Metal Bellows Expansion Joint Designs

FlexCom Designs Metal Bellows Expansion Joints for Your Particular Application

FlexCom custom designs and builds each metal bellows to ensure optimum compensation for heat, pressure, movement, vibration and abrasion. Save money and substantially reduce wear and tear on your ductwork and surrounding components with FlexCom metal bellows designed and fabricated for your specific environment. Compare FlexCom’s metal bellows expansion joints.

• Universal expansion joints allow for large lateral movements, axial compression and extension and angular deflections. A universal expansion joint consists of two bellows separated by a pipe spool. Universal expansion joints have no restraints to resists pressure thrust.
• Tied universal expansion joints allow large lateral movement in high-pressure applications. A pipe spool separates two bellows; two tie rods provide resistance to pressure thrusts. Because the tie rods are usually at or near ambient temperatures, thermal expansion of the length between the tie rods occurs within the expansion joint and is not applied to the rest of the piping system.
• Hinged expansion joints permit angular movement in a single plane. Hinged expansion joints have a single bellows. Length is restrained by a hinge mechanism that accepts pressure-generated thrust.
• Hinged universal expansion joints accept large lateral movements and angular movement in a single plane, and resist pressure thrust. Hinged universal expansion joints have two bellows separated by a pipe spool with a hinge assembly at each bellows.  
• Slotted hinge expansion joints provide for angular movements as well as some axial movement. A slotted hinge expansion joint is similar to a hinged universal expansion joint but has a hinge pin that passes through slots in the hinge plates. The hinge structure can be designed to accept full pressure thrust when the pin is at the limit of its travel within the slot.
• Tied single expansion joints reduce tension, stress, lateral movement vibrations and oscillation. They are typically used with pumps, motors, compressors, turbines, burners and engines. Two tie rods restrain the length of the single bellows and can accept angular deflection in a single plane.
• Gimbal expansion joints resist pressure thrust and permit angular movement in any plane. The gimbal expansion joint has a single bellows and two hinge mechanisms that allow simultaneous rotation around two perpendicular axes that intersect at the centerline of the bellows.

Turn to FlexCom when you need custom fabric and metal expansion joints that can withstand the harshest environments. We promise consistently superior service, precision-engineered products and on-time delivery.