features. |
| Grip Method | Split collet locks securely over the external thread or feature without damaging threaded parts. |
| Sealing | Pressure-assisted — seal energizes further as test pressure rises. |
| Max Pressure Rating | Vacuum to 5,000 psi (345 bar). |
| Actuation Method | Lever handle | thumb valve | pneumatic. |
| Actuation Type | External features / threads. |
| ICON™ Availability | Available with ICON™ for select models: SURE SEAL™ verification, safety interlocks, real-time data, PLC integration. |
| Related Product | FasMate FN — the internal high-pressure counterpart (seals inside threaded bores), same 5,000 psi platform. |
| Target Industries | Fluid power / hydraulics, aerospace, high-pressure automotive, and general high-pressure component testing. |
| Documentation | Standard and ICON operating instructions, main seal replacement, thumb valve rebuild, and rebuild/repair instructions available for download. |
Where the FasMate FX Is Used
Fluid Power & Hydraulic Component Testing
Hydraulic fittings, hoses, manifolds, and valve bodies are proof- and leak-tested at high pressures. The FasMate FX makes fast external FX connections to JIC, ORFS, NPT, BSPP, and metric threads at up to 5,000 psi, replacing the threaded test fittings that slow down hydraulic test benches and wear the component threads.
Aerospace Component Testing
Aerospace fluid and pneumatic components demand high-pressure leak testing with strict part protection. The FasMate FX’s split collet grips external threads and features without galling or marring, supporting the proof and leak testing of high-value aerospace parts across repeated cycles.
High-Pressure Automotive Testing
High-pressure automotive systems — fuel, brake, and hydraulic components — require fast, repeatable external connections for production leak testing. The FasMate FX connects to the external threads and tube features on these parts in seconds, with pneumatic actuation and ICON™ for automated lines.
General High-Pressure & Custom Applications
Any application that needs a fast, secure, non-damaging external connection at high pressure benefits from the FasMate FX. Its wide range of standard thread and feature coverage — plus custom collet and seal configurations — lets it address connections that standard test fittings cannot.
FasMate FX vs. a Threaded High-Pressure Test Fitting
| Threaded Test Fitting | FasMate FX | |
|---|---|---|
| Connection Time | Slow — wrench on and off each part | Seconds — one-motion collet engagement |
| Thread Wear | Galls and wears threads over cycles | Split collet grips without thread damage |
| Pressure Capability | Limited by thread engagement | Pressure-assisted to 5,000 psi (345 bar) |
| Geometry Coverage | One thread type per fitting | Wide thread + tube-feature + custom range |
| Safety at Pressure | Relies on thread engagement | Positive collet lock under load |
| Operator Strain | Repetitive wrenching | One-motion lever / thumb valve / pneumatic |
| Automation | Difficult | Pneumatic + ICON™ PLC integration |
| Seal Confirmation | None | ICON™ SURE SEAL™ available |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the FasMate FX?
A: The FasMate FX is a FasTest external high-pressure connector that makes instant FX connections to threaded ports, tube features, and custom external geometries up to 5,000 psi (345 bar) for leak and pressure testing. A split collet locks over the part without damaging the threads.
Q: What does the FasMate FX connect to?
A: Expanded, flared, beaded, barbed, and formed tubes; JIC 37° swivel nuts and flares; ORFS swivel nuts; NPT, BSPT/BSPP, and metric external threads; 45° flare; compression fittings; other threads within range; and custom features.
Q: What is an FX connection?
A: An FX connection is the external high-pressure sealing connection made by the FasMate FX. The split collet grips the outside of a thread or tube feature and a pressure-assisted seal engages — making a leak-tight connection in seconds without wrenching or thread damage.
Q: Does the FasMate FX damage threads?
A: No — the split collet grips the external feature and locks securely without rotating against or damaging the threads, even over thousands of test cycles. This protects finished, high-value components.
Q: What is the maximum pressure rating?
A: The FasMate FX is rated for vacuum to 5,000 psi (345 bar). For even higher external pressures, FasTest offers the TwistMate MET (10,000 psi).
Q: How is the FasMate FX different from the FasMate FN?
A: The FasMate FX makes external FX connections — sealing onto the outside of a thread or feature — while the FasMate FN seals inside an internal threaded bore. Both are rated to 5,000 psi and use the same split-collet, no-wrench design; choose the FX for external connections and the FN for internal bores.
Q: What actuation options are available?
A: Lever handle, thumb valve, and pneumatic. Lever and thumb valve suit manual benchtop testing, while pneumatic actuation enables hands-free, PLC-triggered connection on automated high-pressure stations.
Q: What does pressure-assisted sealing mean?
A: It means rising test pressure energizes the seal further rather than working against it. As the application pressure increases, the FX connection seals more firmly — so performance scales with the test up to 5,000 psi.
Q: Is the FasMate FX available with ICON™?
A: Yes, for select models. ICON™-equipped FasMate FX connectors provide SURE SEAL™ digital seal verification, LED feedback, safety interlocks, and real-time data for PLC-integrated automated test stations.
Q: What industries use the FasMate FX?
A: Fluid power and hydraulics, aerospace, high-pressure automotive, and general high-pressure component testing — anywhere external threads or tube features need fast, secure, non-damaging connections at pressures up to 5,000 psi.