Product Overview
The Medium Long Travel Edge Welded Bellows is engineered for vacuum applications that demand exceptional axial stroke — up to ±25mm — from a standard flange footprint. By increasing the diaphragm count and optimizing convolution geometry, we pack maximum travel into a compact envelope. This makes it the preferred bellows for vacuum manipulators, translation stages, and linear probe drives where large-range, precise, repeatable motion must be delivered under UHV conditions.
Unlike hydroformed bellows that sacrifice stroke for cost, this edge welded design achieves up to 60% compression of free length while maintaining spring rate linearity across the full stroke range. Each unit is assembled in our Class 10,000 cleanroom using micro-plasma welding — the same process trusted by national laboratories for synchrotron beamline bellows. For detailed dimensional data, consult the long-travel entries in our AT-Series Catalog.
Key Benefits
- Maximum stroke per installed length — ±15–25mm axial travel from a standard medium flange envelope, ideal for space-constrained motion systems
- Optimized multi-convolution design distributes stroke uniformly across all diaphragms, eliminating stress concentration and extending fatigue life to 1 million+ cycles
- High lateral stability — reinforced end convolutions prevent buckling and torsion under off-axis loading, maintaining precise linear motion
- Linear spring rate across the entire stroke range — predictable actuation force simplifies motor sizing and control system design
- All-metal, bakeable construction — compatible with UHV bakeout protocols up to 300°C; no elastomers to contaminate your vacuum
Technical Specifications
- Flange Type: Standard Round Flange (CF, ISO-K, ISO-F; custom bolt patterns on request)
- Material: SS316L Stainless Steel — for extreme temperatures, upgrade to Inconel 718 via our Material Selection Guide
- Vacuum Level: 10⁻⁸ mbar (standard); UHV 10⁻¹⁰ mbar with copper gasket seal option
- Operating Temperature: -196°C to +300°C (SS316L); up to 700°C with Inconel 718
- Axial Stroke: ±15–25mm (application-dependent; contact engineering for custom stroke requirements)
- Angular Deflection: ±5°
- Cycle Life: 1,000,000+ cycles at rated stroke under clean vacuum conditions
- Spring Rate: Factory-measured and reported per unit; available in soft (0.5–5 N/mm), medium (5–50 N/mm), and stiff (50–500+ N/mm) ranges
Typical Applications
- Vacuum manipulator joints — sample transfer arms, wobble sticks, and precision positioners for surface science and beamline experiments
- Vacuum translation stage drives — linear motion feedthroughs for in-situ sample alignment in deposition and analysis chambers
- Probe drive mechanisms — wafer probing stations, electrical test feedthroughs in semiconductor metrology
- Vacuum valve actuators — long-stroke gate and pendulum valve stems for semiconductor cluster tools
- Linear motion compensation systems — thermal expansion joints and vibration decouplers for rigid vacuum piping networks
