Thermal growth, equipment movement, vibration or pressure pulsation may generate movement in a piping system. When this movement is not absorbed by the piping system itself, an expansion joint is the perfect solution. There are three basic movements that can be absorbed by an expansion Joint :
- axial movement is the change in dimensional length of the bellows from its free length in a direction parallel to its longitudinal axis
- lateral movement is the relative displacement of one end of the bellows to the other end in a direction perpendicular to its longitudinal axis.
- angular movement is the rotational displacement of the longitudinal axis of the bellows toward a point of rotation.
