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Views: 0 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2026-09-02 Origin: Site
Soft copper tubing is generally easier to bend and form, while hard copper tubing better resists permanent deformation during handling and installation. Soft annealed copper coils are often selected for routed connections; hard drawn copper tubes are commonly selected for straight pipework. The right choice also depends on tube dimensions, joining method, service conditions and the applicable product standard.
As a copper tube manufacturer in China, Fengdie Metal offers copper tubing in different material grades, tempers and delivery forms. This guide explains how to compare soft vs hard copper tubing and prepare a specification that manufacturers can quote accurately.
| Selection Factor | Soft Copper Tubing | Hard Copper Tubing |
| Common description | Annealed copper tube; soft temper copper tube | Drawn copper tube; hard temper copper tube |
| Forming behavior | Easier to bend, flare and form with suitable tooling | Requires more attention to forming capability and tooling |
| Common delivery form | Coils; straight lengths also available for certain products | Usually straight lengths |
| Installation advantage | Can follow bends and offsets without a fitting at every change of direction | Convenient for straight runs and prefabricated layouts |
| Handling concern | More easily dented, flattened or kinked | Must still be protected against dents and surface damage |
| Purchasing focus | Temper, bend requirements, coil dimensions and end condition | Temper, straightness, cut length and joining requirements |
Soft copper tubing has been annealed to make it more ductile after manufacturing. Buyers also search for it as annealed copper tubing, soft copper pipe or copper coil tubing. It is useful when the tube must be formed into an installation route or a manufactured component.
Hard drawn copper tubing retains the effects of cold working and is more resistant to permanent deformation. It is commonly supplied in straight lengths for pipework and industrial assemblies.
“Soft” and “hard” describe the material condition. They do not identify copper purity, wall thickness or the service for which a tube has been cleaned and tested.
Pancake copper coils are convenient for transport and for cutting continuous lengths to suit a route. Before ordering, specify the length per coil, tube dimensions and required packaging. A coil that arrives flattened or damaged can create extra work before installation.
Level wound copper coils, often called LWC, are used where equipment draws tube from a wound package. Buyers should provide their decoiler requirements, including coil weight, inside diameter, outside diameter and winding arrangement. Matching the package to the production equipment matters as much as ordering the correct tube diameter.
Straight copper tubes suit measured pipe runs, cut-to-length work and assemblies with defined straight sections. Confirm the required length tolerance and straightness, particularly when tubes feed into automated equipment.
Coil or straight length is not a complete temper specification. Write both the delivery form and the material condition into the purchase order.
For applications with repeated bends or formed ends, soft annealed copper tubing is generally the easier starting point. However, successful bending also depends on the outside diameter, wall thickness, bend geometry and tooling.
Hard copper tubing can be bent in suitable sizes and conditions using appropriate equipment. Do not assume that every hard tube can make the same bend as an annealed tube of equal diameter.
For a useful bending assessment, send your copper tube manufacturer:
Tube outside diameter and wall thickness;
Material grade and specified temper;
Bend angle and centerline bend radius;
A drawing showing adjacent bends and straight sections;
Acceptance limits for flattening, wrinkles and surface damage.
Make the radius measurable. For example, a drawing specifying a 30 mm centerline radius on a 10 mm OD tube describes a 3D bend. This is a geometry example, not a universal minimum bend radius. The manufacturer still needs to assess the tube condition, wall thickness and forming process.
| Specification Item | What It Describes | Example |
| Material grade | Copper composition | C12200 |
| Temper or material condition | Mechanical condition after processing | Soft annealed or hard drawn |
| Product standard | Requirements for the intended tube product | ASTM B280 for air-conditioning and refrigeration field service |
C12200 copper tubing is a common option for refrigeration and plumbing products, but its grade name alone does not tell you whether the supplied tube is soft or hard.
For EN 1057 copper tube, familiar designations include R220, R250 and R290, corresponding to soft, half-hard and hard conditions, with minimum tensile-strength designations of 220, 250 and 290 MPa. These numbers are not pressure ratings. Do not transfer the complete property requirements to a different standard without checking it.
For ACR copper tubing, the public describe soft annealed coiled tube and hard drawn straight tube, together with cleanliness and end-closure requirements. A plumbing tube of the same size should not be assumed to meet those requirements.
For more detail, see our ASTM B280 vs EN 12735 copper tube standards guide.
In common purchasing terminology, yes. “Soft” usually refers to an annealed condition. For an order, specify the actual temper designation and product standard instead of relying on the word “soft” alone.
Do not assume a hard drawn tube is suitable for flaring simply because its diameter fits the tool. Confirm the permitted material condition, wall thickness and preparation method with the fitting and tooling manufacturers. Annealed tubing is generally easier to form.
Yes, appropriately specified ACR copper tube is available in soft annealed coils. The tube must meet the equipment’s requirements for dimensions, pressure, cleanliness and connections; flexibility alone is not an acceptance criterion.
There is no reliable rule that covers every order. Compare the same grade, standard, dimensions, quantity and delivery terms. Also account for coil handling or straightening, cutting waste, packaging and the fittings needed for the installation.
Choose according to the equipment and the final component. Coil-fed production requires compatible winding and decoiling arrangements. Straight-length production requires suitable length and straightness tolerances. Include your processing drawing so the supplier can assess the requested delivery condition.
