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Tommaso Gatto

Fabric expansion joints: how to install them correctly?

Today we are going to talk about fabric expansion joints and their correct installation.

In other previous posts we have focused on: the materials we use to realize them, their maintenance and the advantages that they can entail in a plant.

Why dedicate an article to installation?

A correct installation of the fabric expansion joint is as fundamental as its production. I can have a product perfectly made, using the best materials, but if it is installed incorrectly, the fabric expansion joint is not really effective.

Safety first

It happens that companies get in touch with us to buy fabric expansion joints specifying that they do not need support for the installation .

However, it should be kept in mind that, the installation of fabric expansion joints by unskilled personnel entails a number of safety risks to employees, especially when the system is in operation or in half service. Just recently, two workers of one of our customers were injured, by getting burned while they were assembling our products.

In fact, fabric expansion joints are installed in parts of plant where fluids, in a gaseous state, usually flow and which, besides very high temperatures, may contain chemicals or acidic components. These characteristics make the installation step somewhat “delicate”; this is why it is an operation that should not be underestimated at all.

If the expansion joint is not installed correctly, fluid spills can occur and be a health hazard to operators who, as they pass in the vicinity of these areas, risk being burned or coming into contact with chemical agents.

It is not only people who are at risk, but also any equipment that is in the vicinity of an expansion joint which is leaking.

The operation of the plant

In addition to safety, which we would like to remember comes first, we have to consider the plant performance.

If there are fluid leaks, it means that the plant is not working to its full capacity. In such cases, there is a risk of compromising plant operation with the occurrence of sudden and recurring plant shutdowns.

This situation obviously leads to losses in efficiency and considerable economic damage.

The position of fabric expansion joint

A question to which usually we do not pay attention is space. In many cases the fabric expansion joints have to be installed in narrow spaces, difficult to reach. The operation area for the employees involved is limited and the risk of making mistakes is very high; as a result, the installation becomes more complicated.

And then, in light of these considerations: how can we properly install the expansion joint?

Our answer is: delegate the installation to specially trained personnel or provide for the supervision of skilled technicians. Only in this way, we can be sure to install properly the expansion joint and reduce the risk of occurrence of situations as described above.

We also must keep in mind that no fabric expansion joint has a 100% seal, therefore the proper installation is essential to avoid fluid spills or minimize this possibility.

For all these reasons, we at New Componit have created, within our staff, a division exclusively dedicated to installation or assembly supervision. They are specifically trained technicians with decades of experience on site, able to work anywhere in the world.

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Maintenance of fabric expansion joint : what to know

When we speak about plant maintenance, the companies immediately think about activities that take a lot of time and money, without realizing that skipping the periodic maintenance can lead to serious problems.

In fact there is a risk of several problems that may result in sudden plant shutdown.

Can you imagine the damage to production, delays in delivery and customers waiting ?

Therefore, maintenance is NOT a waste of time.

If we talk about fabric expansion joints, the scheduled maintenance must be understood as an integral part of a correct production management.

In fact, the break of a fabric expansion joint can lead to interruption of production, or accident at the workplace.

In order to prevent these events, it is enough to plan periodic checks to find out any problems and intervene before they cause damage.

How to carry out maintenance?

First of all, we must keep in mind that fabric expansion joints are subject to wear, especially if they are subjected to extreme working conditions.

The first signs of wear should be repaired, if possible, or replaced.

After this fundamental premise, let’s see how to carry out the maintenance, step-by-step.

1. Drawing up a preventive maintenance plan

For expansion joints, as well as for other equipment, it is necessary to draw up an annual maintenance plant, taking into account also the type of expansion joint and the condition of the plant.

2. Identifying the maintenance personnel

Depending on the type of plant, a manager must be identified within the company and sufficiently trained to assess the state of the expansion joints.

3. Be in touch with the manufacturer

This point is fundamental and at New Componit we’ll never stop repeating it: the maintenance manager of the company must communicate with the manufacturer of expansion joints or with the company to which it was decided to entrust the controls.

The timing and the type of analysis to be performed, must be defined by expert technicians, depending on the needs of the plant and the working conditions to which the expansion joint is subjected.

4. Draw up a maintenance data sheet

All control and maintenance activities must be recorded in a special tab so that you can easily and quickly access this information.

5. Pay attention to the supplier

Usually companies that produce fabric expansion joints sell their products with a guarantee of several years, but do not take care of their maintenance.

It is therefore essential to buy the fabric expansion joints from a supplier who, in addition to the warranty, is able to support you throughout the life of his product.

We at New Componit not only provide you with the product but we offer a repair and maintenance service, that prevents problems or production interruptions due to a worn joint.

For this reason, we have designed the Efficiency Box® that allows us to respond to every type of customer need, in order to make production systems more efficient and safe.

Efficiency Box® includes:

  • Monitoring of the plant, carried out directly by our skilled staff;
  • Design and supply of the required interventions, with simple but technologically advanced solutions;
  • Installation by New Componit personnel or assembly supervision;
  • Direct assistance and immediate response with a dedicated toll-free number.

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Internal bolster yes or not?

Internal bolster yes or not?

The bolster is an internal insulation, placed between the conveyor and the external part of expansion joint and its installation brings many benefits.

In addition to this, it also acts as an acoustic barrier and allows the expansion joint to receive less thermal stress, prolonging its life.

We at New Componit offer this and other products for effective solutions against problems due to high temperatures and excessive noise.

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Fabric expansion joint is 100% gas tight?

Fabric expansion joint is 100% gas tight?

The tightness of a fabric expansion joint depends on two key factors: the permeability of the materials used and the level of tightness in the flange area.

Multilayer fabric expansion joints with porous textile materials exhibit significant permeability, whereas single-layer fabric expansion joints, especially those laminated with PTFE, have low permeability.

The final outcome is influenced by the pressure exerted by the flange, counter flanges, and bolt size.

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When a fabric expansion joint can avoid the shutdown of a combined cycle plant

When a plant stops due to a breakdown, it is necessary to solve quickly the problem, in order to restart the production, as soon as possible.

As you know, any downtime means a significant economic loss. In particular if the damage is on a metal expansion joint, placed in a wall pass, roof or bottom of a recovery boiler, in a combined cycle plant, it is important to act immediately.

This type of situation is not that impossible, since expansion joints are often subject to damages. These are flexible connections, whose purpose is to absorb vibrations and compensate the movements, the expansion joints are subject to different types of mechanical stress, as unexpected vibrations or movements, which lead to possible damage.

In these cases, the intervention can have the dual purpose of restarting the system immediately and at the same time ensuring that the compensator is able to work correctly until the scheduled maintenance stop. It is therefore necessary to find a solution that is simple and quick to install.

Fabric expansion joints are the ideal solution

With this premise a fabric expansion joint is the ideal solution as it is a product:

  • technological from the production point of view
  • simple to install
  • easy to replace

In particular, ultra-performing fabric expansion joints are required in combined cycle energy production plants since movements and pulsations in the boiler can be particularly intense.

The first time New Componit faced an intervention of this type was more than 20 years ago: an Italian thermoelectric plant had a similar problem that New Componit solved by means of a fabric expansion joint.

Since then Piperflex®, fabric expansion joints designed and produced by New Componit for these particular conditions, have changed and evolved considerably. Today these products have become essential for:

  • scheduled maintenance intervention of plants;
  • revamping of GVR modules in electricity production plants.

Piperflex® are a type of expansion joints designed for wall pass in recovery boilers (HRSG), with some important advantages:

  • high capacity to compensate large movements, both lateral and axial;
  • unique heat reduction characteristics (up to 900°C);
  • good gas tightness.

They can also successfully replace metal expansion joints for the same applications.

On this purpose, we can say that, in sector like thermoelectric plants, which are  forced to several “stop & go” (depending on energy demand ), metal expansion joints are subject to frequent damages, as they have not been designed for such demanding cycles.

It is for this reason that New Componit has created a task force for intervention in combined cycle plants by supplying and replacing metal expansion joints with fabric expansion joints.

Piperflex® are the result of a continuous research process for more and more efficient materials, capable of withstanding ever higher temperatures and expansion movements.

Furthermore, New Componit offers its customers a tailor-made service called Efficiency Box® which responds to all customers requests, in order to make their production system more productive and safer.

Efficiency Box® includes:

  1. SYSTEM MONITORING, carried out directly by a New Componit qualified consultant.
  2. DESIGN AND SUPPLY of the required interventions with simple but technologically advanced solutions.
  3. INSTALLATION by New Componit personnel or ASSEMBLY SUPERVISION on site.
  4. DIRECT ASSISTANCE AND READY FOR WORK with a dedicated toll-free number.

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How to be sure of the performance of products you buy?

How to be sure of the performance of products you buy?

Since the development of our company is based on a process of continuous research, which has allowed us a constant improvement over the years, we often ask ourselves: “How can we guarantee our customers that our products really meet their needs?”

“How can we be sure to satisfy the technical characteristics required by customers or by a tender specification?”

The data reported on technical data sheets are a starting point, but sometimes they are not enough, in particular if we are talking about highly technological or custom-made solutions.

It is exactly in these cases that the possibility to test the products becomes essential to understand what happens, during the working steps, to the different materials, subjected to extreme and stressful conditions.

Tests, reports, videos e analysis can describe the behavior of materials used under particular stress conditions; this kind of information is important to overcome any doubts about the performance of the product

Furthermore, offering this type of service allows the company to differentiate itself from other competitors.

Obviously, it is necessary to assemble a team specialized in “research and development”, which can work in laboratory and test room, equipped with special software for simulating the working conditions.

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