View all our online quote forms
Useful links
All Industries
All Resources
Dynatect is a bellows manufacturer specializing in customized bellows for all industries and applications.
As a custom manufacturer, we offer covers in any size or shape with a wide choice of manufacturing methods (e.g., stitched, molded, etc.).
Dynatect is the only manufacturer to offer 12 different construction methods for bellows. This includes construction and materials selection to address many specialty applications including food-grade materials, high-temperature, anti-microbial, high lateral shear, wash-down, pressure/vacuum changes, and meeting UL burn standards.
Moulded Rubber Bellows
Compact, flexible bellows for sealing and protecting moving parts. Available in over 500 sizes and multiple elastomer options—many ready to ship from stock.
Gortiflex® Bellows
Exceptionally durable sealed bellows. Suitable for outdoor environments with exposure to moisture, ice, sand, oil, UV radiation, and temperature extremes. Suitable for retrofit applications; zipper compatible.
Traction Motor Bellows
Gangway Bellows Systems for Trains and Buses
Shipping Container Bellows
Custom Large-Scale Bellows
Dynatect designs custom large-scale bellows for connecting modular buildings, containers, and walkways in commercial, industrial, and mobile applications.
Rectangular Box Bellows
Custom-manufactured box bellows provide durable, dimensionally stable protection for machinery and lift systems. Available in a range of materials and mounting options to suit industrial applications.
Multi-Laminated Folded Bellows
Used in applications requiring the cover to be air- and light-tight, such as laser and camera bellows. Suitable for large formats, such as busbar bellows, air ducting, and scissors lift protection.
Rubber Disc Bellows
Vulca-Seal® Bellows
Durable bellows made from Goralon® (CSM) material by vulcanization process, resulting in a sealed cover. Suitable for commercial, industrial, and lab environments.
Thermiseal™ Bellows
Sealed cover made from polyurethane films or polyurethane-coated fabrics bonded together by thermic weld process. Attractive, uniform appearance. Excellent extended to retracted ratio and high-cycle compatibility. Suitable for medical, lab, and inspection equipment.
Robust Fabric-Reinforced Bellows
Very rugged, robust bellows designed for high temperatures and aggressive operating conditions. Suitable for retrofit applications; a zipper can be added. Applications: industrial and automotive facilities, printing, ball screw or piston rod cover. Made in Germany.
Transfer Hoses
Clean, dust-controlled transfer of powders, granules, and bulk materials. Durable design with wire rings and optional guide systems.
Piping Penetration Seal Bellows
Designed for process pipe sealing to help prevent air and water leaks through walls, floors, and roofs. Applications: power plants, refineries, chemical facilities. A zipper can be added.
Sealed Folded Bellows
Ideal for protecting machine ways and linear rails. Made from elastomer-coated fabrics welded to PVC stiffeners, further customized for environment and performance.
Sewn Folded Bellows
Ideal for protecting machine guideways and linear rails. Made from elastomer-coated fabrics sewn to PVC stiffeners, further customized for environment and performance. Similar to (heat) sealed folded bellows with additional material options.
Lamella Folded Bellows
Stainless steel plates/lamellas shield the bellows from chips and sparks. Often used as a vertical guideway cover.
Liftgard® Bellows
Designed for guarding lift tables, platforms, and scissors mechanisms. Durable pleated PVC-coated fabric with aluminum support frame. Branded options and custom colors available.
Gorframe™ Bellows
Frequently used in applications involving lateral/shear movement. Internal wires help maintain the shape of the bellows. Can be further customized with external structural support for rugged applications.
Sewn Bellows
Manufactured from elastomer-coated fabric stitched with nylon or specialty thread. Wide variety of size, shape, and application (round, oval, box, way cover, rod boots, etc.)
Dynatect is an industry leader in bus bar bellows. These protect the bus bar transitions/flex-connectors from the environment even when there are XYZ-axis misalignments and vibration. Dynatect has the widest variety of materials and construction methods to meet every application. Ideal for data centers, power plants, generators, electrical turbines, substations, and industrial facilities (including cement, steel, pollution control, and textile).
Dynatect’s bellows are ideal to cover positioning system including linear actuators, linear rails, threaded screws, rotating shafts. These are motion control devices used in a wide variety of applications including portable electric jacks as shown here. The bellows protect operators from the mechanisms, while also protecting the mechanisms from dirt, debris, and foreign objects. Dynatect’s wide offering allows balancing extended/retracted ratios, durability, ID/OD ratios, exposure to lubricants, and support guides.
Photo courtesy of Handling Specialty Manufacturing Ltd
Dynatect bellows are ideal for robotic applications. For “people protection”, bellows help cover mechanical moving components that could otherwise create a safety pinch point.
For “equipment protection”, bellows help protect the mechanical components from external incidental contact which could otherwise inhibit the function or range of motion.
Beyond protection, bellows create a pleasing, finished aesthetic that reinforces a quality brand. Dynatect offers every shape of bellows including flat, round, square, three-sided (such as U-shaped) as shown in these pictures, and every conceivable custom shape.
Dynatect’s bellows are ideal for automated positioning equipment – including heavy duty applications. Pictured here is a hydraulic lift used in a Northern Canada’s wet, cold outdoor environment servicing mining railroad cars. It is critical that the bellows (yellow and black) remain pliable and durable in this extreme application to protect operators from the lift mechanisms, while also protecting the mechanisms from dirt, debris, and foreign objects.
Photo courtesy of Handling Specialty Manufacturing Ltd.
Cranes are a key application in material handling. Large crane systems often use hydraulic cylinders that must operate reliably over long periods between maintenance and inspection. In this case, the original bellows were failing due to sagging.
Dynatect was brought in to engineer an improved solution. The new bellows design featured stiffer neoprene nylon, an optimized extension-to-retraction ratio, and easier installation. Dynatect supplied a durable sewn bellows capable of withstanding outdoor conditions and internal exposure to heavy grease lubricants. A zipper closure was added to facilitate installation and future maintenance access.
See how Dynatect has revolutionized the industry for 80 years. Dynatect Manufacturing isn’t just a bellows manufacturer; it’s a pioneer in dynamic protection solutions. Watch the video below and discover how Dynatect’s dedication to innovation has shaped the world of bellows manufacturing.
This video showcases:
At Dynatect, our commitment to high-quality, high-performing bellows extends beyond the manufacturing floor. We believe the key lies in collaboration. We work closely with our customers to gain a deep understanding of their specific needs and challenges. This collaborative approach facilitates an environment for exploring innovative solutions that might not have been previously considered. Together, we can push the boundaries and potentially even discover solutions that exceed initial expectations.
Our commitment to your success extends beyond the design phase. With over 50 local manufacturer’s representatives strategically located across North America, you receive expert service and consultation wherever you are. Our representatives have a deep understanding of our products and your local market, ensuring you receive the support you need to succeed.
Dynatect sets itself apart from the competition in several key ways. Unlike many bellows suppliers who primarily focus on fast, low-cost production, Dynatect prioritizes both quality and customization. We offer the industry’s widest variety of manufacturing processes and materials, allowing us to tailor solutions to specific customer needs. This flexibility is particularly valuable for applications requiring tight tolerances, high aesthetics, or extreme performance.
Notably, Dynatect is equipped to handle “extreme” bellows – the longest, fastest, or widest – that might push the boundaries of what other manufacturers can produce.
Additionally, Dynatect is prepared to grow alongside their customers. We can accommodate orders of any size, ensuring a continued, reliable source of high-quality bellows as a customer’s market adoption expands.
Rubber boots/bellows can be ordered as a custom design or from a predefined standard design. Dynatect manufactures custom-made molded rubber bellows and stock rubber bellows for standard rod sizes.
Rubber bellows function as “dust boots” to seal out dust and other light-duty environmental contaminants while enabling a predetermined range of motion for the protected part.
Rubber boots are common in industrial and automotive applications. In automotive applications, the bellows may be called a gaiter. This is a type of bellows that is often used in automotive applications to protect the moving parts of a vehicle’s suspension system from dirt and debris.
Rubber bellows may function as tubing or ducting, however, bellows are most commonly used as a protective cover.
Depending on the manufacturing process, molded bellows can have an extended resting position, which means convolutions are extended in the resting position. For an example, visualize a convoluted drainage pipe. Other bellows may have a “closed” resting position, which means the bellows convolutions are tighter together (naturally compressed) when in a relaxed state.
Left: Convolutions are open while bellows is resting. | Right: Closed peaks in resting position
Many molded rubber bellows tend to have a large extended-to-retracted ratio, and the bellows are stiffer overall.
Dynatect has a variety of manufacturing processes to produce molded bellows in either style. Dynatect’s Gortiflex rubber bellows have an excellent extended-to-retracted ratio, meaning the tight compression can satisfy a more dynamic range of motion.
Molded bellows usually have a more rounded peak at each convolution
Other rubber (technically elastomer-coated materials) bellows are made by sealing or stitching alternating inner and outer rings of material, resulting in convolutions that are “sharper” or more v-shaped. The latter tends to have a more “industrial” look, although Dynatect’s Thermiseal bellows are exceptionally neat in appearance.
Left: Dip-Molded Bellows | Right: Thermiseal Bellows
Flange and collar options, backup plates, and worm-gear clamps satisfy common mounting requirements. While mounting accessories may be specified at the time of order, it is best to consider the mounting requirements at the time of quotation.
This Bellows FAQ section covers the most basic questions about bellows in general, but also details questions about our manufacturing processes. If you have a question about bellows that is not answered here, we always encourage you to contact us!
Dynatect has the widest selection of manufacturing capabilities including folded, sewn, molded, sewn-folded, heat sealed, and vulcanized. This variety of solutions can be designed to maximize application motion and aesthetics.
Dynatect leverages an extensive range of manufacturing techniques to produce high-quality fabric bellows. For elastomer components, we employ techniques like cold feed extrusion, heat processing, and press vulcanizing. We also source specialty rubbers and elastomer-coated fabrics to optimize performance for each application. Our capabilities extend to cutting elastomer, plastic, and fabric with advanced technologies like CNC blade cutting and waterjet cutting.
Metal components, such as end plates, inserts, aluminum extrusions, and shields, are precisely cut using shear, punch, plasma, waterjet, and laser technologies.
Once individual components are manufactured, we utilize a variety of assembly techniques including sewing, pleating, shaping, and bonding. Finally, Dynatect’s testing capabilities include cycle testing, multi-axis functionality, thermal and chemical resistance, pressure integrity, and air/water tightness.
Bellows are flexible, expandable protective covers made from fabric or elastomer-coated fabrics. In response to mechanical movement they expand and contract in an accordion-like action. Bellows shield against abrasives and liquids, act as flexible seals, and can serve as airflow ducting. Additionally, they conceal mechanical parts, minimize dust intrusion, and even function as light-tight barriers.
The function of a bellows is based on their expandable and collapsible structure. The folds of the bellows expand to accommodate movement between parts. They can also be used as expansion joints to compensate for expansion or contraction in piping systems.
By helping to prevent contaminants from entering, bellows covers can:
Bellows are crucial components in various machines, protecting components responsible for motion control. However, their quality directly impacts machinery performance and reliability.
Poorly designed bellows lead to frequent downtime, compromised machine performance and installation challenges due to short lifespan, and limited functionality.
Custom bellows are designed to precisely fit existing equipment, utilizing materials specifically chosen to withstand the operating environment. For example, custom bellows might be designed with superior temperature resistance for high-heat applications or enhanced chemical compatibility for exposure to specific fluids.
By selecting high-quality bellows, engineers can significantly contribute to the smooth operation and uptime of their machinery and motion control systems.
Dynatect utilizes a wide range of materials to cater to the diverse application needs of bellows:
The lifespan of bellows can vary significantly depending on factors such as operating environment, duty cycle, and maintenance practices.
Bellows longevity is influenced by factors like temperature extremes, exposure to chemicals, mechanical stress, and the presence of abrasive particles. Here are some factors that affect longevity:
Under ideal conditions and with proper maintenance, bellows can provide long-lasting protection for a finite period of time. However, harsh operating environments can shorten their lifespan. Continuous exposure at extreme heat or cold will lead to material degradation at a faster rate than material exposed to moderate temperatures.
The most common function of a bellows is to extend the life of your valuable equipment by keeping out contaminants, such as abrasive particles and metal chips. Other purposes include:
Applications:
Sealed construction refers to bellows that are not joined with stitching, rather they are produced from a continuous, seamless material or joined together by heat and vulcanization, RF, or adhesive bonding.
Dynatect offers the following sealed construction options:
High cycle applications involve bellows that experience frequent, full extensions and retractions. This can include applications with vibrational movement or short travel distances.
Polyurethane film is a superior choice due to its lack of fabric. Coated fabrics can shed their coating under high cycles, while certain fibers may fail under stressful flexing. Polyurethane film offers durability and resistance to these issues.
While polyurethane film excels in high cycle applications, its ability to withstand abrasive conditions may vary. In scenarios where both high cycles and abrasion are present, an engineer must carefully select the material that best balances the two requirements.
Are there any testing methods or analysis tools to evaluate materials for high cycle applications?
There are various methods to evaluate materials, such as fatigue testing, finite element analysis (FEA) and material property testing (determining mechanical properties like tensile strength, yield strength, and modulus of elasticity)