elastomeric expansion joints

Gallagher recently released its Expansion Joint Design Guide, now available for download on our site.  This design guide takes an in-depth look at elastomeric, metal, and flue duct expansion joints.  The excerpt below is a section of our Expansion Joint Design Guide focusing on types of elastomeric joints and types of pipe movement.  To download the entire guide, visit our Resources Page, or click on the image to the right.

The basic purpose of an expansion joint is to absorb movement and vibration in a rigid piping system, being built to expand, contract, and adjust without straining or breaking the piping or ducting on either side.  They are specially engineered to handle movements due to thermal expansion, vibrations of pumps, and misalignments due to installation tolerances, while also being resistant to the process conditions and the external influences of the application.

Types of Expansion Joints

Single Arch

• Fabric and rubber construction
• Reinforced with metal/wire rings
• Full-face flanges integral with joint body
• Flanges drilled to companion bolt pattern
• Gaskets not required
• Offset available

Gallagher recently released its Expansion Joint Design Guide, now available for download on our site.  This design guide takes an in-depth look at elastomeric, metal, and flue duct expansion joints.  The excerpt below is the first section of our Expansion Joint Design Guide, diving into elastomeric expansion joints, and what to consider when selecting which joint is right for your application.  To download the entire guide, visit our Resources Page, or click on the image to the right.

What is an Expansion Joint?

An expansion joint is a specially engineered product inserted in a rigid piping system to achieve one or more of the following:

• Absorb movement
• Relieve system strain due to thermal change
• Reduce mechanical noise
• Compensate for misalignment
• Eliminate electrolysis between dissimilar metals (metal expansion joints)

They are built to expand, contract, and adjust without straining or breaking the piping or ducting on either side.  Essentially, an expansion joint is meant to protect the piping system from damage.

Gallagher Fluid Seals represents a number of expansion joint manufacturers, enabling us to provide an expansion joint for any piping system in any industry.  One of our more popular expansion joints is the GUARDIAN® 306 EZ-FLO® by Garlock.

It’s a spool-type expansion joint featuring an FEP lining that is fused to the body of the expansion joint.  The GUARDIAN® 306 EZ-FLO® is designed for the chemical processing and pulp & paper industries, where its ability to resist corrosive attack at normal and elevated temperatures and pressures is unequaled.

Expansion joints are specially engineered products inserted into a rigid piping system to do a number of jobs.

They absorb movement, relieve system strain due to thermal change, stress, pumping surges, wear, or settling, reduce mechanical noise, compensate for misalignment, and/or eliminate electrolysis between dissimilar metals.

When expansion joints are designed, applied, and installed correctly, it is not unusual to achieve a service life of 15-20 years in most industrial applications. Read on to see what our partners at Garlock had to say about troubleshooting in order to expand the life expectancy of nonmetallic expansion joints.

Personal safety is important in every industry, but when sensitive, hazardous or unstable chemicals are involved, the need to protect employees from exposure becomes paramount. The Garlock® family of companies creates sealing solutions that resist the extreme temperatures and corrosive materials of chemical processing environments to deliver unparalleled safety, performance and reliability.

Garlock sealing solutions excel in a variety of chemical processing applications — including pumps, valves, reactors, flange joints, heat exchangers and more — through their tireless dedication to understanding their customers’ specific needs and designing highly engineered products that exceed their expectations.

Never content to rest on past achievements, Garlock’s scientists and engineers are constantly developing new and innovative sealing technologies that change the way the chemical processing industry meets its sealing requirements. By combining advanced technology products with exceptional service and environmental stewardship, Garlock delivers sealing solutions that improve personal safety and plant productivity, reduce costs and comply with increasingly stringent environmental regulations.

Garlock ABRA-LINE ™ rubber expansion joints offer superior performance, reliability and service life in your plant.  Expansion joints are specially engineered products inserted in a rigid piping system to achieve one or more of the following:

• Absorb movement
• Improve thermal stability
• Relieve system strain due to thermal change, load stress, pumping surges, wear or settling
• Reduce mechanical noise
• Compensate for misalignment
• Eliminate electrolysis between dissimilar metals