Large-scale Rubber Expansion Joint Design & Manufacturing
Safetech is FlexEJ's sister company located in Spain. Safetech designs and manufactures rubber expansion joints in their own dedicated facility near Bilbao. This ability to hand build rubber expansion joints means we can offer lengths, diameters, movements, materials, restraints and rating to meet your precise requirements. Pressure balanced rubber expansion joints and PTFE lined rubber expansion joints are just two of the specialty products we design and manufacture.
SafetechRubber Bellows
SafetechRubber Bellows
SafetechRubber Bellows
SafetechRubber Bellows
Manufactured Rubber Bellow
What is a Safetech Full Face Rubber Bellows?
Designed with a rubber flange and backing ring...
- Materials
Full range of rubber types, backing rings in stainless steel, carbon steel - hot dipped galvanised or coated. - Application
Typically seawater, cooling water, drinking water. - Rating
Engineered to meet your exact specification in any rubber, flange drilling and length. - Approvals
WRAS (EPDM Rubbers)
How to select a large rubber bellows
Temperature is the most critical as it directly influences the choice of rubber - but also the actual pressure capability of the bellows. The stated maximum rated pressure is maintained up to around 50ºC for most rubber bellows, for higher temperatures check the data in the Range tab.
The rubber compound used for the inner layer of the bellows must be compatible with the working fluid. Drinking water requires a WRAS approved EPDM, oils require Nitrile and so on - our Bellows Finder can help you with finding the right rubber.
Moulded bellows are manufactured in set combinations of diameters and lengths. However, our handmade Safetech range can be manufactured in any diameter and length to suit your application, only the more standard sizes are shown on the Safetech range tab.
Any flange drilling can be supplied; if you are uncertain about what you already have installed our Flange Finder will help you identify it. The HVAC and Elaflex ranges have swivel flanges; the Safetech range has full face rubber flanges. Our web shop stock is PN10/16. Bellows will exert a pressure force on the pipe (see FAQ) which must be restrained or absorbed at the piping anchors. All our flanged rubber expansion joints are available with tie rods and we can offer hinges or gimbals on the Elaflex and Safetech products.
Moulded rubber bellows have a defined movement range, which is shown for each type in the Range tab, movements listed are non-concurrent (see FAQ). A Safetech bellows will be designed to meet your required movements.
Call our expert team on +44 (0) 1384 881188 or email us at sales@flexej.co.uk or use Live Chat on this web site - we are here to help, please get in touch.
Safetech Rubber Bellow Expansion Joints:
Safetech typically offers 1, 2, 3 or 4 convolutions in each diameter of expansion joint. All manufactured rubber bellows are available with a huge range of flange, material and restraint options:
Multiple arch engineered bellows
DN100 to DN3600+
MULTIPLE ARCH ENGINEERED RUBBER BELLOWS
Single, double, triple or quad arch
Each additional arch in the bellows provides additional movement capability. This allows very large axial, lateral or angular movements to be delivered by a single, compact expansion joint.
The length of the expansion joint can be adjusted to suit your piping layout or existing equipment meaning the full movement capacity of the bellows is available to you in all cases.
Pressure Balanced engineered bellows
DN100 to DN3000+
PRESSURE BALANCED ENGINEERED RUBBER BELLOWS
Eliminates Pressure Force
A pressure balanced rubber expansion joint uses two rubber bellows to provide the movement specified and a third, larger diameter rubber bellows to generate an equal pressure force. The larger diameter "balance" bellows is cross connected to the inlet and outlet flanges so it cancels out the pressure force of the smaller bellows. Net result no pressure force acting on your pipe, flanges or equipment.
Safetech can design and manufacture exactly what you need for your specific application so don't be constrained by catalogue dimensions or performance. We can offer reducing bellows to connect between different pipe sizes, extended lengths to eliminate additional pipe, simple spool type ends for banding, non circular...
Restraint Hardware
Tie Rods, Lugs, Hinges, Collars
RESTRAINT HARDWARE
TIE RODS, LUGS, HINGES, COLLARS
Safetech's preferred design is to manufacture the flange backing ring in segments with integral tie rod lugs. This approach makes assembly more straight forward as each segment is lighter to handle. Having the tie rod lug integral with the backing flange reduces bending stresses and eliminates bolt on lugs altogether, again an installation advantage. Safetech can also supply one piece flanges if requested. If the joint is to be used to allow easy dismantling of line equipment we can also provide a dismantling collar on the bellows which allows the tie rods to compress the convolutions(s) to ease removal.
Linings and Liners
PTFE, Stainless Steel
LININGS AND LINERS
PTFE, STAINLESS STEEL
Safetech can provide a PTFE lining in any of its rubber bellows, the PTFE affording greater chemical resistance than the rubber. We also provide a variety of Stainless Steel "Top Hat" liners which keep the flow away from the rubber convolutions - flow straightening vanes are an option. A metal liner is a good addition for any dirty media with solid content or elevated temperatures.
Industry experience
FLEXEJ Ltd was formed in 2002 by two professional engineers who brought together an already highly respected design capability with business and commercial skills gained in large multinational companies.
- Our focus has always been on application and design – helping our customers find the best value solution.
- We have a strong engineering and manufacturing team with experience in petrochemicals, refining, nuclear, desalination though to HVAC.
- The team is also very familiar with meeting complex requirements for documentation, in process NDT and test on projects. We have supplied many large end-users such as EDF, Exxon, Shell, Reliance & QatarGas working with major contractors such as JGC, Foster Wheeler & Technip.
