What are Gas Springs?

Gas Springs are used in many different applications, read on to find out exactly what they are and what they are used for. Gas springs, or gas struts, are rods that provide support for doors, hatches, lids and covers that are horizontally hinged. They act as support in a variety of ways including, lifting, positioning and lowering; because of this versatility they are used in a wide range of applications. When engineers are designing something that they would like to have controlled movement they often incorporate gas springs into the design, this is evident in products such as car boots, office chairs, canopies, hatches and much more. Of course the type of gas strut needed will depend on the application it is being used for, but they all share the same basic design. Gas springs consist of a cylinder, a rod and a piston; the cylinder contains pressurised nitrogen gas (this gas is a neutral gas that forms around 80% of the earth’s atmosphere so it is not dangerous) and oil. The system is completely sealed so as to prevent any gas or oil being lost and as the gas is what provides the energy for the spring it is important that this energy is contained. As this system is a closed one the gas has nowhere to go, therefore when the rod is compressed or extended the pressure will increase and the gas will move from one side of the piston to the other; it is this movement of gas that creates a damping effect. There are many advantages to gas springs, for example they are compact, they have a long life-span, they are safe and they are completely self contained so do not need anything else to work. Of course there isn’t just one gas strut used for all applications and you will see that with Camloc there is a selection available for different uses; it is also possible to opt for tailor made springs in order to ensure that everything is spot on. If you are interested in finding out more about these systems then talk to one of our experts who will be happy to help you get all the information you may need.

For more information on What are Gas Springs? talk to Camloc Motion Control Ltd