#ss-bellows

                       SS Bellows

SS- Stainless Steel

How To Make Stainless Steel Bellows?

The process of manufacturing SS bellows is simple, however, it is extremely necessary to do the process by keeping in mind the several standards and regulations such as the ASME, EJMA, and ISO standards. A good stainless steel bellow manufacturer conforms to these to produce the best quality products.

Bellow Designs

The first problem SS bellow manufacturer solves is to determine the design parameters. The diameter for the SS expansion joint is determined based on the client's requirement. Depending on the expected life cycle, the thickness of the SS bellows is decided. Based on the thickness, the number of plies required is set. If there is a need to absorb a good amount of vibration in the system, or if there is a requirement for very long life cycles, multiple plies are used. If there are only minimal movements or if infrequent temperature change, as a single-ply may suffice.

Making the Bellows Tube

Once the design parameters have been determined, the tubes are formed. For this process, stainless steel sheets are sheared as per the required specifications. In the case of multi-ply, the outer sheets are slightly larger than the inner ones. After this, these sheets are then rolled into cylindrical shapes. The tubes are then seam welded in order to avoid splitting. The formed tubes are inspected, cleaned, and then telescopically.

Forming the Bellows

The next step is to form convolutions on the surface of these tubes. To do this, at Kwality Products, we use hydroforming machines, or mechanical expanders, as per the specification of the required stainless steel pipe bellows. The tube is placed on a die, and hydro pressure is used to mould it into the desired shape, thereby forming corrugations.

Re-Rolling Process

In this step, the convoluted tubes are further processed and cold worked to its exact shape and geometry as desired by the clients. Failure to do so can lead to poor performance characteristics. In cases of multi-ply, there may be seam spot welding done on the bellow necks.

Trimming and sizing the Bellows Necks

In the final process, a rotary shear is used to trim the necks of the bellow to achieve the required length and dimensional accuracy. Apart from this, using expanders, the necks are also resized so that they are a perfect fit over the pipe or the flange they are to be fitted. The bellows are then used to assemble the stainless steel bellows expansion joints.

Characteristics Of Stainless Steel Expansion Joints: 

High temperature and pressure resistance

Vibration absorption

Compact and space-saving

Abrasion-resistant