To ensure controlled opening and closing of the cabin door, the Twike requires a gas spring with a slow extension speed. ACE Controls push-type industrial gas springs are well-suited for use in the Twike hybrid vehicle. Users can set their desired speed via the piston’s built-in adjustment valve. The model built into the energy-saving Twike bicycle — the GS-22-200 — has a 0.87-inch damping length, a precisely defined stroke of 7.7 inches and provides a push-out force of 1,300 Newtons.

The GS-22-200 is part of our industrial gas spring family. These durable and sealed systems are ready for installation, maintenance-free and filled with pressurized nitrogen gas. Additional features and specifications of the GS-22-200 include:

• A maximum extension force of 292 pounds
• A length of 18.38 inches when extended
• Interchangeable end fittings
• Built-in end-position damping
• An ability to mount the gas springs in any position, although the most effective orientation is with the piston rod facing downwards
• Lightweight design
• Wide operating temperature range of -4° to +176°F
• Optional accessories

You can ensure you get the proper gas spring size and fit by accessing our online sizing and configuration tools and providing the pertinent application information. Our interactive tool will provide 2D and 3D simulations that you can rotate, tilt and zoom.

Controlled Motion and Less Exertion
Thanks to our GS-22-200 industrial gas springs, Twike operators can pedal their vehicle without expending additional energy to raise or lower the cabin door. That’s an important benefit for HEHVs that rely on human power to extend mobility. When doors or flaps must open or close with smooth, controlled motion and less human exertion, choose ACE Controls industrial gas springs.

For more information about ACE Controls GS-22-200 industrial gas springs, visit the product page.

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Auto Shows are an ideal platform for showing off new, exciting concepts. Automotive companies come from all over the world and leave it all out on the floor. Every concept piece brought in needs to be a showstopper.

This leads us to an automotive engineering group that reached out to their local ACE Controls distributor for assistance with completing a special project for an upcoming auto show. The special project involved the installation of gull wing doors on an SUV. The doors required 2 gas springs each to provide lift assistance.

The Project Challenges

At the time that contact was made with the ACE distributor, the concept was still changing. The weight, center of gravity, and pivot points of the doors were not finalized. There was also a time constraint, the vehicle had to ship to the show in 3 weeks. This meant the gas spring solution had to be changeable and ready to send to the customer with a very short lead time.

The Customized Solution

The ACE Controls Southeastern Michigan distributor, Exotic Automation, submitted the application parameters to ACE’s application engineering team. The agreed upon solution was to send the customer (4) GS-28-100 gas springs charged to maximum pressure along with a DE-GAS tool. These push type gas springs are part of the GS-28 industrial gas spring family with extension forces ranging from 34 lbs. to 562 lbs. The durable and sealed units are ready for installation, maintenance-free and filled with pressurized nitrogen gas. The DE-GAS tool allows you to reduce the amount of gas in the unit until you reach the ideal force needed for the application.

It’s Show Time

Once the design was finalized, the client vented out the nitrogen gas within the unit until the optimum force was achieved in each spring. The next morning at 7:00 AM, the client knocked on the door of ACE Controls and asked for a force measurement of all four gas springs. This way the client can easily place future orders for the exact springs. And the show went off without a hitch!

For your Toughest Challenges

The custom and highly time constrained nature of this project demonstrates how our team can deliver quickly and efficiently. Count on ACE to assist with all aspects of your project from concept and design through the timely delivery of parts.

For more information on push-type industrial gas springs or the DE-GAS tool, visit our product pages.

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When it comes to thermoforming machinery, ensuring the safety of nearby workers is a critical aspect of their design. Not only do these machines weigh several tons, they have many moving parts, built-in heating ovens and presses that require a barrier to separate workers from dangerous functions. In general, once the machine is up and running in automatic mode, there should be little employee involvement with the machine — unless or until something goes wrong with the equipment or when maintenance is needed.

To provide access, thermoforming machines have heavy doors or hoods that must stay open long enough for the worker to complete their task. One ACE customer built a thermoforming machine to include a clear glass access hood that weighs more than 110 pounds. They needed to add a support mechanism to hold the heavy door in the open position.

They chose an ACE Controls GS-22-300-CC-VA gas spring. This push-type gas spring with 11.81-inch stroke has a maximum extension force of 247 pounds — an ideal amount of muscle to support heavy loads, and a lifetime of approximately 250,000 cycles, making it well-suited for heavy-duty applications like thermoforming machines. The GS-22-300-VA Series is part of ACE’s industrial family of gas springs with extension force capabilities ranging from 2 to 2,923 pounds (10 to 13,000N) and body diameters from 0.31 to 2.76 inches (8 to 70 millimeters). Additional features and specifications include:

• Stainless steel construction and a wear-resistant steel piston rod.
• An end position damping length of approximately 0.79 to 2.76 inches (depending on the stroke).
• A design that allows for mounting in any position, although mounting with the piston rod downwards is most effective.

To get the proper size and fit for, customers can access ACE Controls’ online sizing and configuration tool and enter details about the intended installation. The tool will generate interactive 2D and 3D simulations that the user can rotate, tilt and zoom.

Thanks to an ACE Controls industrial gas spring, the thermoforming machine builder is able to keep the heavy glass hood open for as long as needed without worrying about the hood injuring operators or maintenance personnel.

Reliable Gas Springs Ensure Worker Safety

Because hoods on thermoforming machines are critical to keeping nearby people safe, the devices that bear their heavy weight and ensure their functionality must be strong and reliable. A hood that closes prematurely is unacceptable. ACE Controls push-type industrial gas springs are designed to support loads as high as nearly 3,000 pounds, depending on the model, and have a long operating lifetime. For your heavy-duty machinery like thermoforming equipment, it pays to have industrial gas springs under the hood.

For more information about the ACE Controls GS-22-300-VA industrial gas spring, visit our product page.

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In a seasonal business like farming, there’s only a limited amount of time to make money. Whenever critical equipment malfunctions or compromises worker safety, farmers can’t recover the lost time and money. All the components used in agriculture equipment must be engineered for reliability and safety, including components farmers don’t often think about — like gas springs.

That’s what an international manufacturer of corn harvesting equipment had in mind when it needed a device to safely support hoods in one of its corn pickers. The machine uses a series of blades to cut corn and assure proper material flow. It keeps the blades covered with individual plastic hoods. In order for farmworkers to access the blades to perform regular maintenance, the hoods must be opened and held in place. Each hood weighs 15 pounds, so a falling hood can potentially injure a worker.

The company chose an ACE Controls GS 22-250-DD user-adjustable push-type gas spring. With a stroke length of up to 9.84 inches, this industrial gas spring is well-suited to lift, lower and support hoods and lids in a variety of industrial applications. It comes ready to install, filled with pressurized nitrogen according to customer requirements to achieve the required pressure source. ACE Controls also outfits its industrial gas springs with a relief valve in case further adjustments are needed. These gas springs also offer one additional benefit that makes them perfect for corn harvesting applications: durability. That’s because the GS-22-250’s piston rod and housing are coated to prevent wear and stand up to the harsh conditions out in the field.

Gas Springs Yield Better Uptime

Thanks to the ACE Controls GS-22-250 industrial gas spring engineered to the manufacturer’s requirements, the corn harvesting machine’s hoods reliably stay open so farmworkers can safely perform routine maintenance to ensure optimal material flow. Not only can machine operators access the blades without risk of injury from the hoods, they’re also less likely to experience downtime otherwise caused by lack of maintenance. That means they can maximize revenue during harvest.

For more information about ACE Controls’ industrial gas springs, visit the product page.

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The post Harvester Manufacturer Reaps Benefits From Industrial Gas Springs appeared first on ACE Controls Inc..

The ORCHIDlift product is an all-in-one solution for everyday mobility needs. The product improves patient care by making it easier for caregivers to transfer, support, and lift the patients. Their mission is “to create and design simple and innovative solutions for the challenges millions of caregivers face every day.” This product alleviates the strain and awkward positioning needed to lift patients that are not very mobile, it also provides the support needed for a caregiver of any size and stature to lift any size patient.

The constraints faced when designing the ORCHIDlift:

• Could not require electronics or batteries
• Needed to be able to lift at least 350lbs
• Had to be compact and easy to store

The Blue Orchid Care team needed to find a product that could manually assist with the lifting and also lock in place for the transferring of patients. The product also had to be compact enough to allow for the entire system to fold away when not in use. They chose ACE Controls because of the engineering and sales support that they received from our team. They explained that ACE went above and beyond in answering all questions that they had and helping them to choose the correct product. In addition to helping to choose the right product, ACE also provides CAD drawings, installation drawings, online sizing and configuration tools, and a prototype service.

The ACE gas springs reduce the amount of force that is required by the caregiver for lifting. Two 250N gas springs were needed to provide enough power to lift 350lbs. Additionally, the design needed to have a locking feature so that the handle can lock securely in place at any angle. Gas springs also provide a smooth, controlled motion for lowering the patient.

Having the perfect fit is priceless
The main concern going into designing this feature of the product was finding a manufacturer that would be easy to work with and quickly respond to all questions and engineering issues. Working with the ACE team to find the perfect product gave Blue Orchid Care assurance and comfort knowing that their design will work perfectly.

For more information about ACE Controls’ Gas Springs, visit www.acecontrols.com

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When a homeowner wanted to install a sushi freezer within a confined space without obstructing other nearby appliances, an ACE Controls gas spring played a vital role in economizing that space. Sean Moloney, the contractor working on the project, had to install the approximately $3,000 sushi freezer – which stores contents at temperatures down to -60ºF – along with a beverage refrigerator and countertops. In addition, he had to work with the following constraints:

• The sushi freezer was to be installed beneath a staircase, to the right of a beverage refrigerator (housed in a triangular cabinet) with a front-facing door.
• A 49-pound white oak countertop lid with a piano-type hinge had to open first, providing access to the freezer within the enclosure, which also opened from the top.
• Because a user can’t hold the heavy, wooden lid for long, it had to stay in place when opened.

Sean needed a gas spring that could support the heavy load and whose range of motion would provide maximum access when open, but without it hitting and damaging the angular stairway above the appliances. Understanding the investment the owner was laying out for the freezer, refrigerator and oak countertops, Sean knew that an inexpensive piston would not be sufficient for the job. He searched online for a gas spring with the quality that the project demanded and found acecontrols.com. He chose to install two GS-19-200-AA Push-type industrial gas springs to support the countertop lid. The heavy-duty gas springs offered the following features and characteristics:

• Able to handle forces from 2 to 2,923 pounds (10 to 13,000N).
• Extension force of 157 pounds.
• 7.87 inches of stroke.
• Body diameter of 0.31 to 2.76 inches (8 to 70 mm).
• Ready to install and requires zero maintenance.

Although Sean began the project with his own calculations, an ACE Controls engineer worked with him to revise his opening angle and range of motion. He also recalculated the mounting positions on the lid and cabinet. Taken together, these calculations provided an optimal fit.

You Can’t Put a Price On Safety
The homeowner’s main concern going into the project was user safety. Should the 49-pound lid fall on a user’s hands or hit the user on the head, it would likely cause serious injury. That’s why Sean opted for the premium quality of the ACE Controls GS-19-200-AA gas spring. He reports the industrial gas spring is supporting the weight of the countertop just fine, and the homeowner is really happy with it. Says Moloney, “it gives an assurance to the owner that it is a professionally engineered product.”

For more information about ACE Controls’ GS-19-200-AA Industrial Gas Spring, visit www.acecontrols.com.

The post Gas Springs Provide Easy, Safe Access to Customized Sushi Freezer Installation appeared first on ACE Controls Inc..

ACE Tips: The Advantages of Modular Gas Springs
Gas springs with interchangeable end fittings provide many benefits. The ability to mix and match various connections improves application flexibility and facilitates installation. In the following blog, we’ll provide some helpful tips to help you mount your gas spring while making the most of its modular design:

Mix and Match Accessories
Let’s say you’re mounting two gas springs in parallel to decelerate a horizontal-hinged hood. In this case—as in all cases—proper mounting is essential. Mounting your springs incorrectly could cause them to wear prematurely or experience torsion-related seal damage.

ACE tip: In situations like this, simply screw on an end fitting with a swivel eye to enable more movement and minimize the risk of torsion.

The modular design also lets you attach your gas spring to mounting brackets should your application require them. Thanks to the interchangeable end fittings, mixing and matching these accessories is easy and makes the mounting process quick and painless.

ACE tip: Our product code system provides a simple, clear way to shop around for gas springs based on your application’s requirements. Each set of letters and numbers in the product code corresponds to gas spring type (push or pull), cylinder diameter, stroke, rod end fitting, body end fitting and extension force, respectively.

Customized and Ready to Ship in 24 Hours
Visit our gas springs calculations page—available 24 hours a day, seven days a week—to customize your gas spring in just a few minutes. Based on your data, we’ll size your spring and send you a technical proposal complete with mounting points. We’ll also include all the end fittings and mounting equipment you’ll need. You’ll then receive your customized, modular gas spring in as little as 24 hours from order finalization.

Visit our online calculations page to get started.

The post ACE Tips: The Advantages of Modular Gas Springs appeared first on ACE Controls Inc..

Let’s take a look at some of the common ones you’ll see, as well as examples of their typical uses:

Push-type gas springs to lift and lower loads. These gas springs suit devices that lift or lower loads with easy control and minimal exertion. They support covers and lids in many industries, including automation and machine building, medical technology, electronics—and more.

Pull-type gas springs to fit constrained spaces. These compact springs can mount in any orientation and position. Unlike push-type springs, the gas pressure in the cylinder retracts the piston rod. Pull-type gas springs are used in various industrial applications, as well as medical devices, electronics and furniture.

Locking gas springs to hold a position. Many chair-type applications, such as mobility systems, need to maintain a certain position to support the end user. For example, when a person triggers a chair into motion by pressing a button or lever, a piston valve opens—extending the spring and moving the seat into position. When the user triggers the seat again, the valve closes, locking the piston rod—and chair—into position.

Rust-inhibiting gas springs to protect against corrosion. Many gas spring vendors offer rust-inhibiting versions of their standard models to protect against corrosion in food or hygienically sensitive areas. ACE Controls, for example, offers standard gas springs with an advanced UV coating or stainless steel outer bodies that can also be filled with food-grade oil—conforming to FDA standards.

To learn more about gas spring design and customization, download our latest white paper.

Download the White Paper

The post Your Guide to Gas Spring Design and Customization: Part II appeared first on ACE Controls Inc..

The next few blogs will provide a helpful overview of what you need to know about gas spring design and customization. We’ll explore the various gas spring types, selection data, proper mounting—and more.

Let’s kick off the series with a look at standard versus engineered springs.

Standard Gas Springs Can Bring Unintended Results

While standard gas springs can be a quick and inexpensive purchase, a lot can go wrong during sizing and implementation. For one, off-the-shelf springs commonly offer one of three choices of output force. Will one of those forces be exactly right? Either way, you may get unintended results. If the factory-supplied output force doesn’t succeed, for example, your hood or lid may open unexpectedly.

In addition, standard gas springs can come with the wrong end fittings. Situations like these can cause you to spend unnecessary time trying different forces or modifying your assembly—inflating your labor expenses and delaying your operation.

An Engineered Solution Offers Many Benefits

An engineered gas spring, on the other hand, refers to a premium custom part that is adjusted according to your unique specifications. The added investment pays off via the time and labor cost savings that result when your gas spring works to perfection. ACE Controls’ customer support combines online tools and knowledgeable engineering staff to assist you in making the necessary modifications to your standard gas spring—including recommending the correct end fittings to make installation easier.

To learn more about designing and customizing gas springs, download our latest white paper. And stay tuned for more upcoming posts on this topic.

Download the White Paper

The post Your Guide to Gas Spring Design and Customization: Part I appeared first on ACE Controls Inc..