What is Fabric Expansion Joint

Fabric bellows, made from special woven fabrics coated or laminated with elastomers or fluoropolymers, are highly flexible and used for insulation, load avoidance, and abrasion protection. They offer benefits to pipework designers by absorbing movements in multiple directions, requiring little space, and being easy to customize, transport, and install. Fabric expansion joints are a great alternative to metallic ones due to their flexibility and numerous options for pipework design. These joints are used in low-pressure systems with dry media.

Differences from metallic or rubber expansion joints

Fabric expansion joints differ from metal or rubber ones as they easily handle torsion, which is undesirable for metallic- and rubber types. Additionally, these fabric joints not only absorb movements in the system but also help reduce noise and to some extent, vibrations.

APPLICATIONS

Fabric expansion joints are found in a wide range of industries including:

Design Styles

Belt type expansion joint

Normally used for :

1. Low temperatures (up to 300°C)
2. Low to medium velocity
3. Low to medium dust load

i.e.: Clean air ducts

Convoluted fabric expansion joints

Normally used for :

1. Large movements
2. Low velocity
3. Low dust content
4. Low temperature

i.e.: Pulp and paper industry

Fabric expansion joints mounted on vertical flanges

Normally used for :

1. Low flow velocity
2. Low dust content
3. Low temperature (up to 450°C)

Designs can include or exclude a protective sleeve, which is mainly used to shield the fabric expansion joint from any particles present in the flow medium.

i.e.: Chemical industry (wet and dry)

Fabric expansion joints mounted on parallel flanges

Normally used in ductwork with :

1. Medium temperature range (up to 500°C)
2. Higher flow velocities
3. Medium dust content in the flow

i.e.: Low temperature flue gas ductwork in
conventional power stations medium.

Fabric expansion joints mounted on parallel flanges with insulation bolster

Normally used for :

1. High temperatures (up to 600°C)
2. High dust content
3. High flow

i.e.: High temperature flue gas duct systems in
conventional power stations

Fabric expansion joints with floating sleeve construction

Normally used for :

1. Medium to high temperatures (up to 600°C)
2. Very high dust content
3. Low to high flow velocities

The floating sleeve provides effective protection from dust while enabling lateral movement.

i.e.: Cement industry

Combining a fabric expansion joint with a hot-to-cold duct transition allows for the usage of cheaper duct materials while maintaining temperature control up to 650°C, as insulation is integrated internally within the duct.

i.e.: Gas turbine installations

Fabric expansion joints installed in refractory lined duct systems

Normally used for :

1. Very high temperatures (up to 1200°C)
2. Low to high dust content
3. Low to high flow velocity

i.e.: Incineration plants

SPECIAL DESIGNS

In this brochure, we aim to provide a general understanding of our ability to design and supply fabric expansion joints for common applications. Besides the styles displayed here, we can also assist with unique cases such as “picture-frame” units, units with pantographic linkage, pipe penetration seals, and other special arrangements including “dog-bone” seals for low-pressure ductwork carrying condensates and fluids. More information is available upon request.

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