CUSTOM EXPANSION JOINTS

Bellows Systems can manufacture custom Metal Expansion Joints in many different configurations to suit your application

Bellows Systems offers different types of Expansion Joints designs including simple single bellows element Expansion Joints to pressure balanced Expansion Joints for your piping or ducting needs. We utilize our standard metal bellows elements to rapidly assemble custom Metal Expansion Joints that meet your exact project requirements. Our OEM and custom Expansion Joints are used in a wide range of industries, from Oil and Gas, Aerospace, Power Gen, Petrochemical, Water and Wastewater.

Single
Expansion Joint

A bellows with end connections, designed to absorb all movements of the piping system in which it is installed.

Universal
Expansion Joint

A universal expansion joint is an assembly containing one or two bellows connected by a center pipe and equipped with tie rods

Hinged
Expansion Joint

A hinged expansion joint is an assembly designed to absorb angular rotation in the plane perpendicular to the hinge pins

Gimbaled
Expansion Joint

A Gimbal Expansion Joint is an assembly designed to absorb angular movement in any plane.

Pressure Balanced
Expansion Joint

is an assembly designed to absorb axial movement while the pressure thrust is balanced by means of tie rods.

Externally Pressurized
Expansion Joint

for high pressure applications with long axial movements

Rectangular
Expansion Joint

for rectangular ducting applications

Thick Wall
Expansion Joint

for large diameter piping, in heat exchanger applications

END FITTINGS OPTIONS:

Bellows Systems offers various end fitting options for our expansion joints including, pipe weld ends, Fixed flange, Floating flange, Marman Flange, Slotted Cuff Ends.

OPTIONAL FEATURES:

Bellows Systems additionally offers flow liners, control rods, external covers, thermal insulation as required for your application.

Material Selection for Expansion Joints

Bellows Systems manufactures using a wide range of materials for our metal expansion joints. The selection and use of various metals and alloys is based on the application, its physical properties and other properties like its resistance to corrosion and cyclic fatigue.

The most common material for our metal bellows and expansion joints are the various grades of austenitic stainless steels. In addition, we have provided metal expansion joints in Inconel, Hastelloy, Monel, Other high Nickel alloys, Cobalt alloys, Titanium, Aluminum, brass and other copper alloys, and many other specialty metal alloys.

The material choices available allow us to design bellows for a wide range of service conditions, for temperatures from -330˚F (cryogenic) to 1800˚F and for pressure rating from full vacuum to 3,000 Psi.

Explore Materials

Stainless Steel Expansion Joints

Why stainless steel expansion joints?

Austenitic Stainless Steels are the most commonly used materials for metal bellows and expansion joints. Stainless steel expansion joints provide a good combination of strength, corrosion resistance and cost effectiveness. The standard grades of stainless steels used in expansion joints are SS304/ 304L, SS316/316L and SS321. We stock a wide range of stainless steel in sheet thickness ranging from 0.005” to 0.141” (10 Ga).

How to select the right stainless steel grades for expansion joints?

The stainless steel material selection is based on the service conditions. For example, in high temperature applications SS321 is preferred due to its superior high temperature corrosion properties. SS316 is the preferred grade for applications from cryogenic temperatures to 800F service.

For more information on stainless steel grades and their properties consult our materials page.

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March 11, 2022

Exhaust Bellows and Expansion Joints for Cooper Engines

January 4, 2022

Bellows Systems designs and delivers a 36 Inch Custom Pressure balanced expansion joint to a major aerospace engine manufacturer.

December 8, 2021

Bellows Systems Inc ships another 36 Inch Universal Expansion Joint with Tie-Rods for an Oil Storage facility in West Africa!

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