Recently, a gate builder asked ACE Controls for a way to address the swing problem. The solution was to add two shock absorbers as close as possible to the pivot. This arrangement created a couple of inches of deceleration near the pivot, resulting in roughly two feet of deceleration at the gate end positions. The shock absorbers also manage a high effective weight — nearly all of it being a product of the hydraulic driving force.

The shock absorber series used in this swing gate application is the ACE Controls SC650. Ideal for soft damping, these miniature shock absorbers offer an energy capacity of 650 inch-pounds per cycle and 600,000 inch-pounds per hour. With a stroke length of 1 inch, this series is available with soft-contact minimal effective weights from 24 to 800 pounds, as well as maximum effective weights from 80 to 2,400 pounds. In addition, these self-compensating units can react to changing energy conditions without adjustment.

Additional features and specifications include:

• A maintenance-free, ready-to-install design.
• An integrated positive stop.
• Impact angles up to 25 degrees when used with a side load adapter.

Thanks to these attributes, the SC650 shock absorbers have effectively decelerated the moving gate energy, which is a very small portion of the system’s overall energy. Because most of the energy is from the hydraulics, the shock absorber can be thought of as the varying velocity flow control; as the shock absorber gradually slows, the hydraulic system slowly increases flow across the relief valves as if it has servo-controlled deceleration.

In addition to driveway gates, our soft-contact miniature shock absorbers are well-suited for industrial, automation and machine engineering applications — especially when it comes to parts and materials handling. Whether you need to eliminate the effects of vibrations or twisting in your machine, absorb impacts or simply ensure aesthetically pleasing motion, our miniature shock absorbers can provide just the right amount of deceleration control to meet your needs.

For more information about our soft-contact miniature shock absorbers, visit the product page.

The post How Miniature Shock Absorbers Eliminate Unwanted Vibrations in Driveway Swing Gates appeared first on ACE Controls Inc..

When you want to put a rotating part through its paces, detecting unwanted vibration will often be part of the test regimen. In recent years, the process of testing and balancing rotating parts, has increasingly been automated by test systems that can measure balance—verifying that the part’s mass is evenly distributed around its rotational center.

Recently a manufacturer of engine cooling fans sought to end frequent bottlenecks caused by its tester-balancers. The balancers’ overhead unit, which weighs approximately 220 pounds, cycles up and down on pneumatic rodless actuators. Each machine has four shock absorbers — two up and two down. However, the machine builder’s originally installed shock absorbers experienced early end-of-life issues that stalled production. With three tester-balancers in its facility, the fan manufacturer’s yield suffered.

The fan manufacturer had previous success with ACE Controls products, so its local ACE representative was already familiar with the application. After an ACE on-site visit and technical sizing support, they chose MC3325-3 industrial shock absorbers. Part of ACE’s MAGNUM Series, these shock absorbers are designed to deliver longer service life, even in the most difficult environments. They’re also self-compensating, so they react to changing energy conditions without adjustment. Additional features include:

• High energy absorption to 1,505 in-lbs per cycle.
• Stroke to 0.91 inch.
• Compact design.
• A wide damping range.

Thanks to the MC3325-3 industrial shock absorbers along with ACE technical support, the customer was able to reduce cycle time and increase its yield/pieces per hour. And since the shocks were properly sized, the balancer also experienced less downtime.

Industrial Shock Absorbers Stand the Test of Time

Fan balancer-testers are another example of an automated machine that must maintain uptime in spite of heavy moving parts that deliver punishing shock and impacts to critical components. ACE Controls’ MAGNUM shock absorbers — like the MC3325-3 — can handle high effective loads and are built for harsh conditions that can shorten the life of less-robust shock absorbers. The result: reliable operation and a long lifetime that tilt the balance of productivity in your favor.

For more information about ACE Controls’ Industrial Shock Absorbers, visit the product page.

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The problems at the demonstration room were part of a larger concern for BaiRuiKe. They were developing and testing a new high-end device for their EIZZ brand, and they wanted to eliminate low-frequency interference under any conditions so they could present their products to the audiophile public at trade shows. “We want to provide the best possible solution to protect our customer’s equipment from unwanted vibrations,” said Ligen Zhang, regional sales manager at ACE. Their main objective was to filter out the oscillation frequency of 20 hertz, the lowest frequency that the human ear can perceive.

Using Air Springs to Suppress Disturbing Environmental Vibrations

They chose a set of four ACE Controls’ PLM-1 low frequency pneumatic leveling mounts. These vibration isolators are designed to protect high-performance and high-precision industrial equipment such as measuring tables, test benches, high-speed presses and production systems. The PLM offers several features that make them well-suited for sensitive equipment:

• Low natural frequency from 3 to 10 hertz.
• A 1:1 ratio between horizontal and vertical natural frequency to ensure high stability and a long service life.
• Load capacities from 100 up to 19,200 pounds, depending on the model.
• Ability to isolate both individual devices as well as entire constructions from vibrations.
• Level adjustment using an integrated valve.

In order to quantify the leveling mounts’ performance, Zhang recommended ACE’s VibroChecker PRO app along with an external USB accelerometer, which turns iPhones and iPads into measuring devices covering vibrations up to 8,000 hertz and down to 1 hertz. The company saves the results and forwards them to desktop computers in various departments.

Ensuring Pure Sound for Meticulous Ears

Based on the performance and measurement results of ACE’s low frequency pneumatic leveling mounts, BaiRuiKe Technology uses the PLM-1 and VibroChecker PRO for the EIZZ tube amplifiers in the demonstration room and at trade fairs to visually demonstrate their products’ acoustic purity. In fact, they offer ACE components to potential customers as accessories for custom hi-fi systems together with the VibroChecker PRO app so they will always enjoy faithful, vibration-free sound. And that’s music to the ears of even the most demanding audiophile.

Learn more about PLM-1 and the VibroChecker PRO app for sensitive industrial and audio equipment.

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Circuit breakers are an essential safeguard to electrical systems, but they can be vulnerable to mechanical damage. When a circuit breaker trips to open the circuit, the arm that carries the contact can move violently due to magnetic repulsion forces. The moveable contact can over-travel or bounce back, causing damage. Circuit breaker builders typically incorporate shock absorber elements into their designs to address the problem. Here’s how one manufacturer uses an ACE Controls miniature shock absorber in a circuit breaker design to dampen the impacts:

The circuit breaker — which will open in various emergency situations — operates in a medium voltage range between 7.2 and 38 kilovolts, and the lever’s impact speed is 4.25 feet per second. In this particular unit, the shock absorber is used to reduce forces over a wide and low temperature range.

The manufacturer chose an ACE Controls SC300-3 miniature shock absorber, part of the SC190 to SC925 product family. The “SC” stands for “soft contact,” which is made possible by the damper’s 0.75-inch long strokes. It features an energy capacity of 300 inch-pounds per cycle, and it can handle impact velocities from 0.5 to 12 feet per second. These self-compensating shock absorbers react to changing energy conditions without adjustment. SC190 to SC925 product family features and specifications include:

• Overlapping effective weight ranges, covering loads of 3 to 4,400 pounds.
• Units can be set up with a linear or a progressive braking curve.
• Impact angles up to 25 degrees using a side load adapter.
• Integrated positive stop.
• Maintenance-free and ready to install.

Using the SC300-3 miniature shock absorber, the circuit breaker manufacturer was able to achieve smooth arcing and bounceback at the end of an opening operation whenever fault conditions occur. And thanks to the shock absorber’s wide operating temperature range of 32 to 150°F, the shock absorber functions reliably in harsh temperatures.

Ensure a Safe, Functional Electronic System

Because circuit breakers are critical to keeping electronic systems safe and functional, people and personnel must have confidence in their reliability. A damaged circuit breaker due to over-travel and bounce-back issues is unacceptable. The ACE Controls SC190 to SC925 shock absorber family exhibits low reaction forces and provides smooth deceleration to ensure circuit breakers operate reliably over a long lifetime.

For more information about the ACE Controls SC190 to SC925 family of soft-contact miniature shock absorbers, visit the product page.

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Many fast-moving production lines can experience damage and downtime when moving objects stop too suddenly on the line. A paper producer in Germany recently confronted this problem when it built a new conveyor system to move its paper rolls.

The company had two potential ways to handle the problem:

• Springs or bumpers, which provide good stopping force toward the end of a stroke but don’t absorb 100 percent of the energy and bounce back.
• Industrial shock absorbers, which can decelerate loads evenly across a full stroke to offer the lowest possible braking force in the shortest possible braking time.

Paper and Pulp Processing Without Interruption

The paper producer needed to move heavy paper rolls from machines onto the conveyor without damaging nearby equipment, particularly costly measuring devices. They chose an ACE Controls MA6450, part of ACE’s MAGNUM Series of industrial shock absorbers characterized by energy absorption up to 300,000 kilograms and progressive adjustment by means of adjusters both at the front and rear of the unit. With an energy capacity of 2,275 Newton-meters per cycle, the MA6450 is more than capable of ensuring damage-free paper roll transport. Additional features and specifications of the MA6450 include:

• Robust and durable construction.
• An annealed guide bearing and integrated positive stop.
• Stroke length: 48.6 millimeters.
• Adjustable effective weight: 220 kilograms to 50,000 kilograms.
• Appropriate for use in applications with changing data and where flexibility is required.
• Compact size.

ACE Controls was able to fit the shock absorber with specially designed pivot brackets to help support the paper rolls’ rotary motion. Today the paper producer enjoys an improved process as well as interruption-free production runs.

Keep Your Processes Rolling

With production efficiency and profitability depending on machine availability, it’s important to select a damper that stops moving loads evenly and safely before damage can occur. ACE Controls’ MAGNUM Series shock absorbers can handle a wide range of effective loads, offer high energy capacities and two-sided progressive adjustment and keep your industrial equipment safe from shock and impact.

For more information about ACE Controls industrial shock absorbers, visit the product page.

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Sportsfield Specialties, Inc. has been an industry leader in manufacturing sport construction equipment for over 20 years. From the design phase to installation they put an emphasis on customer service, giving their clients a high level of confidence. Sportsfield has an extensive product line ranging from goals, seating solutions, netting, indoor/outdoor padding and more.

The Weatherscape Team Shelter, created by Sportsfield, is designed to have a collapsible roof that can be lowered to the ground when not in use. Lowering the roof dramatically reduces wind-related tip over and damage. Gas springs were needed in the design to allow the roof to be lowered and locked down, and to assist with lifting the roof back into place. During the design phase of the new Weatherscape Team Shelter, Sportsfield reached out to an ACE Controls distributor to find a solution for the raising and lowering feature of the shelter.

The unique parameters of this design made it difficult to determine the needed spring force and ideal placement for the mounting of the gas spring. Sportsfield wanted the roof panel to be able to be lifted and lowered by a single user, the panel weighed well over 200 lbs. and was over 20 ft. long. ACE in-house prototyping and calculation tools helped them zero in on the perfect gas spring for this application. Gas springs from the GS series were able to fit perfectly and provide controlled movement of the roof panel.

The Product Development Engineer, Andrew Hannigan said, “ACE was best able to meet our needs… the free calculation software and additional engineering work were invaluable.” Sportsfield investigated other options for the raising/lowering feature and received estimates from other gas spring manufacturers. In the end, ACE was able to provide the winning combination of quality product and a strong platform of services and support. The benefits of using ACE services and support were:

• Reduced calculation and prototyping time
• The online sizing and configurator tools gave Sportsfield a viable baseline to work from
• Application engineer review of the mounting points offered less work for Sportsfield
• Gas spring, end fittings, and protective seal come preassembled as one unit

The GS series gas springs created an effortless user experience for the Weatherscape Team Shelter. The ACE sales team and engineers will work with you from the design phase until project completion to ensure that all application requirements are met. A wide range of resources is also available on acecontrols.com, including sizing tools, configurators, CAD drawings, and YouTube tutorials. Contact ACE to help make your next project design phase go faster, and easier.

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The post Cutting-Edge Sport Equipment Manufacturer Uses ACE Gas Springs appeared first on ACE Controls Inc..

Christmas is around the corner. Due to the popularity of online shopping, the volume of packages is increasing. Sorting plants have to cope with these rising quantities—especially at peak times of the year. This demand places more pressure on sorting machines, which must be able to move at high speeds without losing packages.

Let’s explore how a new, high-end sorting system was experiencing vibration, which increased the risk that packages would fall off the conveyor. ACE miniature shock absorbers put a stop to this problem—ensuring fast, accurate deliveries.

A Leader in Sorting Machines
Equinox MHE provides turnkey logistic automation systems, including manual sorting, picking and warehouse management systems. Its sorting machines, in particular, integrate trays to transport products. When a product enters the machine, the system identifies it by scanning the barcode. A tray then transports the product to another station, where it is sorted, packed and shipped.

Troublesome Vibration Due to Tight Curves
Equinox MHE manufactures many kinds of sorting machines, including split tray sorters, which have a characteristic oval-shaped conveyor on which the trays circulate. To save on space, company engineers had designed a split tray sorter with a smaller curve radius. As a result of this design, the transported containers moved close together along the curves—causing vibration. In a worst-case scenario, this vibration could cause valuable cargo to fall off the conveyor.

To avoid this outcome, Equinox MHE contacted ACE.

ACE Mini Shock Absorbers Stop Centrifugal Forces
To meet this application’s requirements, ACE engineers installed MC150EUM miniature shock absorbers on the sorters. These maintenance-free devices feature a hermetically sealed rolling diaphragm, which completely separates the damping fluid from the surrounding air and also delivers low return forces. Despite their small size, they also have an energy capacity of 20 Nm per cycle—or 34,000 Nm per hour with a stroke of just 150 mm.

When installed in the split tray sorter, the shock absorbers instantly smoothed out the movements of the trays traveling along the curves—successfully reducing the troublesome vibration and eliminating the risk that packages would topple out.

In addition to packaging equipment, they’re suitable for a variety of automated applications, including material handling equipment, robotics, machine tools—and more.

Download the full case study to learn more.

Download The Case Study

The post Shock Absorbers Reduce Vibration in Compact Sorting System [Case Study] appeared first on ACE Controls Inc..

In many cases, machine vibration is unavoidable. But that doesn’t mean you have to live with it. At ACE Controls, we can help you solve your unwanted vibration problems using our leveling mounts, damping pads and rubber-metal isolators.

No matter your application, we’ve got you covered. From chocolate factories to saunas, let’s take a look at some of the applications that feature our vibration control components:

Leveling mounts stabilize an opera projector. A mobile 3D HDD projector used by an opera production company became virtually unusable whenever it moved across the tiled floor. Due to the bumpy movement, the image quality deteriorated.

This challenge was solved with the help of our PLM pneumatic leveling mounts, which achieve perfect leveling via an integrated valve and handle low-frequency vibrations starting at 5 Hz.

Rubber-metal isolators promote peace in a sauna. Our rubber-metal isolators prevented unwanted noise in a sauna that utilized a mill wheel to draw water. The wheel’s motors and gears caused the stainless-steel housing to vibrate, but our Flex Locs isolators eliminated any noise—ensuring the sauna maintained its peace and quiet.

This series incorporates a releasable pop-rivet connection and fail-safe design to effectively isolate vibrations in different directions.

Mounts reduce intense vibrations in a chocolate factory. Residents who lived near a chocolate manufacturing facility felt the intense vibrations and oscillations of the machinery. Despite numerous tests, the manufacturer couldn’t find a solution that could isolate vibrations below 20 Hz—until they came across our PLM pneumatic leveling mounts. Now, vibrations are down 80 percent.

Damping pads protect employees from noisy pumps. In one hydropower plant, screw pumps were hitting 86-dB noise levels—causing the entire facility to vibrate and disturbing many employees. Inserting our SLAB damping pads between the screw head and pump reduced this noise by 6.6 dB. Considering a 10-dB reduction in noise halves the volume, this was a big step forward in employee safety.

These are just a few of the many case examples that feature our vibration control technology. To learn more about our capabilities and products, visit our application webpage.

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The post Controlling Unwanted Vibration—No Matter Your Application appeared first on ACE Controls Inc..

If your application involves rotary motion, it’s important to consider how you mount your shock absorbers. In this blog post, we’ll explore some of the common issues that can arise and provide you with some helpful tips on how to maximize your shock absorber’s lifespan and damping capability.

Challenge #1: Side Load
Let’s consider a packaging machine that incorporates rotary motion. In cases like this, the machine’s rotary movement can cause side load on the piston rod—leading to wear and tear and lowering the shock’s lifespan.

ACE Tip: Whenever you encounter a lateral impact angle greater than 2 degrees, you can incorporate a side load adaptor, which removes the side loading from the piston rod to achieve considerably longer life.

Challenge #2: Moving Your Mounting Point
Sometimes your shock absorber—which is already sized for a specific mounting point—needs to move closer to the pivot point. Now, the shock absorber is too soft and can’t absorb the energy properly.

In rotary applications, moving the mounting point will impact the stiffness of the damper, as well as the effective weight—a calculation that considers the total energy affecting your shock absorber and the impact velocity on the damper:

$$ \large{\mathsf{W_E=\frac{2 \times W_3}{V_D {^2}}}} $$

• W_E = effective weight
• W₃ = complete energy that affects the damper
• V_D = impact velocity on the damper

ACE Tip: In rotary applications, moving a shock absorber closer to the pivot point increases its effective weight. You can use this value to help you select the right shock absorber for the new mounting point.

In one case example, the original mounting point on a rotary machine called for an ACE MC600 miniature shock absorber, which has a maximum effective weight of 136 kg. Because the damper moved closer to the pivot point, however, the application required a stiffer damper with a higher effective weight capacity. In this case, the original unit was swapped out for an MC600MH3 shock absorber, which has a maximum effective weight of 4,536 kg.

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With our free ACE calculation program, you can size shock absorbers for almost every movement and application. Visit our calculations page to learn more.

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The post ACE Tips: Mounting Your Shock Absorber in Rotary Applications appeared first on ACE Controls Inc..

To overcome this challenge, the university team added low-frequency pneumatic leveling mounts (PLMs) from ACE Controls to the bench. Here’s how these components successfully prevented unwanted vibration:

Vibrating Test Bench Threatened Equipment
According to the research team, the key to making drives more efficient lies in the engine’s oil pump—by reducing flow rate, then it is also possible to reduce power consumption. The students analyzed the hydraulic, volumetric and mechanical characteristics of various oil pumps to see how they could improve flow behavior—particularly, how to avoid leakage and reduce friction. As part of the test setup, they constructed a large 1,500-kg test bench and placed various equipment on top of it, including oil pumps and an electric motor that drove the pumps at a speed of 300 to 7,000 revolutions per minute.

These speeds, however, caused the bench to vibrate. Not only did the vibration cause the bench to shake, threatening the equipment on top of it, but the vibrations were strong enough to affect other test benches in the room.

ACE Leveling Mounts Reduce Vibration
The university team turned to ACE Controls. For the test bench, ACE engineers opted for six low-frequency pneumatic leveling mounts (PLMs), which isolate machines from undesirable vibrations and impact forces while maintaining perfect leveling. These components are suitable for low-frequency applications between 3 and 10 Hz, including high-speed presses, measuring tables, fans and air compressors.

Since integrating the ACE mounts, the test bench no longer shakes. The students can carry out their research without fear the vibration will affect their equipment and have been able to take important steps towards achieving more energy-efficient drive systems.

Download The Case Study   

The post ACE Mounts Protect Oil-Pump Test Bench From Unwanted Vibration appeared first on ACE Controls Inc..