5 Uses of Metal Expansion Joints

Metal expansion joints are used in a number of industries to compensate for the changes that occur within a system due to thermal growth, vibrations, movements and pressure. This article elaborates on the five major uses of metal expansion joints.

Metal Expansion Joints

Metal expansion joints are used in a number of industries to compensate for any kinds of metallic changes that might occur in a mechanical system due to extreme heat, pressure or vibration that is emitted during a process in any system. These are also used to rectify any kind of misalignment in a piping system and also in order to protect the various components around it from being affected by the extreme temperature and pressure changes as this could lead to the malfunctioning of these components.

These expansion joints are available in a number of variants and each joint has a distinctive function and use of its own. Let us take a look at different types of bellows expansion joints and how they are used in various industries:

1. Engines: Metal expansion joints are used in engines to make sure that heat that is produced by the engines is absorbed by these joints as the temperature is very high and could affect the other components surrounding the engine. These expansion joints absorb the high temperature and make sure that the neighboring components are safe from these high thermal emissions. High temperature could also lead to some thermal changes like expansion of the metals. These changes could also cause improper functioning of the engine. But these metal joints compensate for any such changes and make sure that the machine operates in the normal way under all conditions.

2. Pumps: Expansion joints made of metals are used in piping system to protect the pump or compressor that is attached to the system. This pump generally sucks in water or any other fluid and the movement of this fluid could cause some pressure and vigorous movements and vibrations within the system. These vibrations if left unchecked could actually affect the pump and lead to its malfunctioning or damage. Instead, when the expansion joints are used, they absorb the vibrations, movements and pressure that are created during the suction process and make sure that the pumps are safe and function efficiently.

3. Vacuum Technology: Bellow joints also play a very important role in vacuum technology. In the industries where vacuum needs to be created for a particular process, a lot of pressure needs to be exerted which in turn could affect the other components within the system. But the bellow joints are designed in such a way that they are capable of absorbing the maximum amount of pressure and protect the other components from any kind of damage.

4. Central Heating System: Expansion joints are extremely useful in these systems as machines are used to heat up a building and in the process a lot of heat is created within the machine as well. This could lead to the damage and breakdown of the machine if left unchecked. Also some pressure is also created in these processes and the expansion joints are functional in absorbing this temperature and pressure and ensuring the efficient functioning of the system.

5. Shipping: The working of the shipping system involves emission of heat, pressure and noise which also causes vibrations and the expansion joints are used for the absorbing these and also to compensate for any kind of thermal growth.

Bellow Joint or metal joints are also used in petrochemical, paper, oil refining, sugar, metal refining, aerospace, rubber and many other industries.