_{NEW AND IMPROVED
Mercer Says "No" To Squirm}

For years we have been engineering highly flexible expansion joints utilizing high grade elastomers and Polyester(R) or Kevlar(R) tire cord reinforcements. Tire cord, unlike the old standard square woven fabric, allows us to vary the bias ply angle; achieving optimal strength and flexibility. This principal, borrowed from the tire industry, permits us to vary or change the ply angle along the axis of the joint a full 0 degrees to 90 degrees, allowing us full axial strength to no axial strength, respectively. The latex adhesive coating on the tire cord also ensures optional rubber to fabric bonding. These features, when applied with sound engineering, maximize a joint's all directional movement capabilities, while minimizing it's effective stiffness or spring rate. This ultra flexible construction, while successful in single arched designs, proved laterally unstable in multiple arched designs; they squirmed. The "squirming" would be even more evident at higher pressures.

Solving the stability problem while maintaining the ultra flexible construction became our goal. We found that the instability itself was less a function of the number of arches and more a function of the overall length and design pressure.

We understood this relationship best when we compared the joint's squirming to a simple column's buckling. Shorter columns can handle greater loads than longer ones and shorter length joints can handle higher pressures before squirming than longer joints. In column design, you can simply stiffen your beam as needed. It is possible to do the same with an expansion joint, yet flexibility and movement capability are lost. That is why we developed our external self-guiding control unit assembly. This design, as shown below, stabilizes the joint with the stiffness of the rods. The rods are connected to the joint with centering attachment plates. This design is all external to the joint, so it remains ultra flexible.

As with each product or application innovation, we are rushing to develop an information packed product bulletin. In the mean time, we are happy to announce and discuss our advances. If you would like to hear more about this product, or be in the first to receive the Engineering Product Bulletin, please let us know.
 

TESTING AND DEVELOPMENT

Believe it or Not, This Is an Expansion Joint

The extreme off-set reducing expansion joint pictured demonstrates Mercer's latest experience in developing custom built products for an engineered retrofit application. In previous newsletters, we featured our capability to take field measurements and custom build extreme off-set joints to fit. In a retrofit application an off-set is typically a result of upgrading equipment. Rarely would new equipment, i.e. pumps, fans, blowers, etc., have the same physical dimensions as the old, creating an offset, or length difference. A cost effective method of connecting the new equipment to the old piping system is by using a custom built expansion joint. This gives the design engineer greater flexibility on completing the overall design. Our product acts as flexible transition piece, eliminating the need to realign or replace the old piping system.

In this featured application a pipe center to center off-set of 18" existed over a 24" overall length. This arrangement was made more interesting in that it was also a pipe reducer from 24" diameter to 18" diameter. If the design engineer had not used our custom built product, a significant portion of the old piping system would have had to be replaced. Naturally, the engineer and owner were thrilled with the results.

For more information on Mercer's capabilities in building custom engineered products including extreme off-set expansion joints, please call one of our many technical sales managers or engineers.

PERSONNEL PROFILE

Sue Claussell - Head of Inside Sales, And A Whole Lot More!

Just over four years ago, the telephones at Mercer's new factory and head office in New York were turned on for the first time.  This was also the first chance many of our customers had the opportunity to talk and work with Sue Claussell, who is currently head of our Inside Sales Department.  Prior to this time, Sue worked as Export Manager and thereafter, as bookkeeper for both Mercer Rubber Company and our sister company Mason Industries, Inc.  This experience had cultivated her understanding of our products and customers.  She is now revered by colleagues and customers for her thorough understanding of our products, "saint-like" patience and control under pressure.  Sue often accepts the difficult responsibility of "Problem Solver"; a role that suits her talents best.

Very modestly Sue says, "The best part of my job is talking to our customers. I have developed quite a rapport with them; many of whom call daily."  Sue and her husband Mario have two sons; Chris, 21 and Steve, 18.  When not at work, Sue reserves her spare time for her family.

FIELD SERVICE CASE HISTORY

DuPont Dow Elastomers

DuPont Praises Mercer's "Top Performance"

DuPont Dow Elastomers has recently published an interesting Case History based on Expansion Joints manufactured by Mercer Rubber Company, utilized for "top performance" in critical process streams in their Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) facilities. We are proud of this endorsement and pleased to highlight some interesting points in the study.

DuPont explains that "Extracting the pigmentary material from raw Titanium ore involves a series of rigorous chemical and mechanical operations ...under the strictest safety requirements, with no margin for error." The study further sites their Edgemoor, Delaware plant as being "...a long time user of the basic Mercer Expansion Joint Design." According to the study, "More than 200 Mercer Expansion Joints made from Neoprene(R), Nordel(R) and other elastomers have been put in service during the past quarter century...Plant maintenance records indicate that these joints have given outstanding service."

DuPont recalls, "When a process change at Edgemoor put increased performance demands on much of the plant's equipment, Mercer set out to develop a joint that would provide superior resistance to chemical, mechanical and thermal abuse." We designed a premium joint made with Viton(R) tube and cover and Kevlar(R) tire cord reinforcement. A bias ply-angle construction was utilized to optimize the longitudinal and radial strength needed to withstand extremes of movement and pressure. The Case History continues, "In all, 20 of the new joints...were installed...most of the joints were placed in areas where process conditions were especially severe...maintenance records indicate that not a single replacement has been needed in the six years since they were installed."

We are delighted with this Case History and even more so that our customer is pleased with the performance of our product. We often develop products specific to demanding applications, and is in fact, what we do best. Please follow this link to the DuPont Case History. If you would like a copy of depot's Case History mailed to you or wish to know more about our capabilities, please contact us. We look forward to working with you.
 

LITERATURE UPDATE

NEW!! Power Pressure Balance and Water/Wastewater Applications Bulletins

Industry specific application bulletins are part of Mercer's effort to communicate our capabilities to the various markets we serve. Each issue of Flex News will continue to feature any new application bulletins and literature we develop. This quarter, we highlight our new Power Pressure Balance and Water/Wastewater Bulletins. Please follow this link to the Power Pressure Balance Bulletin. Copies are available upon request.

FEEDBACK

"Can We Price It Ourselves?"

Mercer continuously sends out literature updates, application bulletins and information packed newsletters. In each mailing, we include a company survey in order to update our records and receive customer comments. This section is dedicated to responding to your "FEEDBACK".

Many of you asked "Can we price our own inquiries?" Yes, you can and your catalogue many already have the price sheets you need. These price sheets are all list prices so contact one of our Sales Representatives and they will explain to you your discount multiplier and how it is used. You will also quickly see what items we have in stock and which items we have to fabricate. We are pleased that many of you find our pricing competitive, however we do not compete on price alone. Our product quality, engineering capabilities , as well as our customer service collectively represent the true value in using our products. If you have any comments you wish to convey, please do not hesitate to contact us.
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Email addresses at Mercer Rubber Company
info@mercer-rubber.com
sales@mercer-rubber.com
engineering@mercer-rubber.com