While plenty of manufacturing businesses and companies across other industries make use of metal bellows in their machinery, not everyone understands what they are or how they work. These vital pieces of equipment are essential to many operations, and learning a bit more about them can help you increase the efficiency of operations in your business. Read on to learn the answers to your most frequently asked questions about metal [...]
A machine only runs as well as its weakest link. So in order to ensure your equipment is always in tiptop shape, it’s important to use quality parts, no matter what you’re manufacturing or building. One component you want to make sure is of the utmost quality and standard is your metal bellows. This is also the case for metal bellows. Metal bellows also ensure the final product is [...]
Many people think of their fireplace when the word "bellow" is mentioned but there's another type of bellow that may prove to be even more useful. The metal bellow is a connector that allows for many different uses - and some can even be custom made, allowing for maximum adaptability. What exactly is a metal bellow? Though many people have never heard of them, metal bellows are exceptionally versatile. They [...]
Exhaust flex joints are kinds of metal bellows. A bellows is an object or device with concertinaed sides which allow the component to expand and contract. A custom bellows design requires special attention to 12 important qualities: stress modes, flexing, pressure differential, rigid stops, spring rate, life cycles, temperature extremes, exposure, assembly method, vibration, end configuration, and geometric constraints. An exhaust flex joint is a flexible component for exhaust [...]
Bellows are elastic vessels that are similar to a piston, or a spring that can easily be compressed when pressure is applied to the outside or under vacuum. They are not affected by changing pressure or temperature as they will quickly return to their original shape after compression or pull. However, metal bellows can fail to return to their original form when stretched or compressed beyond yield strength. So, what [...]
Expansion joints are very popular in fluid pumping systems. In most cases, they are installed in the piping network near the valve or pump. The expansion joints compensate for thermal increases that cause the pipes to grow. They also help in preventing stress from being directed to the rotating equipment piece or pump. There is always the risk of bearing issues and mechanical seal failure whenever the pump becomes stressed [...]
When it comes to machinery and design, making metal bellows is key to keeping final products flexible and durable. With nearly 180,000 workers in the oil and gas industry in the US — according to the Bureau of Statistics reports of July 2017 — the use of metal bellows will only increase. Selling after-market parts, including pipe expansion joints, stainless steel bellows, and other machinery components allows buyers to save [...]
Making metal bellows, especially custom metal bellows, is a complicated process. There are many steps involved in metal bellows manufacturing, and all of them need to be properly followed. Otherwise, you might end up with faulty equipment or bellows that break well before their expected lifespan. The first and most important step of making metal bellows is, of course, designing them. Here are a few elements of metal bellows design [...]
Metal bellows are elastic vessels that can be compressed upon the application of pressure to the bellows’ outside surfaces, or extended under vacuum forces. When the pressure or vacuum force is alleviated, the bellows returns to its original shape as long as it has not been forced beyond its capacity. They are cylindrical vessels made of heavy duty metals like stainless steel, nickel alloys, titanium, and more. Tube-shaped bellows and [...]
One way or another, things sometimes go wrong and equipment can break. This can cause a variety of problems for your business, since replacing parts can take time and resources that you might not have. Even if you do have the means of repairing your equipment, doing so will interrupt the flow of business and cause problems for your bottom line. Understanding why your metal expansion joints might fail can [...]
