Expansion joints play a crucial role in helping pipes cope with thermal expansion without sustaining damage. However, the joints themselves need protection before engineers install them onto pipes. That’s where shipping bars come in. Read on to learn the role of shipping bars in expansion joints and how they ensure these components will perform optimally throughout their lifespan.
What Is a Shipping Bar?
A shipping bar is a temporary support structure that manufacturers attach to expansion joints to maintain their shape and alignment until users install the joint. Usually, manufacturers will paint them yellow, making them easy to recognize. If your suppliers didn’t attach the bars to provide the joints with rigidity, the joints could experience damage or deformation. With a shipping bar, they will remain intact and in good condition.
How Long Should It Stay on an Expansion Joint?
After learning about the role of shipping bars, you may wonder how long you should keep them on your expansion joints. The bar should stay attached as the joint travels from the manufacturer to the end user. This keeps the bellows from moving during transit.
Once the joints arrive, expansion joint installers should not remove the bars before the installation. Instead, they should keep the bars on, even while attaching the joints to pipes. After finishing the installation, the team can finally remove the shipping bars. This will allow the joint to move as designed when your system starts operating. If you keep the bars on, the bellows cannot expand.
What Else Should I Know About Shipping Bars?
Engineers should avoid errors when working with shipping bars. For example, they should not use them to suppress the thrust when performing a pressure test. The manufacturers have not built the shipping bars for that purpose, nor should the engineers use the bars to lift the joint when they move it from one part of their facility to another. Instead, refer to the manufacturer’s instructions about moving the joint to prevent damage to this vital component.
Triad Bellows uses shipping bars to ensure our custom expansion joints arrive at your location without damage. This allows them to perform reliably and meet your needs for a very long time.
