Bespoke bellows
Over 35 years' experience in the development and manufacture of custom bellows – As a bellows manufacturer, we precisely adjust stroke, installation space and load to your requirements.
- Customised production
- Batch sizes 1 to 1 million units.
- Express production from 2 weeks
- 100% Reliability & proactivity
Bellows according to individual drawing
Rubber bellows act as a flexible protective cover, preventing dirt, dust, chips or liquids from entering sensitive machine parts. As a bellows supplier, we manufacture & develop a wide variety of bellows geometries as Rubber moulding, Silicone moulding, TPE moulded part or as a combined solution of RUBBER AND METAL, Rubber and plastic and Rubber and fabric which are precisely adapted to our customers' operating conditions and function reliably in the long term.
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Structure a bellows
A bespoke bellows is made up of several functional areas that work together to ensure it remains flexible, seals securely, and reliably maintains its protective effect throughout the entire stroke, even under varying and high loads. As bellows manufacturers with over 35 years of experience, we know how these areas need to be constructed and designed for the bellows to function reliably over the long term and achieve a long service life.
Annexation
The connection of the elastic bellows forms the interface with the machine and determines how securely and tightly the bellows is attached. Different types of connections are used depending on the load. For quick assembly, clamping or plug-in solutions are sufficient. For fixing with screws, strong vibrations or frequent disassembly, a metal flange is often used. It ensures a dimensionally stable support, reproducible pre-tension, and thus reliable sealing. Geometry and design determine how securely the bellows is fixed and how well the ingress of foreign matter and pollutants into the protected area is prevented.
Fastening
The fastening area connects the bellows to the moving component or the second connection (e.g., guide or carriage). It must be able to accommodate a working travel without detaching, while simultaneously ensuring a defined seal.
Pleat zone (bellows body)
The convolution zone is the working path of the bellows: it enables axial movement and compensates for tolerances, misalignment, and dynamics. Convolution geometry, wall thickness, and material determine flexibility, spring force, and service life under load.
Commute (Hub)
The travel describes the available distance that the bellows can safely cover. It is crucial for the design with varying positions, changing strokes and installation situations, and, with optimal construction, prevents overstretching or jamming of the bellows.
Internal diameter (protection diameter)
The free diameter determines which components the bellows cover and how much freedom there is for movement, misalignment, or vibrations. If this dimension is set too restrictively, the risk of friction increases and excessive wear occurs. If designed too generously, installation space is used inefficiently.
Our materials for your Bellows
Whether Rubber moulding or Silicone mouldingWe process the appropriate material to realise your application in the best possible technical and economic way. We specifically tailor the material, geometry, and manufacturing process to the requirements of your component, ensuring optimal compatibility of function, durability, and lifespan.
Contact us for a free material consultation regarding your application and your custom bellows.
Sectors & Areas of Application for Bellows
Custom-molded bellows ensure movement during operation: They protect components from dirt and moisture, provide sealing, and compensate for linear and lateral misalignment and vibrations. As bellows manufacturers, we supply numerous customers with durable and suitable rubber bellows.
Bellows in Mechanical Engineering
In mechanical and plant engineering, bellows reliably protect guides, cylinders, and couplings from chips, dust, coolants, and spray water, ensuring that moving parts remain functional during continuous operation. High dynamics, long strokes, and abrasive particles make wear-resistant materials, secure sealing, and precisely defined bellows geometry crucial. Since installation space, stroke, connection geometries, and media contact vary greatly depending on the installation situation, a perfectly fitting custom design is necessary to avoid collisions and premature wear. The type of installation, cycle rate, and load situation also significantly determine the appropriate wall thickness, number of folds, and choice of material.
Bellows in the Automotive industry
In the automotive industry, bellows reliably protect moving assemblies such as steering, drive shafts, shock absorbers, and sensors from dirt, water, road salt, and other environmental influences. At the same time, they must safely withstand permanent mechanical stress, extreme temperature changes, ozone, and contact with oils, greases, and fuels during daily vehicle use. As installation space, stroke, connection geometries, and media contact vary significantly depending on the vehicle platform and application, a precisely designed custom solution is particularly important. Material, wall thickness, and bellows geometry are therefore specifically tailored to the requirements of the respective automotive application, the desired service life, and relevant standard specifications.
Bellows in the Medical Technology
Bespoke bellows cleanly seal moving areas in medical devices and reliably protect sensitive zones from particles and contaminants. The primary focus is on cleanroom compatibility, very low particle emissions, and ease of cleaning. At the same time, the materials used must permanently withstand disinfection, sterilisation, and aggressive media without becoming brittle or swelling. Through custom manufacturing, geometry, bellows design, and material can be specifically matched to the cleanroom class, cleaning process, and contact media, thereby minimising deposits, simplifying cleaning, and significantly reducing contamination risks.
We are experts in bellows in your industry! Test One!
- Toolmaking is our core competency
- 100% in-house expertise
- Fast response times for tooling modifications
Insights in bellows projects
of our customers.
Hygienic cleaning of bellows in the food industry
The challenge
In food engineering, components often need to be cleaned and visually inspected regularly. However, hygienic cleaning is only practical if the bellows can be opened when required, in their installed state – without dismantling and without interfering with the plant.
Implementation
Our engineering team suggested installing a zip fastener to allow for quick cleaning of the bellows. The zip fastener allows the bellows to be opened, made fully accessible, and then re-sealed and returned to their original shape – directly on the machine.
Solution
Cleaning and visual inspections can be carried out significantly faster without dismantling parts of the machine. This reduces downtime, lowers the risk of contamination and increases process reliability – especially with frequent cleaning cycles.
Do you have questions about bellows?
We have answers!
Welche Normen und Richtlinien sind bei Faltenbälgen wichtig?
For bellows, material and testing standards are particularly relevant, ensuring hardness, strength, and durability can be clearly specified and comparably tested (e.g., Shore hardness and tensile/elongation values). Additionally, tolerance specifications for moulded rubber parts (e.g., ISO 3302-1) are included so that dimensions and fits are reproducible during installation. Which additional guidelines apply depends heavily on the application: for food contact, material conformity is key to prevent undesired substances from entering the product (EU food contact law). In medical technology, biocompatibility (e.g., ISO 10993) and clean quality management are the focus, as material contact and process verification are crucial. In the automotive industry, traceability, series production capability, and quality requirements are paramount (typically within the scope of IATF 16949).
Are special compounds suitable for the manufacture of bellows?
Yes – together with our qualified raw material partners, we develop a custom-made elastomer compound that is specifically tailored to your needs.
Is there pressure or negative pressure in the bellow?
When the bellows extend, negative pressure is generated within them, and when they contract, positive pressure is created. Closed bellows act like a spring or a brake. Depending on the application, bellows are fitted with small holes to allow pressure equalisation in moving components. The holes also serve to regulate condensation or moisture, while maintaining protection against splash water and dirt.
Typically, what manufacturing processes are used for bellows?
From our experience, bellows are most commonly manufactured using injection moulding (when it comes to series and reproducible quality) – for smaller quantities, transfer or compression moulds are usually the more economical alternative.
How quickly can you deliver prototypes and series production for bellows?
Through our express service, we are able to produce prototype tools at short notice and provide initial bellows prototypes within two weeks. Serial production can usually commence from the fourth week after sample approval by your quality department and completion of the serial tool.
