The stability of a stainless steel bellows determines its pressure‑resistance capability.


Release date:

2024-04-10

When a stainless steel bellows is subjected to axial pressure exceeding its allowable limit, it will suddenly buckle—much like a compressed column or a helical cylindrical spring—and lose its straight‑line stability. This is an inevitable phenomenon. Similarly, if the internal pressure acting on the bellows surpasses its rated pressure capacity, instability will also occur. Experimental evidence shows that, in practice, most failures of bellows are attributable to this mechanism. This issue applies to elastic seals, axial expansion joints, and metal hoses alike.
 
In other words, the ability of a stainless steel bellows to withstand internal pressure generally depends on its stability. To analyze the stability of stainless steel bellows, one can apply the well-known Euler buckling formula to calculate their critical load.