* Live Webinars are approved for 1 PDH credit for TX P.E.’s
Get to know U.S. Bellows from introducing our team and manufacturing capabilities to exploring design details in technical drawings for large-scale projects. View case studies that lead to the creation of new standards and designs. Learn about cost saving measures for expansion joint failures and how to prevent future problems.
U.S. Bellows, Inc., a division of PT&P, has more than 50 years of experience designing and manufacturing expansion joints, along with replacement and repair services.
Tie rods are necessary in some applications to continuously restrain the full pressure thrust during normal operation while permitting only lateral deflection. Here is an example of what can happen when tie rods are not specified or the piping has not been anchored.
* Live Webinars are approved for 1 PDH credit for TX P.E.’s
Listen to in-depth explanations on how to choose the type of expansion joint that will best suit your system. Learn about the bellows movements throughout the piping system due to thermal changes of mechanical motion. Increase your understanding of the different types of expansion joints and value-added services offered by U.S. Bellows.
U.S. Bellows, Inc., a division of PT&P, has more than 50 years of experience designing and manufacturing expansion joints, along with replacement and repair services.
U.S. Bellows refurbished a 54″ dia. custom crossover expansion joint for a power plant in Kansas. The flow end and balancing end bellows were replaced. The pressure balanced expansion joint was designed for 1″ axial movement at 700°F and 150 psig. The bellows longitudinal weld seams were 100% x-rayed and the assembly was hydro-tested at 180 psig prior to shipment. The refurbishment was completed in three weeks to meet the customer’s outage requirements.
We have an inventory of stock bellows for your quick-turn/emergency requirements. Contact us now if you need a replacement expansion joint. We can run it through our expedited manufacturing line using a prefabbed bellows and get it to you within 1-2 days in some cases.
Using our inventory, we can quickly assemble and ship a variety of expansion joints including single, single tied, universal, elbow pressure balanced and in-line pressure balanced expansion joints. Stock bellows are available from 2″ to 24″ diameter and in three pressure values: 85 psig, 150 psig and 300 psig.
Emergency Shutdown: Replacement of a Metallic Universal Expansion Joint for a Chemical Plant in Wisconsin
One of U.S. Bellows’ customer’s existing expansion joint failed and caused a plant shut down. They required an immediate replacement joint. This universal expansion joint order was placed, designed and fabricated in just one day. The order came in at 8:30 am on Saturday, Labor Day weekend and was shipped at 4:00 pm, which minimized the time of the plant shut down. This universal expansion joint is 96″ in overall length, 20″ inside diameter and can absorb 3.25″ lateral movement. A 100% dye-penetration test and a hydro-test were performed to ensure quality.
Three Day Emergency: 40″ Clam Shell Expansion Joint Fabricated for a Chemical Plant in Texas
Within a three day span, U.S. Bellows, Inc., fabricated a 40″ I.D., single coded, clam shell expansion joint for a chemical plant in Beaumont, Texas. The chemical company utilized U.S. Bellows’ 24 x 7 Quick Turn/Emergency service. After the representative from the chemical plant completed the online form, the U.S Bellows’ on-call team was immediately paged. Three days later the bellows had been successfully fabricated, welded to an A516-70 heat exchanger shell and shipped to the chemical plant to resume operation. The bellows was fabricated from A240 tp 321 SS and designed at 50 PSIG and 750°F. In order to detect any leaks in the weld, the bellow’s long seam weld was 100% x-rayed and its attachment weld was 100% dye-penetrant.
* Live Webinars are approved for 1 PDH credit for TX P.E.’s
Get to know U.S. Bellows from introducing our team and manufacturing capabilities to exploring design details in technical drawings for large-scale projects. View case studies that lead to the creation of new standards and designs. Learn about cost saving measures for expansion joint failures and how to prevent future problems.
U.S. Bellows, Inc., a division of PT&P, has more than 50 years of experience designing and manufacturing expansion joints, along with replacement and repair services.
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.
The unexpected closure of Lortz Manufacturing came as a surprise to us here at U.S. Bellows. For the customers who may have been adversely impacted by the closure of Lortz Manufacturing, we are offering our products and services to you. In case you are unfamiliar with U.S. Bellows, Inc., we have been designing and manufacturing high quality engineered expansion joints since the 1960′s and are located in Houston, TX. We have also been a member of EJMA since 2002 and have representation on both the technical and management committees.
From custom metallic expansion joints to a variety of fabric expansion joints, we are bound to have the product you need for your particular application. Rest assured that your expansion joint needs can be covered by our 24/7 web-based emergency services, field services and quick-turn around time when you need it most. Please view our product line and call us at (832) 356-8812 to speak to a U.S. Bellows representative who will help accommodate your specific expansion joint requirements for continued uninterrupted operation in your piping system.
Do you have a plant turnaround scheduled or planning one in the near future? PT&P is prepared to be there for you throughout the entire process. From planning, to execution, and follow-up, we have what it takes to accomplish a successful plant turnaround.
Prior to Your Turnaround:
- Call our field service team to assist with plant walk-downs to assess your plant for maintenance, repair or replacement of pipe supports and expansion joints
- Contact our quotations department for immediate pricing on pipe supports, expansion joints, or auxiliary steel needed during the turnaround.
- Consult our experienced engineers for guidance on support placement, materials, finishes, etc. to ensure optimum life of the supports.
During Your Turnaround:
- Use our field service team to guide you through installation, start-up, and replacement to safely and efficiently handle your turnaround.
- For quick delivery, PT&P stocks over 1500 bellows, over 100,000 lb. of insulation materials, over 30,000 spring coils, and over 1 million pounds of standard items
Post Turnaround:
- Receive training to monitor the supports, and identify potential failure, in order to prevent unplanned turnarounds in the future.
- Learn correct size and selection of pipe supports and expansion joints per application for any post-turnaround resolutions.
- Call on our field service team to develop a data book of existing pipe supports and expansion joints and their conditions in order to identify potential maintenance issues in upcoming turnarounds.
Examples:
Metallic Expansion Joint Refurbished in 2 Days
A rectangular metal expansion joint was refurbished on an emergency basis for a local chemical plant. Upon arrival, it was acid washed and dye-penetrant examined for any cracks. View the full Article.
Refurbishment of 54" Pressure Balanced Elbow Turbine Crossover Expansion Joints
U.S. Bellows, Inc. refurbished two pressure balanced elbow expansion joints with a quick turnaround for a power generation plant during outages. They are designed for high pressure turbine crossover piping. The first 54″ outside diameter expansion joint leaked from a crack in the bellows causing an unscheduled outage. View the full article.
4" Single Expansion Joint
This expansion joint was received in the morning and shipped to the customer the very same day. The bellows, liner and cover were replaced and the carbon steel parts were sand blasted, cleaned and painted. A dye-penetrant test and hydro-test to 518 PSIG were performed prior to shipment. View the full article.
Same Day Turnaround Service on an 8" Single Expansion Joint
This expansion joint was received in the morning, refurbished by adding new bellows and limit rods, and then shipped the very same day. New 321 stainless steel bellows were fabricated and the existing flanges were reused by sandblasting and then painting for corrosion protection. View the full article.
To get your copy, fill out the request form. A number of improvements have been implemented based on valuable feedback from our customers and engineers.
- all new photographs
- a brand new section on past projects
- more expansion joint data tables
Get to know U.S. Bellows from introducing our team and manufacturing capabilities to exploring design details in technical drawings for large-scale projects. View case studies that lead to the creation of new standards and designs. Learn about cost saving measures for expansion joint failures and how to prevent future problems.
