ekspanderer

Ekspanderer is a term used in Norwegian and Danish to denote devices or agents whose main function is to cause expansion. The word is usually a loan from the English expander, itself from Latin expandere, meaning to spread or widen. In general, ekspanderer describes components that increase size, volume, or spacing by applying force or by converting energy into displacement.

In mechanical engineering, ekspanderer may refer to actuators and spreaders that generate controlled outward movement. Common types include hydraulic and pneumatic actuators that extend or retract linearly, mechanical screw expanders that push parts apart, and tools that rely on expansion to grip or release workpieces.

In dentistry and orthodontics, a palatal expander (ekspanderer i munnhulen) is a fixed or removable appliance attached to the upper teeth to widen the maxilla over time, using gradual outward pressure.

In other fields, expansion devices are used to accommodate movement in civil structures (expansion joints and related hardware) and to absorb temperature-induced growth in piping and tanks. In energy systems, expanders (turbines) exploit the expansion of a working fluid to perform work or recover energy.

The term is common in Nordic technical literature as a generic label for devices that increase size or spacing, rather than a single standard product. See also Expander, Palatal expander, Hydraulic actuator, Pneumatic cylinder.