Metal expansion joints are just one of Sudbury International’s provisions

Sudbury International distributes a variety of expansion joints, including metal ones.

Sudbury International Engineered Products Limited has been a major provider of long-term, cost-effective industrial solutions in the Guelph, Ont. area and beyond for more than 40 years. Among its lineup of essential products is its group of expansion joints, including fabric, rubber, and dog-bone joints. Another product available is metal expansion joints.

With more than four decades in the business, the Sudbury International team is not just a provider of these joints; it also uses its collective expertise to help clients find the perfect solutions for their needs.

Useful in many different sectors

Also known as compensators, metal expansion joints are compensating elements for thermal expansion and relative moment, typically used in pipelines, containers, and other types of machines. Each one consists of at least one metal bellow (produced with a multi-ply design), a connector at each end, and some form of tie rods, depending on the specific application. Invented by Emil Witzenmann in Germany in 1920, these metal joints are extremely useful in applications that involve thermal movement or vibration, in such industries as oil and gas, water treatment, energy, chemicals, and pulp and paper.

Metal expansion joints are typically classified according to their types of movement. The three main types of these joints are as follows:

• Axial. Axial compensators absorb the thermal expansion of a straight-lined section between two fixed points. The distance between these points determines the length of pipeline that needs compensation and, by extension, the axial movement that the metal joint must achieve.
• Angular. A minimum of two angular compensators – often three for full compensation – are required for angular compensation of thermal expansion. In two-hinge or three-hinge systems, angular expansion joints provide many different combination options.
• Lateral. In single- or multi-plane piping systems, lateral compensation is associated with flow redirection by a right angle. Users typically install these joints in existing 90-degree redirections in these piping systems. The compensator’s movement consists of the required lateral movement and a small axial movement from the joint.

Trust Sudbury International to find the perfect compensator solution for every firm.

For more information, contact Sudbury International.

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