Do you know what a wind generator and a breadmaker have in common? The same thing is shared by sectors as diverse as the automotive, aerospace, railway, heavy machinery and many others, which use machinery with articulated systems, exposed to contaminants such as drillings, shavings, hydraulic oils or dust, among other substances.
Index
What are protection bellows used for?
For the protection of the articulated systems are used with folded sheaths that adapt to the movement of the mechanism they accompany, expanding or contracting.. They are called protection bellows. Thanks to the variety of their shapes, colors and qualities, protection bellows protect articulated robot arms, guides, spindles and hydraulic jack rods, among other commonly used moving components.
Epidor SRT protection bellows
The protection bellows that we commercialize are manufactured by rotomolding and by sewing-thermosealing, more economical solutions than molded bellows. We can design and build any model of protection bellows virtually no restrictions on quantities, dimensions and shapes. We can offer cylindrical, conical or linear protection bellows with rectangular, square, hexagonal cross-section... as well as more complex executions such as protections for linear guides. However, if required by the application, we can also provide bellows can be made “to order”.” in other more concrete geometries.
The protection bellows that we put at your disposal are manufactured in a wide range of materials:
- PVC-coated polyester (water, dust and some acids)
- PVC-FCO (polymer especially resistant to hydraulic fluids)
- Polyester coated with polyurethane (machine tool chips and drillings)
- Viton ® / fiberglass (hydraulic fluids, sparks, chemical attack)
- PTFE (almost universal chemical resistance, non-stick and harmless)
- Fiberglass with silicone coating
- Silicone
- aluminized polyester and even leather bellows
Depending on the application of the protective bellows it will be necessary to incorporate a reinforcement weft for the base material of the bellows. Kevlar ®, polyester and Nomex ® (exclusive silicone for services over 250 ºC) weaves can be proposed.
About colors, For PVC protection bellows, the standard color is black, but they can also be painted in white, red, gray and blue (other colors on request). If the bellows is made of silicone, then the standard color is brick red, although we also supply beige and gray bellows.
Protective bellows accessories
The protection bellows can be installed in horizontal, vertical and inclined execution and can be equipped with the following accessories:
- Opening system:
Fabric bellows, due to their size or type of operation, have opening limiters on the pleats and distribute the stress more effectively along the bellows. To facilitate the maintenance of the part protecting the gusset, all finishes, with or without weft, can be opened by zipper (depending on diameter), hook and loop fasteners and Velcro.®. We can also supply them with a “closed” finish.
- Decompression filters:
When a bellows opens and closes very quickly, it is necessary to add a device to avoid a suction or suction effect of the bellows itself. This involves drilling holes and inserting devices similar to water diffusers for taps at key points of the bellows.
- Reinforcement rings or guides:
Depending on the material and size of the bellows, reinforcement rings should be installed to improve the stability of the folds and to achieve better alignment of the folds. In linear bellows, pieces called guides are inserted as frames, with the same function as the reinforcement rings. Under no circumstances should the folds of the bellows get jammed during its displacement or rest on the moving parts or come into contact with edges.
- Fasteners:
The ends of the bellows can be finished with an aluminum or PVC frame or a steel flange where a number of holes have been drilled. Another option is to integrate a collar at the ends so that a clamp can be used to install the bellows.
Examples of protection bellows
To conclude, here are some of the following application examples:
- Cylindrical bellows in white PVC, joint protection (orthodontic equipment).
- Aramid conical bellows, Velcro mounting ®, for spark protection (steel mill).
- Silicone / Kevlar tapered bellows ® with brackets, for temperature (oven).
- Cylindrical bellows in silicone with zipper for brake fluid (railroad).
- Rectangular bellows for transfer table (automotive).
If you need a customized bellows or other similar solution, you can count on our experience and know-how to offer you a concrete solution.