A ring expander forms strong, symmetrical, ring-shaped parts commonly used in the aerospace industry for turbine engine manufacture. It works by using hydraulic pressure to push a set of expanding jaws against the inside surface of the ring, which causes it to expand. The process typically involves placing the piston ring on a mandrel or expanding cone, which holds it in place while the ring expander is activated. Hydraulic pressure is applied to a cylinder, which drives a piston that pushes the expanding jaws outward. The jaws are designed to fit snugly against the inside surface of the ring, and as they move outward, they apply an even force to the ring that causes it to expand uniformly. Once the desired amount of expansion has been achieved, the hydraulic pressure is released, and the jaws retract, allowing the ring to be removed from the mandrel or cone. Hydraulic ring expanders are typically used to prepare piston rings for installation in an engine, where they must be precisely sized and shaped to provide a proper seal between the piston and cylinder wall.
Overall, hydraulic ring expanders are an effective tool for expanding metal rings quickly and uniformly, with minimal risk of damaging the ring or causing uneven expansion. The ring expanding process minimizes material thinning and virtually eliminates the stress point issues associated with traditional rolling and machining. These rings can be made from a variety of high-strength materials including Inconel, Hastelloy and Titanium, among others.
Customizable Ring Expanders
Triform’s hydraulic ring expanders can be customized to meet your exact needs. Customizable specifications include jaw diameter, jaw height, jaw travel, tonnage capacity, number of expansion tiers, and more. Leveraging Beckwood’s deep reservoir of experience with industrial machine control, Triform’s ring expanders are provided with precision programmability and recipe functionality via an Allen Bradley control platform.
Easy Maintenance
Every Triform ring expander is engineered for Infinite Life using finite element analysis (FEA) software. The designs are built to withstand the high forming and surface forces generated during the ring expansion process.
Ring expander systems are commonly provided with replaceable wear pads between the jaw segments and the draw cone, and are outfitted with Triform’s PressLink system for remote connectivity to the factory, ensuring efficient support. Built-in redundancies, such as dual linear and pressure transducers, prevent unexpected downtime.
Consult a Triform Engineer about your ring expanding needs
