Differences between Metal Expansion joints and Flexible Metal Hoses

Both metallic bellows expansion joints and flex metal hoses are corrugated pipes as the core components for transporting various fluids . Their working nature is to compensate for the connection between pipes and pipes, pipes and equipment, equipment and equipment.Therefore, people tend to confuse metal expansion joints with bellows metal hoses. In fact, there are some differences in how they work. In some occasions where the corrugated expansion joints and the metal hoses cannot be replaced by each other, the unreasonable design will not be able to obtain the expected compensation effect.

The corrugated compensator is also called corrugated expansion joint, it is mainly used to ensure the safe operation of the pipeline. It has a cylindrical thin-walled corrugated shell with multiple transverse corrugations, or displacement under the action of bending moment. The material used for bellows should meet the following conditions: high elastic limit, tensile strength and fatigue strength to ensure the work of bellows; good plasticity to facilitate forming and processing, and through subsequent processing (work hardening, heat treatment, etc.), In order to obtain sufficient hardness and strength; it has good corrosion resistance to meet the requirements of bellows working in different environments. The working principle is mainly to use its own elastic deformation function to compensate the axial, angular, lateral and combined displacements of the pipeline due to thermal deformation, mechanical deformation and various mechanical vibrations. The functions of corrosion, temperature resistance, impact resistance, vibration reduction and noise reduction can reduce the deformation of the pipeline and improve the service life of the pipeline.

The outer surface of the corrugated metallic expansion joints has no metal wire or metal braided mesh sleeve. The corrugated expansion joint is equipped with restraining devices such as tie rods, hinges, and reinforcing rings, and is an annular corrugated pipe assembly with a ratio of less than 3. In general, the corrugated expansion joints uses its axial expansion or angular change ratio to compensate for the position movement of the piping system due to temperature difference, to absorb the vibration of the equipment when it is turned on, stopped or under normal operating conditions.

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• Flexible metal hose mainly refers to a spiral corrugated hose, which is a flexible pressure-resistant pipe fitting installed in a liquid conveying system to compensate for the mutual displacement of the connecting ends of pipes or machines and equipment, absorb vibration energy, and reduce vibration. It has the characteristics of good flexibility, light weight, corrosion resistance, fatigue resistance, high and low temperature resistance, flexible pitch, good flexibility, no blocking and stiffness.