Flexible and adaptable: Gas springs for high-quality and customized solutions

Mobile X-ray systems that can be brought directly to the patient have been lifesavers in hospitals worldwide, not just since the COVID-19 pandemic. (Copyright: Image credit: ACE)

Beijing Wandong Medical Technology Co. Ltd., a Chinese specialist in imaging systems, is a reliable supplier of digital mobile X-ray units. (Copyright: Image credit: Beijing Wandong Medical Technology Co. Ltd)

Gas spring struts from ACE are among the key components for compactness and operational safety in the beam arm of the X-ray unit from Wandong. (Copyright: Image credit: ACE)

With the help of ACE's flexible Application Engineering, KeyTec Netherlands B.V. has combined existing industrial gas springs from ACE on their 45 kg machine covers with new electromechanical drives Industrial POWERISE®. (Copyright: Image credit: ACE)

Industrial POWERISE® from ACE brings a lot of power and comfort to industrial applications at the push of a button, also ideally suited for flexible interaction with ACE industrial gas springs. (Copyright: Image credit: ACE)

Industrial gas spring from ACE made of stainless steel also provides power and cleanliness in the food industry when opening and closing cover hoods and maintenance flaps. (Copyright: Image credit: ENT Bremen)

Industrial gas pressure and gas tension springs from ACE made of stainless steel are available from stock in Langenfeld, immediately deliverable in even the smallest quantities, with pushing or pulling forces ranging from 10 N to 5,000 N, up to 7,200 N when compressed, and strokes from 20 mm to 700 mm. (Copyright: Image credit: ACE)

Flexible and adaptable: The Stabilus Group has the right gas spring for all applications and every quantity. (Copyright: ACE)

Since 1992, customers of ACE Shock Absorber GmbH have been receiving precisely tailored, individually suitable gas springs for numerous application fields. The range includes, in addition to mechanical engineering, medical and food technology, many other applications in industry, trade, and small businesses. If customers do not find the right solution at ACE, they are still in good hands. Since the acquisition by the global gas spring expert Stabilus in 2016, the ACE brand has become an important part of the industry’s most flexible gas spring offerings. Together with other gas spring experts such as HAHN Gas Springs and General Aerospace, the last few years have seen the creation of the unique Motion Control Ecosystem of the Stabilus Group, offering customers worldwide nearly 700,000 gas spring variants – for every application and every quantity.

COVID-19 Diagnostic Devices Equipped with Gas Piston Springs from ACE

To quickly obtain images of the lungs and thorax condition of infected patients, digital, mobile X-ray devices are effective tools in COVID-19 diagnostics. At the beginning of the corona pandemic, the Chinese medical technology company Wandong was able to quickly deliver these mobile X-ray units. This was partly made possible by choosing gas piston springs from ACE. Even before the SARS-CoV-2 infections, Wandong tested components from various manufacturers, which allowed the operating staff to move the 10 kg X-ray arm and the 30 kg X-ray emitter mounted at its end up and down, as well as fold it in and out, without significant effort. Gas piston springs of the type GZ-28-450 from ACE proved to be the best choice compared to competitors, due to on-site consultation by the ACE team in China, the design principle, and high manufacturing quality. When ACE then, in spring 2020, was able to deliver several hundred units of this space-saving gas spring type, installed within the X-ray arm, with consistent quality in a very short time, Wandong was fully convinced.

To this day, ACE’s adaptable industrial gas springs have lived up to their reputation as problem solvers. Both during the peak of the COVID-19 crisis in clinics worldwide and in the subsequent calmer clinical routine, the power-free helpers working solely with nitrogen gas enhance the safety of Wandong’s mobile digital X-ray devices and also their user-friendliness. This not only relieved medical personnel during the hectic pandemic times but also allows them to focus on their essential tasks every day: making secure diagnoses and providing optimal patient care.

Gas Pressure Springs and Electromechanical Drives Improve Ergonomics in Industry

ACE also demonstrates great flexibility in the area of speed regulation with KeyTec Netherlands B.V. As a B2B supplier, the company supplies customers worldwide with metal and plastic components in medium to high quantities. In one of the machine halls at the headquarters in Sittard, the Netherlands, approximately 1 billion wire pins for batteries are produced annually in three-shift operation for various clients in the electronics industry, in different variants. Machines are required that process wires precisely and ensure uniform quality at high productivity. Every eight hours, these machines are supplied with new roll material by the operating staff. This involves opening about 45 kg heavy covers, each time with the help of two industrial gas pressure springs from ACE, type GS-28-200-EE-920N. At KeyTec, the ready-to-install, maintenance-free, and self-contained systems are valued for their ease of use and durability. For many years, they have reliably supported the muscle power of the operators in opening and closing the covers with a thrust force of 920 N per gas spring.

Additional advantages include the valve technology of the components and on-site support. When KeyTec technicians inquired with ACE sales engineers in the Netherlands about further options to improve user comfort and modernize their tool machines easily, the suitable solution was quickly found in the portfolio of the Stabilus Group in the form of electromechanical drives called Industrial POWERISE®. Developed and perfected for automotive applications such as tailgates and hood lifts, these drives are increasingly adapted for industrial applications like those at KeyTec. Powered optionally via 12- or 24-volt connections, Industrial POWERISE® reliably makes lift movements of 200 mm at spindle pitches of 8 mm per revolution at the push of a button. Lifting and lowering of machine covers in Sittard is assisted by an additional force of 65 N per actuator, in combination with the gas springs mentioned. Thanks to their valve technology, the nitrogen can be easily adjusted to the new design conditions and reduced from 920 N to 700 N per unit via the vent and fill valve, ensuring that hydraulic and electromechanical components now work together safely. An additional benefit of this combination with ACE gas springs is that it relieves the drive system. This means that heavier weights, more ergonomic manual movements, and faster travel speeds are possible. In practice, this translates into easier operation, quicker access to the machine interior, and greater satisfaction among all involved with the workflows and overall noise levels in the machine hall.

Stainless Steel Gas Springs Combine Hygiene and Comfort

In terms of hygiene and food safety, outstanding performance is required in special machine and plant engineering for food manufacturers as well as in hobby kitchens. Here, stainless steel is the answer when not only corrosion and temperature resistance but also high hygiene standards are demanded in industrial environments. Renowned special machine builders rely on ACE’s application engineering and powerful, nitrogen-filled, power-free gas springs as reliable helpers made from this material for opening and closing assembly and maintenance hatches. Additionally, ACE’s stainless steel gas pressure and gas piston springs are making their way into private settings, where they facilitate access to outdoor kitchens or the operation of heavy covers at preparation stations.

For both target groups, high flexibility, consulting expertise, customer proximity, product variety, and speed are crucial for ACE. The company supplies gas springs from stock in various stainless steel versions with alloys V2A and V4A, with body diameters ranging from 15 to 40 mm. Additionally, ACE offers smaller gas pressure springs with diameters of 8 to 12 mm in V4A. These are suitable for all applications with demanding hygiene requirements, such as the food industry, medicine, laboratories, and cleanroom technology. They are supplied pre-filled with food-grade oil that complies with FDA 21 CFR 178.3570.

It is thanks to Max Baldauf from the Stabilus sales team that these components have been reliably serving at a fish processing station on a picturesque Norwegian coast since this summer. Upon arriving at his holiday destination, he immediately noticed on the first day after fishing how much effort was required to operate the massive wooden cover at the workstation. After talking with his landlord, who confirmed his impression and admitted dissatisfaction with the current solution—since the 25 kg heavy wooden cover, hinged in place, also posed a risk of injury if accidentally slammed down—the idea was born to use suitable gas pressure springs from ACE for assistance. Once the landlord agreed, the measurements of the cover were taken, the hand force at the handle was measured with a fish scale, and then calculations were performed by Edgar Birkholz from ACE Application Engineering in Langenfeld.

As is typical for the application, he selected stainless steel gas pressure springs of the type GS-22 in V4A version, equipped with food-grade oil for damping the piston rod. These stainless steel gas springs were then precisely adjusted to the weight of the cover via valve and filled with nitrogen to the calculated pressure of 290 N per unit. Delivered by freight to the Norwegian coast, they are now installed, and the owner is very satisfied, as they have reduced the manual effort by over 70%. Furthermore, the high-quality design of ACE’s gas pressure springs meets the overall high standard of his accommodation, reports a well-rested Max Baldauf.

The Motion Control Ecosystem of Stabilus

As illustrated by these three applications, ACE stands out in the Motion Control Ecosystem of the Stabilus Group through its expertise in industrial applications and personalized system consulting. The expert brand can immediately supply small to medium volumes with valve technology for individual force adjustment as catalog items from stock and equip customers with customized prototypes within 24 hours.

Hahn Gas Springs GmbH manufactures for customers from a single piece up to large series, always customized and individually adapted—while maintaining short delivery times. This expert brand of the Stabilus Group is also a leader in stainless steel and special solutions, such as high- and low-temperature seals or seals for increased stress in construction machinery, protective tubes, and other extras.

For decades, the parent company and gas spring pioneer Stabilus has supplied high-quality gas springs as OEM and series solutions thanks to large-scale production, global presence, and automotive industry quality standards.

And if customers are looking for customized, certified gas springs for safety-critical applications in aerospace, they will find what they need within the Stabilus Group at General Aerospace GmbH.

Together, these four expert brands and their powerful technical and sales teams form a connected system for a wide range of industries and motion requirements—including application engineering and personalized system consulting.