Installation of Single Ball Flexible Rubber Joint
Single sphere flexible rubber joints are widely used in pipeline systems to reduce pipe vibration and noise. Check below for some tips for installation of single sphere rubber joint:
1. Keep single ball flexible rubber joint in its natural state when being installed in pipeline. No man-made artificial deformation is allowed during the installation, to avoid early damage and weakened function.
2. When connecting single ball flexible rubber joint with pipeline flange, bolt screw shall extend to pipeline flange end to avoid squeeze injury or scratch injury by thread on rubber joint arch when the rubber ball is pressurized and expanded. Each end of bolt must be symmetrically fastened up to the same tightness. Additional spring washers are needed besides flat gasket to avoid loose of nuts for places with bad working conditions.
3. If the single ball flexible rubber joint is designed near pump outlet, pipeline corner, under high pressure situation, or suspended in the air in high building, it should be installed with fixed support or mounting bracket on pipeline. Force for fixed support and bracket must be greater than the axial force, otherwise a control unit should be equipped in rubber joint as pull restrainer.
4. When single ball flexible rubber joints is installed very close to water/oil pump outlet or used in frequently open and stop conditions, in order to reduce the impact to pump and pipeline caused by rubber joint excessive expansion and compression, restraining control units are needed at both ends of flanges.
