US Bellows custom-built a single-ply x-flex bellows for the world’s largest manufacturer and supplier of flooring products with locations throughout the United States. Flooring products such as carpet, ceramic tile, natural stone, laminate, vinyl, and hardwood require many of the same piping systems as traditional indoor plants in the automotive, food processing, semiconductor, textile, and pulp & paper industries. Plants that manufacture flooring are usually large, requiring large tracts of land. As a result, the “pipe runs” can extend hundreds of feet, requiring various types of expansion joints to accommodate the pipe’s movement while also relieving stresses in the piping system. Externally pressurized expansion joints are particularly well-suited for piping systems that require significant axial compression or extension. In externally pressurized pipe expansion joints, the bellows elements are arranged so that the media flow is on the external surface of the bellows. Externally pressurizing the bellows eliminates pressure instability as a limitation to the design and permits the absorption of large amounts of axial expansion. These expansion joints are fabricated with 304 stainless steel bellows, flanges, and pipe. They are designed for 300°F at 14.7 PSIG with an 8″ extension. The units are 3″ pipe x 40″ long, and 4″ pipe x 40″ long. The expansion joints were hydro-tested and underwent NDE quality control inspection tests, such as liquid penetrate inspection (LPI) before shipment.
