Emergency Stop Systems are critical safety mechanisms designed to quickly halt machinery in dangerous situations, preventing accidents and protecting your workers. Thanks to ACE Controls’ shock absorbers, you can mitigate the potentially damaging effects of sudden stops. When an emergency stop is initiated, machinery can come to an abrupt halt, causing abrupt forces and vibrations that might lead to serious damage to machinery, wear and tear, or even worker injuries. Emergency Stop Systems, as the name implies, use shock absorbers to absorb energy and reduce force, smoothing out the deceleration process and reducing the risk of harmful impacts. This system is typically designed for one time use, in extreme situations. Without a functional emergency stop system, several dangers can arise. Workers might be unable to swiftly halt machinery in emergencies, leading to severe accidents. The absence of a good Emergency Stop System could result in machinery damage, increased maintenance costs, and operational downtime. Emergency Stop Systems with effective shock absorbers are indispensable for ensuring workplace safety, preventing equipment damage, and maintaining the overall efficiency of manufacturing processes.

2- Stability Systems

Stability systems play a crucial role in providing protection and maintaining the equilibrium of various dynamic systems, from the cockpits of helicopters to manufacturing systems. ACE Controls’ damping systems can form the integral center of stability systems, working to disperse kinetic energy and reduce oscillations within these systems. By absorbing and dissipating excess energy, damping systems counteract potential instabilities and prevent harmful vibrations from amplifying. Without an effective stability system in place, catastrophic outcomes could occur. Unchecked vibrations or oscillations could lead to structural failures, reduced performance, and compromised safety. For instance, in a suspension system of a heavy machine, the absence of effective damping could result in discomfort, reduced handling, and even loss of control in extreme cases. In essence, stability systems, powered by damping mechanisms, serve as guardians against the chaotic effects that can arise when systems are left unchecked and unregulated.

3- Safety Clamping Systems

Within a variety of industrial and mechanical applications, Safety Clamping Systems play a pivotal role in protecting workers and products. They are designed to secure moving parts during operation and prevent unintended movements that result in accidents, injuries, or damage, particularly in emergency situations. ACE Controls’ LOCKED clamping systems utilize robust mechanisms to firmly hold components in place. Without a reliable Safety Clamping System in place, the risk of catastrophic events significantly increases. Uncontrolled movements or unexpected releases of pressure can lead to machinery malfunctions, equipment damage, and even serious harm to operators and bystanders. Implementing a well-engineered Safety Clamping System with ACE Controls damping products is the only way to ensure operational integrity, safeguard personnel, and maintain a secure working environment across a wide range of industries.

4- Impact Suppression Systems

Impact Suppression Systems provide advanced protection in any industry that needs to handle expected or unexpected impacts, from automotive to aerospace and beyond. At the heart of these systems are damping mechanisms that effectively absorb and dissipate kinetic energy generated during impacts or sudden movements. Damping systems within Impact Suppression Systems convert and dissipate the energy into heat, thereby minimizing the transmitted force and preventing structural damage. The consequences of not having a functioning impact suppression system are wide ranging. Uncontrolled impacts or sudden movements could lead to severe structural deformations, increased risk of injury to occupants or critical equipment, and compromised overall system integrity. Even in systems where the impact is expected, such as drop sorting systems, the long term impacts of unabsorbed impacts can be damaging. Impact Suppression Systems are paramount for ensuring safety, preserving equipment functionality, and extending the lifespan of critical components in the face of unexpected events or collisions.

5- Safety Bumper Systems

Safety Bumper Systems are designed to mitigate the impact of sudden collisions, minimizing the potential damage to both the vehicle or machinery and its operators. The most important part of any Safety Bumper Systems is the shock absorber, a device that mitigates the effects of sudden impacts. This is the most direct use of shock absorbers: dampening and slowing down the abrupt motion caused by a collision, thereby reducing the force transferred to the structure and its occupants. Without an effective Safety Bumper System in place, the problems are easy to miss until the moment it is needed. In the worst situations, such collisions can damage the vehicle or machinery, injure the occupants, and lead to costly downtime for repairs. By incorporating ACE Controls’ shock absorbers into a well-designed Safety Bumper Systems, the impact of accidents can be substantially minimized, ensuring both the physical integrity and the safety of all involved parties.

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Here’s a look at how the oversized safety shock absorbers—capable of stopping 4,000-ton cargo ships—are key to protecting the lock gate and ensuring the safety of the ships passing through.

Like Navigating A Tight Parking Spot
During the design phase of the ship lock system, Dutch construction and steel company Mourik Lumburg had to take into account the fact that ships may touch the safety beam while navigating into the lock. The action resembles the way a car, as its driver navigates a tight parking spot, might tap the car next to it. But with loaded vessels weighing up to 4 million kg and traveling at 0.5-m/s speeds, the gate would need to withstand a considerable amount of force.

Mourik technical experts needed large, heavy-duty shock absorbers that could protect the gate. They approached ACE Controls for a solution.

An Extra-Large Solution
ACE technical experts calculated that the shock absorbers would need to withstand 500,000 Nm of energy—requiring a customized design. Weighing in at 320 kg, these special oversized shock absorbers feature a length of 2,649 mm, outer diameter of 200 mm and stroke of 800 mm.

After the collision in the Netherlands ship lock, engineers installed a new beam on the gate—a process that required temporary disassembly of the shock absorbers. During this process, ACE technical experts were on hand to provide the repair team with all the necessary support on how to remove and then reinstall the dampers.

Thanks to these extra-large components, the ACE and Mourik teams are confident the ship lock will continue to operate safely for many more years.

To learn more, download our latest case study.

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Here’s how these components met the demands of the actuator—and improved the overall safety of the oil refinery:

Special Safety Valves Open 50 Times Faster. The oil refinery, located in Yanbu, condenses and liquefies natural gas for transport using explosion-proof compressors, which regulate the pressure in the pipes. If the pressure dips too low, the compressors switch on. If the pressure gets too high, they switch off. To ensure these compressors maintain the right working pressure while simultaneously avoiding overpressure, DGI developed special pneumatic actuators. Should overpressure occur, the system’s built-in pneumatic cylinder opens the large, 24-inch safety valve. Normally, throttle valves open at a speed of one second per inch—but DGI designed its valves to open 50 times faster.

At the same time, DGI needed a way to safely absorb the energy generated by the valves as they opened. The company teamed up with ACE Controls to incorporate hydraulic shock absorbers that could emergency-stop the piston rods on the cylinders.

MAGNUM Shock Absorbers: The Last Line Of Defense. Due to the small size of the actuators, ACE engineers selected their compact, yet powerful MAGNUM industrial shock absorbers (type MA3325). When the valves open, the rod makes contact with the shock absorbers, which engineers positioned in the front and rear of the cylinder. The dampers then fully stop and control the piston rod as it moves horizontally.

Without the absorbers in place as the system’s final safety measure, a number of devastating things could happen. The cylinder, actuator and compressor could experience irrevocable damage. Toxic gas could also leak out and potentially trigger an explosion—endangering personnel, the environment and other nearby facilities.

For these reasons, ACE shock absorbers are part of the Yanbu success story—and have improved the overall safety of the plant. To learn more about this application, download our latest case study.

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The post ACE Industrial Shock Absorbers Improve Oil Refinery Safety Valves appeared first on ACE Controls Inc..

E2M engineers needed a way to absorb these forces and avoid structural damage in the event of an emergency stop. Here’s how the company found a solution in profile dampers and safety bumpers from ACE Controls.

Dampers And Bumpers Provide Maximum Safety
Because E2M’s motion systems need to be able to support several tons, ACE engineers recommended a combination of two products-profile dampers and safety bumpers from the TUBUS TA and TC families, respectively.

TUBUS TA profile dampers provide high energy absorption up to 73% between 2 and 2,951 Nm. Made out of copolyester elastomer, these compact components provide consistent damping in a variety of applications.

TUBUS TC safety bumpers, also made of copolyester elastomer, were developed for crane systems and meet OSHA and CMAA international industry standards. As such, these rugged components provide high energy absorption up to 64% between 450 and 17,810 Nm-even in emergency stop situations.

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When it comes to the cutting operations to make power cables, safety is key. That’s why Rittmeyer, a German-based precision engineering company, utilizes a high-tech, coax shielding cutting device called the BERI.CO.CUT. To make operation of this electro-pneumatic machine safer, Rittmeyer integrated ACE shock absorbers and clamping elements into its design.

End Position Protection. The BERI.CO.CUT precision-cuts the shielding and braids cables used in electric and hybrid vehicles. As the cables are being worked on, the head of the machine moves. To protect operating personnel and the machine itself, Rittmeyer, along with ACE specialists, selected miniature format MC75EUM-3 shock absorbers.

These maintenance-free, hydraulic elements ensure gentle impact of the head against the rear pane, preventing costly damage to both the head and overall structure. And with a net weight of only 30 grams, a length of 70 mm and a reset time of 0.3 seconds, ACE shock absorbers far exceeded the cable cutting machine’s compact requirements.

Pneumatic Rod Clamping. In addition to the shock absorbers, Rittmeyer selected ACE LOCKED PN clamping elements to use in its cable cutting machine. These components are designed to immediately clamp in the event the machine loses pressure as it moves concentrically along two guide shafts, protecting both the operators and the machine itself. They also prevent movement during the cutting process—a critical function, as even the slightest cutting inaccuracy can have serious repercussions in automotive or aerospace applications.

Suitable for rods with diameters of 20 to 40 mm, LOCKED PN clamping elements absorb forces axially and rotationally. With a holding force of up to 36,000 N, they also reach or exceed the levels of hydraulic clamps without the high cost.

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The post ACE Shock Absorbers And Clamps In High-Tech Cable Cutting Machine appeared first on ACE Controls Inc..

From pick-and-place equipment to conveyor belts to linear transfer lines, moving work pieces and finished products from point A to point B is a major part of today’s fast-paced production environments. In many cases, speed and precision are top priorities. So too is safety. Protecting both operators and equipment from destructive impact forces is a critical task—one that is often accomplished with shock absorbers and safety dampers. In the case of linear modules that must endure high speeds and loads, well-designed safety dampers provide reliable insurance against impact damage at an affordable cost.

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