Twin sheet forming an air cell water pressure regulator

Twin-sheet formed ball absorbs water pressure irregularities

Twin sheet forming provides cost-effective manufacturing solutions for many industries. One unique part Profile made was a pressurized air cell for a water pressure regulator, which helped an OEM who experienced production interruption.

Pressure regulator project background

The OEM created a ball-style pressure regulator for commercial plumbing systems. The device is called a water hammer arrestor, since it acts as a shock absorber. Limited air pressure inside allows the ball to deform as needed to absorb pressure waves in the plumbing. So, it smooths out the pressure, and prevents banging in the pipes.

A large manufacturer was contracted to make the waterproof ball component of the arrestor, since they worked with elastomer materials. The plumbing OEM paid for the tooling development.

TPU (thermoplastic urethane) was specified, since the resin is thermoformable yet stays flexible resin. The ball would be twin sheet formed and then die cut.

Tooling and quality challenges

Problems arose after production started. As the program matured, the initial ball manufacturer could no longer support the customer’s production and quality requirements. The OEM needed to look elsewhere.

Transfer tooling solution

The customer asked if Profile had experience with the project’s specialized material and low volumes. Not all thermoformers have the capability to work with this unique material, but Profile did. 

Since the OEM owned the tools, they could transfer them. The multi-cavity tools could work on one of Profile’s twin-sheet lines. Engineers just needed to make some changes to improve accuracy and throughput.

By working closely with the customer, Profile was able to effectively produce TPU air cells.

High-performance results

Once the transferred tools were adjusted, Profile delivered parts with significantly improved yield. They also provided longer service life. The water hammer arrestor cell was in production for several years.