What makes for a really good bellow?

Bellows are staple protective components manufactured mostly for mechanical and industrial applications. 

Constructed with a multitude of materials, including brass, fabric, plastic, rubber and steel, bellows are economically efficient solutions; they shield moving parts, machinery joints or mechanisms from the air, chemicals, dirt, dust, debris, emulsions, grease, oil, liquid, light, smoke, solvents, weld splatter (and surprisingly, even a whole lot more).

Say hello to the four main bellow types, along with its best application use.

Molded bellows – constructed with specially formulated PVC, molded bellows bounce alkalis, acids, dust and water off like nobody’s business.

Molded bellows know how to stay cool while also taking the heat with operating temperatures from as low as -20°C to as high as 120°C.

Best application use: Suited up in standard black or transparent material, molded bellows are veteran all–stars for a wide range of applications in the locomotive, steel and wastewater treatment industries.

If you need bellow protection when the heat is cranked up even more, contact Shaver Industries who keep in stock specially constructed, thermally bonded bellows withstanding temperatures reaching 1,000°C. Now that’s hot.

Rubber disk bellows – rubber disk bellows are punched out and hardened with sulfur compounds at high temperatures to kick in its enhanced rigid and elastic qualities, which provides optimal protection for indoor and outdoor applications.

Is your industrial application of the heated kind? Ask a bellow specialist to use an alternative material to create custom rubber disk bellows.

Best application type: – rubber disk bellows provide perfect protection for pistons and pneumatic bars; spindles and screw jacks also well-covered with this bellow type.

Stainless steel plated bellows – designed for the young and hostile application types; stainless steel bellows protect against those heated moments involving hot chips, welding splatter and other fiery, extreme environments.

Debris is no match for the steel plates since they work alongside adjacent steel plates averting fragment contact with the bellows below.

Best application type: when your application requires nerves of steel (for example, safeguarding medical equipment, withstanding high service temperatures for oil and gas tasks, or securing tight tolerances for chemical chores, these plated bellows are true as stainless steel.

Stitched bellows – offers high temperature and tight tolerances at a low, economical price. Its anti-abrasion properties more than makes up for the non-liquid proof protection.

Best application type: used for light to moderate applications, stitched bellows are a quick and easy solution for small batch automotive, construction or hydraulic-based applications, including protection of cylinder rods and linear-motion rails.

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