A Houston-based expansion joint manufacturer, U.S. Bellows, Inc. has acquired all bellows assets of the former Lortz Manufacturing company. This acquisition includes the fabrication equipment, expansion joint and bellows drawings, design software, customer lists, and all engineering history and other historical data associated with Lortz Manufacturing.
The expansion joint equipment was transferred from Bakersfield, California to the U.S. Bellows facility in Houston, Texas. The additional machines will be incorporated into the current U.S. Bellows location, and therefore significantly expand U.S. Bellows’ ability to provide high quality expansion joints more quickly and efficiently to customers around the world.
U.S. Bellows will be hiring and relocating some of the former Lortz welders and other employees to their manufacturing headquarters in Houston. Besides expansion joints and bellows, the company also offers field services and quick-turn service for emergency situations. U.S. Bellows has over 50 years of experience and is prepared to provide expansion joint repair, refurbishment or replacement for past Lortz-supplied expansion joints.
U.S. Bellows, a member of the Expansion Joint Manufacturers Association (EJMA), supplies an assortment of metallic and fabric expansion joints for a wide variety of applications.
A convenient new feature has just been added to our online expansion joint catalog. On each and every data table, right above the table, you will now see a link to download the corresponding PDF file.
Now you can have a print-friendly copy of a catalog page in your hands within minutes! Check out our various data tables to explore this feature a bit more!
Single Expansion Joints
Universal Expansion Joints
Externally Pressurized Expansion Joints
We recently posted a new page that talks about the dedicated team of employees we have at U.S. Bellows that is working around the clock to serve your expansion joint needs. Go check out their photos and see just how many years of combined experience that the U.S. Bellows team offers! Our U.S. Bellows manager, Mr. John Demusz, who often is the voice behind our expansion joint webinars, is shown below:
John Demusz, Manager of U.S. Bellows, Inc.
We recently introduced a new Expansion Joint Frequently Asked Questions section on our website. This new database of questions provides the answers to a lot of common questions regarding metallic expansion joints, fabric expansion joints, expansion joint testing, and more! The list of questions is continually expanding, so check back often for more valuable expansion joint information.
U.S. Bellows New FAQ
Externally pressurized expansion joints are suited for piping systems that require large amounts of axial compression or extension. In externally pressurized expansion joints, the bellows elements are arranged so that the media flow is on the external surface of the bellows. Externally pressurizing the bellows eliminates pressure instability as a limitation to the design and permits the absorption of large amounts of axial expansion.
Typical movement conditions that occur in a piping system:
- Installation: allow one cycle for installation misalignment
- Start-up / Shut down: movements produced between the minimum ambient temperature and the maximum start-up temperature. This is normally a very low number of cycles.
- Operating: movements produced due to temperature fluctuations during system operation. This is typically a very small movement for a very large number of cycles.
- Excursion: movement resulting from a worst case / upset scenario, occurring during system operation. This is normally a very low number of cycles.
U.S. Bellows externally pressurized expansion joints are designed for 1000 cycles for any one tabulated movement shown. Movement may be increased, decreasing the cycle life, by using the graph below. This graph may also be used for superimposing more than one movement condition on the bellows at one time.
U.S. Bellows externally pressurized expansion joints are designed for 1000 cycles for any one tabulated movement shown. Movement may be increased, decreasing the cycle life, by using the graph below. This graph may also be used for superimposing more than one movement condition on the bellows at one time.
Using the graph: example: 2500 cycles reads C.F. of 1.23
- Enter the graph horizontally at the number of anticipated cycles or the movement condition being considered
- Move vertically until the graph I intercepted
- Move horizontally and read conversion factor
Fourteen Externally Pressurized Expansion Joints Designed for NASA
- 4″ to 14″ diameter range
- 21″ to 42″ O.A.L. range
- 304 stainless steel bellows
- 300 lb. carbon steel flanges
- Design conditions: 200 PSIG at 500ºF
- Internal guide rings serve as limit stops
- 100% dye-penetrant examined
- Hydrostatically tested
Externally Pressurized Expansion Joints for a Steam Plant in Kent, Ohio
- 10″ to 24″ diameter range
- 304 stainless steel bellows
- Carbon steel shell and flanges
- Design conditions: 150 PSIG at 350ºF
- Maximum of 4″ compression
- Hydrostatically tested
We recently posted a new article on the advantages of using an expansion joint versus a pipe loop:
An expansion joint and a pipe loop are two methods employed to safely absorb thermal expansion or contraction in piping systems due to thermal temperature changes.
Piping System with Expansion Joints
When design conditions exist, where an expansion joint or a pipe loop can be utilized, the major advantages of using an expansion joint are as follows:
- Space is inadequate for a pipe loop with sufficient flexibility.
- A minimum pressure drop throughout the pipe line is required and the absence of flow turbulence from the elbows and piping is required by process flow conditions.
- The fluid is abrasive and flows at a very high velocity.
Check out the rest of the article “Advantages of an Expansion Joint” versus a “Pipe Loop” at our site!
20" Diameter Tied Universal Expansion Joint
20" Diameter Tied Universal Expansion Joint
This tied universal expansion joint is fabricated from carbon steel pipe, tie rods and covers, and 304 stainless steel bellows and liners. The overall length of the expansion joint is 72″. The application of this expansion joint is to provide for large lateral movement in a propane dehydrogeneration plant. The expansion joint welds were 100% dye-penetrant examined and hydro-tested prior to shipment.
50 Universal Expansion Joints for an Air Force Base in New Mexico
U.S. Bellows, Inc. fabricated 50 expansion joints from 304L stainless steel. The expansion joints were 6″ and 8″ sizes. The 6″ expansion joints are 24″ face-to-face and the 8″ expansion joints are 26″ face-to-face. All of the expansion joints are fabricated with liners that are also made with 304L stainless steel. The design temperature was 200°F and the design pressure was 200 PSIG. The expansion joints were dye-penetrant tested and hydro-tested at 300 PSIG. U.S. Bellows, Inc. provides 100% customer satisfaction in terms of quality and delivery.
Expansion Joints for an Epoxy Resin Plant in Saudi Arabia
U.S. Bellows, Inc. designed and fabricated a 32″ universal expansion joint and 3″ single expansion joints to be utilized in a new epoxy resin plant in Saudi Arabia. The expansion joints are fabricated with stainless steel bellows and carbon and stainless steel flanges. The 32″ expansion joint has a design temperature of 482ºF with a design pressure of 15 PSIG. The 3″ single expansion joints have a design temperature of 400ºF with a design pressure of 370 PSIG.
The flanges on the 32″ universal expansion joint were custom fabricated to the customer’s special design requirements. One end of the 32″ expansion joint has a stainless steel custom machined flange with a grooved facing. The other end has a carbon steel lap joint flange. Each expansion joint was 100% dye-penetrant tested as well as hydro-tested.
605 Single Expansion Joints for a Refinery in Asia
Expansion Joint for a Refinery in Asia
U.S. Bellows, Inc. designed and fabricated 605 single expansion joints with a rectangular plate flange and a weld end. The expansion joints are 6″ in diameter and have an overall length of 15 3/8″. The design temperature was 525°F and the design pressure was 1 PSIG. Each expansion joint was 100% dye-penetrant tested and air & soap bubble tested. The expansion joints are to be installed in a heater for a delayed coker unit.
