Advantech Case Studies Nippon Valqua Industries, Ltd. Case Study

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	Nippon Valqua Industries, Ltd. Case Study Advantech

Nippon Valqua Industries, Ltd. Case Study

Advantech

Technology Category	Analytics & Modeling - Digital Twin / Simulation
Applicable Industries	Electronics Aerospace
Applicable Functions	Product Research & Development Quality Assurance
Use Cases	Predictive Maintenance Digital Twin
Services	Software Design & Engineering Services
Challenge	Nippon Valqua Industries, a leading manufacturer of industrial packing and gaskets, faced the challenge of extending the service life of weld bellows. The bellows consist of an accordion-folded frame formed with elaborate metal disks cut out of corrugated plates, of which the inner and outer edges are alternately welded. The welded bellows have elastic and airtight features and are applied for seal application, such as ultra-high vacuum valves for the semiconductor industry, wafer processing equipment and single-crystal grower, as well as gyroscopes, accumulator and dampers used for aerospace vehicles. To extend the service life, it was critical to optimize the shape of corrugated plates comprising welded parts. For the design of welded bellows that receive concentrated reaction force on/around welded parts, it was critical to create a corrugated plate best suited to disperse such concentrated reaction force. Read More
About Customer	Nippon Valqua Industries is a leading manufacturer of industrial packing and gaskets based in Japan. The company produces a wide range of products including rubber, fiber products, high-performance resins, and metal packing. One of their key products is the “welded metal bellows,” which consists of an accordion-folded frame formed with elaborate metal disks cut out of corrugated plates. The inner and outer edges of these plates are alternately welded, giving the bellows their elastic and airtight features. These bellows are used in a variety of applications, including as seals for ultra-high vacuum valves in the semiconductor industry, wafer processing equipment, single-crystal growers, as well as gyroscopes, accumulators, and dampers used in aerospace vehicles. Read More
Solution	Nippon Valqua created a model of corrugated plate having three crests from the entire bellows model as an axial-symmetric model to be analyzed. To this analysis, it applied the optimization method using parameter design. At this stage, Nippon Valqua parameterized circular arcs and other factors that specify the corrugation shape of corrugated plates. Subsequently it performed analyses using ANSYS software. For this analysis, a series of processes —from changing model shapes using parameters to storing analyzed results —were automated using ANSYS Parametric Design Language (APDL). Considering the fact that most breakage of bellows occurs on/around welded portions, Nippon Valqua explored possible causes of the increase in the Von Mises stress based on obtained results of analyses. As a result, it could find a parameter exerting significant effects upon the increase in stress from among those causes. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Analytics & Modeling - Digital Twin / Simulation

Applicable Industries

Electronics

Aerospace

Applicable Functions

Product Research & Development

Quality Assurance

Use Cases

Predictive Maintenance

Digital Twin

Services

Software Design & Engineering Services

Challenge

Nippon Valqua Industries, a leading manufacturer of industrial packing and gaskets, faced the challenge of extending the service life of weld bellows. The bellows consist of an accordion-folded frame formed with elaborate metal disks cut out of corrugated plates, of which the inner and outer edges are alternately welded. The welded bellows have elastic and airtight features and are applied for seal application, such as ultra-high vacuum valves for the semiconductor industry, wafer processing equipment and single-crystal grower, as well as gyroscopes, accumulator and dampers used for aerospace vehicles. To extend the service life, it was critical to optimize the shape of corrugated plates comprising welded parts. For the design of welded bellows that receive concentrated reaction force on/around welded parts, it was critical to create a corrugated plate best suited to disperse such concentrated reaction force.

About Customer

Nippon Valqua Industries is a leading manufacturer of industrial packing and gaskets based in Japan. The company produces a wide range of products including rubber, fiber products, high-performance resins, and metal packing. One of their key products is the “welded metal bellows,” which consists of an accordion-folded frame formed with elaborate metal disks cut out of corrugated plates. The inner and outer edges of these plates are alternately welded, giving the bellows their elastic and airtight features. These bellows are used in a variety of applications, including as seals for ultra-high vacuum valves in the semiconductor industry, wafer processing equipment, single-crystal growers, as well as gyroscopes, accumulators, and dampers used in aerospace vehicles.

Solution

Nippon Valqua created a model of corrugated plate having three crests from the entire bellows model as an axial-symmetric model to be analyzed. To this analysis, it applied the optimization method using parameter design. At this stage, Nippon Valqua parameterized circular arcs and other factors that specify the corrugation shape of corrugated plates. Subsequently it performed analyses using ANSYS software. For this analysis, a series of processes —from changing model shapes using parameters to storing analyzed results —were automated using ANSYS Parametric Design Language (APDL). Considering the fact that most breakage of bellows occurs on/around welded portions, Nippon Valqua explored possible causes of the increase in the Von Mises stress based on obtained results of analyses. As a result, it could find a parameter exerting significant effects upon the increase in stress from among those causes.

Impact #1	The Von Mises stress was successfully decreased by changing the shape of bellows, compared to the existing shape.
Impact #2	When comparing the fixed optimized shape to competitors' bellows or straight (noncorrugated)-type bellows, it is obvious that the amount of deformation and other factors have been improved.
Impact #3	Durability also has been enhanced, obtaining far better test results than those of the existing models.

Impact #1

The Von Mises stress was successfully decreased by changing the shape of bellows, compared to the existing shape.

Impact #2

When comparing the fixed optimized shape to competitors' bellows or straight (noncorrugated)-type bellows, it is obvious that the amount of deformation and other factors have been improved.

Impact #3

Durability also has been enhanced, obtaining far better test results than those of the existing models.

Benefit #1	Durability test results exceeded 1 million operations

Benefit #1

Durability test results exceeded 1 million operations

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Overview

Nippon Valqua Industries, Ltd. Case Study

Operational Impact

Quantitative Benefit