| Even if you are a professional researching | | | | specifications of the job in hand. Often, a |
| information on metal bellows for technical solutions | | | | custom-made alloy can be designed to meet a |
| and for installation of industrial processes, it can | | | | job's requirements. |
| sometimes be helpful (even to the professional) | | | | What specific applications are there for this |
| to gain an overview of the product, what it can | | | | technology? |
| do, and just what situations it has been developed | | | | The central purpose for metal bellows is in fluid |
| for. | | | | management. This, however, finds use in a great |
| This guide will give you a few general pointers, | | | | many things. Expansion joint solutions have been |
| and hopefully answer some of the questions you | | | | employed in industries and technologies such as |
| have. Of course, it is a guide only; for detailed | | | | altitude sensors, piping for industrial coolant, the |
| answers to any specific questions you have about | | | | petrochemical industry, applications involving |
| projects you may have in mind, we recommend | | | | steam, the nuclear power industry, medical |
| contacting an expert in the field. | | | | technology, waste management, and some |
| What does a metal bellows actually do? | | | | automotive engines and pump systems. |
| A metal bellows is the term for an attachment on | | | | What kind of tolerances can be built into it? |
| piping typically designed to absorb and mitigate | | | | A metal bellows can be designed to cope with a |
| the effects of directional change and to minimize | | | | wide variety of different stresses and pressures. |
| any issues arising from this such as clogging, | | | | The three main types of movement are referred |
| pressure points on the bend, or expansion of the | | | | to as lateral, axial and angular. |
| joint. | | | | Lateral is a movement of the two ends of the |
| It is a development of the basic expansion joint | | | | joint where those ends stay parallel to each other. |
| idea used on installations like rail tracks to deal | | | | Axial is either the stretching or flattening of the |
| with the expansion and contraction of metal. The | | | | expansion joint along its length. Angular movement |
| central concept to keep in mind is that when | | | | is simply the curving round of the joint along its |
| subjected to force, either heat or pressure, the | | | | axis. At present, expansion joints can be designed |
| metal bellows allows the expansion joint to bend | | | | to cope with any of these three specific stress |
| rather than break. | | | | types. |
| Why metal? | | | | The one type of movement they cannot deal |
| Metal expansion joints are, simply put, stronger | | | | with, however, is torsion, namely twisting along |
| than the alternatives (plastic, ceramics, etc). They | | | | the piece's length. This is best avoided by keeping |
| are also easier to shape (although metal bellows | | | | the joint fastened in place by external |
| are relatively intensive to create). | | | | attachments, and taking care with the fastening |
| They are also more capable of coping with | | | | when attaching it in the first place. |
| extremes of temperature, as they themselves | | | | How much heat can a metal bellows withstand? |
| can expand and contract without sustaining the | | | | This varies greatly depending upon a variety of |
| weathering damage that hard plastic would. There | | | | factors; the alloy chosen, whether or not any |
| are rubber versions available, but their use is | | | | anti-corrosives are added, the design of the |
| strictly limited, and in any situations involving heat, | | | | bellows itself, and whether it was welded or |
| for example, they are impractical. | | | | shaped. There are certain practical solutions and |
| Heat-tolerant bellows and expansion joints can be | | | | physical limits, but as long as the heat is foreseen, |
| made from a variety of metal alloys, such as | | | | joint solutions can usually be found. |
| steel, titanium, and many others according to the | | | | |