Expansion joints

By Sharjeel Aslam Faiz

What is the main difference between an "Expansion Joint" and an "Expansion
Bellow"
An expansion bellows is one component of an expansion joint. The bellows is a
corrugated thin wall metal tube. hen the bellows is welded to welding ends! flanges or
other hardware it becomes an expansion joint.
How are expansion joints designed?
Expansion joints are designed to E"#A $Expansion joint manufacturer%s Association&
Std.
'owe(er they can also be designed to AS#E Sec. )*** +i(. , Appendix -. pro(ided.
/ead the foll. 0ode paragraph gi(en below.
Expansion joints used as an integral part of heat exchangers or other pressure vessels
shall be designed to provide flexibility for thermal expansion and also to function as a
pressure containing element. The rules in this Appendix are intended to apply to thin
wall [t <= !" in. #$.% mm&'( single layer( bellows)type expansion joint geometries( such
as those shown in *ig. %+) subject to internal pressure. The bellows shall consist of
formed flexible elements with multiple or single convolutions and may be of the
unreinforced or reinforced type.

Caution: r should not be less than times the thic!ness of the ex" Joint"
Who fabricates ex joints in #umbai?
The most famous is
$lexatherm Expanllow %&t" 'td"
#umbai
1hone2 34,56-.7 -8.4 76-. 9 6-.7
Fax2 34,56-.7 -.:; ,8:
1
ASME Sec. VIII Div. 1 Appendix 26, Pg. 469
Email2 hemantshah<engg=hotmail.com!info=flexatherm.com
#obile2 4>-6..6,44
0ontact 'emant Shah /a?esh Tha??ar $Engineer +esign5 Baroda&
Where to get information about ex joints?
The best site would be www.witzenmann.com . they also ha(e a site to calculate the ex.
"oint dimensions. www.flexperte.com They also pro(ide literature free on re@uest.
Also AS Bellows http299www.usbellows.com91+F<Files9usbellows.pdf
What is the h(drostatic pressure for which the ex joints are tested?
*t is ,.8 times the design pressure.
Common materials
8,.Ti is the most popular material followed by SA -:6 86:. Caution: )elect materials
that satisfies (our process condition"
*d&: of + pl( design:
0an be inspected from inside and outside
$orum info:
http299www.pipingtech.com9cgi5bin9ubb9forumdisplay.cgiB
actionCtopicsDforumCExpansion3"ointsDnumberC.
, am going to install an expansion joint" What should , ta!e care of?
www.pipingtech.com would pro(ide useful information about expansion joints.
)isit this page http299www.pipingtech.com9technical9im9expansion5joints.htm
, urgentl( need a -uote for an expansion joint" How do , get one"
http299www.pipingtech.net9usbellowsolstore9 has a online store on their website.
Imp:
1. Expansion joins !eig"ing mo#e "an $%% po&nds s"a'' (e p#ovided !i" 'i)ing
'&gs.
2. *e''o!s convo'&ions s"a'' (e +,+ s"aped and )o#med !i" an even pic" and
"eig". -i#c&m)e#enia' !e'ds joining one convo'&ion o ano"e# a#e no
pe#mied.
.. *e''o!s s"a'' (e p#ovided in "e as )o#med &nannea'ed condiion.
4. End connecions a#e o mac" "e adjacen piping as speci)ied on "e daa s"ee.
$. /"en "e expansion join is s&pp'ied !i" an ine#na' s'eeve, "e )'o! di#ecion
m&s (e indicaed and (e p'ain'0 visi('e on "e o&side o) "e join.
6. Eac" expansion join s"a'' (e p#ovided !i" a sain'ess see' namep'ae indicaing
"e dae o) man&)ac&#e, design #aing o) "e expansion join and an0 o"e#
in)o#maion #e1&i#ed (0 "e p&#c"ase o#de#.
I need o p#epa#e a daas"ee )o# sending a 1&oe. 2o! can I ge one3
4o o page no. 1$ "p:55!!!.&s(e''o!s.com5PD676i'es5&s(e''o!s.pd)
Elossary of terms2 http299www.hyspanbellows.com9glossary9index.htm
hat mista?es people do while sending the in@uiryB
Specify the material of the weld end! otherwise the (endor may assume. The collar and
the bellow are attached to the weld end by fillet welding. The bellow and collar are
usually of the same material! which in many cases is SA -:6 T1 86: or SA -:6 Er.
8,.Ti.
. /0*12,23 .
+ $'0,4 heptane &apor 5 water &apor
6%E7*2,18 %7E))07E barg
9 6%E7*2,18 2E#%" deg"C
: 4E),81 %7E))07E barg ;":: ;"::
< 4E),81 2E#%" deg" C +9; +9;
= E14 C611EC2,61 welded welded
> #6C )) ;9 )) ;9
? 16@@'E ),@E mm .;; <;;
.; EA%*1),61 mm : :
.. 4E),81 C64E B *44E14*
.+ C6776),61 *''6W*1CE mm 1o 1o
. %*,12,18 C602),4ED 1o 1o
#in thic!ness #m ;" ;":
Cost" *s on +: *pril +;;= +;;;; <;;
What are bands?
BAF+S $also ?nown as collars&2 *n order to increase the thic?ness of the bellows nec?s
for reinforcement or to facilitate welding! a band or collar can be added. The bands are
normally fused to the nec? by resistance roll welding or edge welding.