Abstract
Abstract Three cracked spring bellows used for medium voltage switches were subjected to materialographic examinations. They were installed in switches that were tested in the test facility performing simulated switching cycles and failed prematurely. The number of load cycles until crack initiation is not known. However, it was well under 10,000. The cause of the crack was low-cycle fatigue (LCF) induced by wall thinning wear resulting from a relative movement between the bellow and the inner polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) sleeve. Hot cracking characteristics or evidence of other fracture mechanisms were not found.
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