Gas Springs and Dampers

for applications in automotive engineering

... technology gives comfort

S TA B I L U S A c o m p a n y w i t h a n i n n o v a t i v e t r a d i t i o n

Product characteristics, advantages, uses

Pioneer Performance
I n 19 6 2 , S TA B I L U S p r e s e n t e d t h e w o r l d s f i r s t g a s s p r i n g m a n u f a c tured in series production to the s w i v e l c h a i r i n d u s t r y ; i n 19 6 5 , t h e f i r s t l o c k a b l e g a s s p r i n g . To d a t e , more than 2.0 billion gas springs have been produced, giving S TA B I L U S t h e l o n g e s t e x p e r i e n c e world-wide in the design and manufacture of gas springs. With an annual production of more than 10 0 m i l l i o n u n i t s , S TA B I L U S i s today the world market leader for multiple industrial applications. Occupational health practitioners and swivel chair manufacturers a p p r o p r i a t e l y c o n s i d e r S TA B I L U S a pioneer in the development and manufacture of gas springs for ergonomic seating in the swivel chair area. The gas spring makes it possible to adjust height, seat and backrest tilt of the swivel chair q u i c k l y a n d e a s i l y. Compact design, high level of operating convenience and safet y in use continue to expand the f i e l d o f a p p l i c a t i o n s f o r S TA B I L U S products. e.g. Motor vehicles and superstructures Gas springs and dampers facilitate the opening and adjustment of hoods, hatches and covers. e.g. Agricultural vehicles They dampen unpleasant shocks in t h e d r i v e r s s e a t c a u s e d b y u n e v e n land resulting in comfortable, relaxed and ergonomic seating. With a global sales and service n e t w o r k a n d 10 p r o d u c t i o n s i t e s i n Europe, USA , Mexico, Brazil, New Zealand, Australia and Korea S TA B I L U S s u p p l i e s a n d s u p p o r t s more than 2,400 customers worldwide. e.g. Buses They allow seats to be adjusted to the passengers bodies, so that even long journeys become a positive experience. e.g. Railway vehicles Here, too, blocking gas springs in stepless adjustable seats ensure ergonomic seating. S TA B I LUS p r ov id e s e x te nsi ve te c hni c al, d e sig n an d ins t allat io n su p p o r t in sp e cif ic a p plic at io ns as a mat te r of cour s e. T h e e x te nsi ve k n ow Having been successfully adopted and incorporated in the automotive and furniture industries for s e v e r a l d e c a d e s , S TA B I L U S g a s springs have now also become an indispensable design element in countless industrial applications in the most diverse sectors. Custo m e r s e r v ice an d cus to m e r s atisfac t io n ar e key o bje c t i ve s f o r t he co m p any. S TA B I LUS is k n ow n in p ar ticular f o r it s te c hnic al inn ovat i o n , q ualit y an d co m p e t it i ve p r icin g in all it s b usin e s s unit s . h ow of our a p plic at io n co nsult ant s an d te c hnicians cou ple d w it h our hig hl y e f f icie nt ins t allat io n p r o p o s al p r o g ramm e s an d p rac t ic al ar ran g e m e nt s , als o o n site, e nsur e o pt imal s olu t io ns . S TA B I LUS place s u t m o s t im p o r t ance in ac hiev in g e nv ir o nm e nt all y f r ie n d l y p r o d uc t io n m e t h o d s . I t s succe s s in t his ar ea is d o cum e nte d by t h e ce r t if ic at io n of it s e nv ir o nm e nt al mana g e m e nt s y s te m in co nf o r mit y w it h D I N EN I S O 14 0 01.

Piston rod

Seal and guide element

Piston

Bore

Pressure tube

The spring characteristic cur ve d e s c r ib e s t h e g as sp r in g p r o g r e s sio n force over the stroke, i.e. f rom the extended to the compressed state and vice versa. Unlike mechanic al springs, gas springs have an extremely flat, almost linear characteristic cur ve

through the oil-filled par t of the pressure tube. As soon as it is immersed in the oil the piston rod moves at a considerably lower speed.

Speed

Hydraulic range

Pneumatic range

Piston cross-sectional area

and therefore allow a uniform c o m f o r t a b l e a d ju s t m e n t o r p i vo t i n g movement. The spring rate, X, r e p r e s e n t i n g t h e f o r c e r a t i o F 2 / F1, l i e s b e t w e e n 1. 2 a n d 1. 4 w i t h standard gas springs. Other values can be defined on request and according to the application. To g e t h e r w i t h t h e d i m e n s i o n s , t h e F1 force is the major descriptive feature for the choice of a gas spring and it is therefore specified in all STABILUS brochures. It defines the value of the spring force and is measured 5mm before the end of the extension movement. The difference between the force lines for the compression and extension direction, FR, is the result of friction effects. Dynamic damping
Hydraulic damping Hydraulic range Oil Pneumatic range Stroke

Gas springs and dampers for applications in vehicle engineering

Hig hest Q u alit y

A s t h e lea d in g g as sp r in g su p plie r wo r ld w id e, our q ualit y mana g e m e nt s y s te m f ulf ils w it h ou t q u e s t io n t h e hig h q ualit y r e q uir e m e nt s of inte rnat io nal s t an d ar d s , suc h as D I N EN I S O 9 0 01-20 0 0 , as well as t h e n ew wo r ld s t an d ar d I S O / T S 169 49 -20 02 w it h t h e r e g ulato r y r e q uir e m e nt s of Q S 9 0 0 0 , V DA 6 .1, E AQ F, an d AV S Q.

Operating principle

Operating principle of a gas spring

The gas spring is a hydropneum a t i c a d j u s t i n g e l e m e n t , c o n si s t i n g of a pressure tube, a piston rod with piston and appropriate connection fittings. It is filled with compressed nitrogen, which acts with equal pressure on differently dimensioned cross-sectional areas of the piston. This produces a force in the extension direction. This extension force can be exactly defined within physical limits through the appropriate selection of the filling pressure.

C are for t he e nv iro n m e nt

Globally Active

Ser v ice a nd tec h nic al ap plic atio n su p por t

Spring characteristic cur ve a n d F1 f o r c e

Extending speed and damping

A significant advantage of gas springs over mechanical springs is

Here the bore in the piston is replaced with a longitudinal groove in the wall of the pressure tube which ser ves as a bypass. Its geometr y and the length determine the damping cur ve. This technique allows position- independent damping of the gas springs.

Force [F]

the definable speedcur ve, which

Com
F3

pres

sion

F4

allows for a damped and comfor table adjusting movement. Tw o t y p e s o f d a m p i n g c a n b e distin-guished :

F2

For all business sectors

Cu sto m er s atis fac tio n

Exte

nsio

Hydraulic damping
F1

The extending speed is determined both by the arrangement and the and by the viscosit y of the oil used. When the gas spring is installed with the piston rod facing down the extending piston first travels
Stroke Dynamic damping Speed Stroke [ S ]

diameter of the bores in the piston

Spring c harac teristic cu r ve and F1-force

through the gas-filled and then

... technology gives comfort

Choice and application of gas springs

N o n - b l o c k i n g g a s s p r i n g s L I F T- O - M AT

Dimensions according to choice

S TA B I L U S o f f e r s a n e x t r e m e l y w i d e range of gas spring t ypes, which var y in respect of their external dimensions, speed cur ves and extension variants, and invariably meet the most stringent requirements. A large selection is i n c l u d e d i n t h e S TA B I L U S s t a n d a r d product range and can be delivered at shor t notice.
LIFT-O-MAT BLOC-O-LIFT without locking with locking

STABILUS

Gas Springs

Dampers

Power Tailgate Systems

STAB-O-MAT STAB-O-BLOC

STAB-O-SHOC

POWERISE Automotive

Lifting, lowering, moving and adjusting Installation instructions

Tw i s t- f r e e c o n n e c t i o n Te m p e r a t u r e b e h a v i o u r The temperature of the gaseous nitrogen inside the gas spring influences its extension behaviour within cer tain limits. The standard temperature range lies bet ween -30C und + 8 0C . In addition, gas springs with special sealing systems for extreme loads are available. Installation position Gas sp r in g s e xce pt t h o s e d e sig n e d for position-independent installat i o n a r e p r e f e r a b l y inst alle d with the piston rod facing d o w n s o a s t o maximise the hydraulic damping effect and to ensure optimal lubrication of the guide and seal system. Operational safet y The operational safet y of the gas spring is primarily achieved by seals designed to keep the gas pressure inside. For your protec tion, n o b e n d in g lo a d s sh ould b e e xe r te d on the gas springs. Damage caused by subsequent mechanical operations, including welding, performed on t h e g as sp r in g s , as well as co nt ami nat io n o r p a i n t i n g o f t h e p i s t o n rod may lead to the failure of the devices.
E Available in a variet y of st an -

Service life and maintenance

Gas springs are maintenancefree! They are designed to specific requirements and operate for years and years without failure when properly installed. Also for particularly high numbers of load alterations special sealing systems are available which allow e.g. specific gas springs in swivel chairs to withstand up to one million load c ycles without damage.

With their accurately adjusted extension force and applications p e c i f i c d a m p i n g L I F T- O - M AT

Pressure tube connection

Product variants
E H yd ro - L i f t : In ad dition to t he

D2

L I F T- O - M AT f u n c t i o n , t h e s e gas springs can be positioned at any desired point The increased friction of these gas springs allows for stepless positioning gas spring function, an electric current is transmitted or even switched, e.g. for illuminating the engine compartment or bootspace divided into a number of functional areas to allow manual positioning of the application, e.g. a flap

For maximum ser vice life, gas springs should not be exposed to t wists or lateral forces. Suitable connection fittings, e.g. angle joint s, can be used for the t wistfree connection of the gas springs.

gas springs offer optimum weight compensation, force support, they open and close flaps and bonnets a n d e n s u r e u s e r- f r i e n d l y m o v e m e n t sequences thanks to their damping characteristic.
Piston rod Pressure tube with filling medium Oil Piston system

E L I F T- O - M AT h i g h f r i c t i o n :

Special seal and guide system

E Elec t ro - Li f t : In addition to the

Characteristics and benefits

dard sizes and force variants force progression over the entire spring travel degressive spring cur ve for force suppor t at stroke st ar t or end position hydraulic damping according to application and fit ting position practical and swif t installation
Piston rod connection D1

Connections
D if fe r e nt co nne c tio ns ar e availa ble depending on the application. S TA B I L U S t h e r e f o r e o f f e r s a w i d e range of plastic or metal hinge eyes, including the easy-to-mount angle joint that only has to be f it ted on the ball socket and allows for t wist-free installation.

E Linear spring cur ve for unifor m

E I n t e r- S t o p : T h e s t r o k e i s

E Available with progressive or

E Available with d y namic or

St andard Series Program Piston rod diameter D1 (mm) 6 8 10 14 Pressure tube outside diameter D2 ( mm ) 15 19 22 28 42 Extension force (N) 50 - 400 10 0 - 8 0 0 15 0 - 115 0 5 0 0 - 2 10 0 24 0 0 - 5 2 0 0 Ma x. stroke (mm) 15 0 250 400 500 500

E Va r i o u s c o n n e c t i o n s y s t e m s f o r

Small selection of available connections

20

... technology gives comfort

Blocking gas springs BLOC- O -LIF T

D a m p e r s a n d S TA B - O - S H O C

Hydraulic dampening of vibrations

Dampers are needed to positively influence the nature of movements and vibrations. They are designed to match the par ticular application. Oil-hydraulic dampers consist of a pressure tube, a piston rod with piston system and a piston rod connection fitting. The moE D e f i n e d l i n e a r, p r o g r e s s i v e o r

degressive damping force characteristic for optimal results steering dampers and driver seat dampers
E Damper s are designed to

Va r i a b l e p o s i t i o n i n g , r i g i d or spring blocking
B L O C- O - L I F T g a s s p r i n g s r a i s e loads with an accurately tuned extension force and applicationspecific dampening while ensuring u s e r- f r i e n d l y m o v e m e n t s e q u e n c e s . I n a d d i t i o n , B L O C- O - L I F T gas springs c an be blocked in any position, with springing or rigid blocking in the extension or compression direction depending o n t h e d e s i g n . Va r i a b l e b l o c k i n g i s made possible by integrating the valve into the piston, which separates both pressure chambers gastight. When the valve is closed, thereby interrupting the gas exchange bet ween both pressure c h a m b e r s , t h e B L O C- O - L I F T g a s spring is blocked. The valve closes automatically when the valve tapp e t i s r e l e a s e d e x t e r n a l l y. The springing blocking variant is ideal for the smooth dampening of e.g. shocks, impacts or pulset ype peak loads (e.g. in seats and office swivel chairs).

Pressure tube connection according to product range Pressure tube with filling medium Separating piston D2 Speed and damping regulating valve system

Characteristics and benefits

E Rigid or spring blocking in the

vement of the piston presses the filling medium (oil) through suitably dimensioned bores into the piston, thus producing the desired damping force.

E Va r i a b l e d a m p i n g r a t e e . g . f o r

E Elec tric ally adjust able damper s E Several connec tion variant s for

optimally match the par ticular application positionindependent installation extension force direction or in the extension and compression direction

ex tension or compression direct i o n . O p t i o n a l l y, a p o s i t i o n independent variant is available l e a s e t r a v e l o f o n l y 1 m m ( n o rmally 2.5 mm ) for ex tremely light operation available on request (e.g. for rocking the backrest of swivel chairs)

easy installation

E For position - dependent or E Damper s with or without

C h a ra c t e r i s t i c s a n d b e n e f i t s
E Compac t dimensions with ma xi-

E A lso available with shor t re -

Product variants
E V ibration dampening only at

specific frequencies (frequencydependent dampening ) upon request

mum reliabilit y and durabilit y tures between -40C and +13 0 C

E W ith damping forces in one

E Suited for operating tempera -

Special seal and guide system D1 Piston rod connection with thread

E Continuous release is also

Instructions for the design of gas springs

Calculating the installation of a gas spring
T h e S TA B I L U S i n s t a l l a t i o n d e s i g n proposal soft ware selects and To m a k e y o u r o w n r o u g h e s t i m a t e and to select the appropriate gas spring from our standard product range, you can use the following approximation formula and applic ation sketch.
A B2

Lef t : Spring blocking BLOC- O - LIF T gas spring Right : Rigid blocking BLOC- O - LIF T gas spring with separating piston for positionindependent installation

In a subsequent step, the desired extension and damping characteristic can be determined.

Determining the extension force F1 [ N ] a t 2 0 C F 1 = G x D x 13 [ N ] bxn G = weight of flap in kg L = distance from centre of gravit y to pivot point in mm. spring in mm, flap open. kg - N + safet y margin ( suggest approx. 2 / 3 L) (standard : n = 2) in mm, flap open b = ef fective lever arm of gas 13 = c o n v e r s i o n f a c t o r P = flap at tachment n = number of gas springs

St andard Series Program Piston rod diameter D1 (mm) 8 10 Pressure tube outside diameter D2 ( mm ) 28 28 Extension force (N) 2 0 0 - 10 0 0 2 0 0 - 15 0 0 Ma x. stroke (mm) 10 0 250

designs the optimal gas spring for a specific application. For this, the following application details, e.g. a flap, are needed :
E dimensions and weight E opening angle to be achieved E at t achment point s for the gas

D A

springs

B2

L P

From this data the following is derived :

E the stroke A [ mm ] E the ex tended leng th B [ mm ] E the ex tension force F 1 [ N ] E and the t y pe of connec tion

L P

D = ef fective leverarm of gravit y

G

... technology gives comfort

Worldwide
Australia STABILUS Pty. Ltd. 65 Redwood Drive Dingley, VIC 3172 Australia ) ++61-3-9552-1400 2 ++61-3-9552-1499 8 info@au.stabilus.com Brasil STABILUS Ltda. Av. Pres. Tancredo de Almeida Neves, km 1,2 CEP 37.504-066 Itajub (MG) Brasil ) ++55-35-3629-5000 2 ++55-35-3629-5005 8 info@stabilus.com.br China STABILUS (JiangSu) Ltd. No. 8, Long Xiang Road Wujin High-Tech Industrial Zone Wujin District Changzhou City, 213164 JiangSu Province, PR China ) ++86-519-8662-3500 2 ++86-519-8662-3550 8 info@cn.stabilus.com China STABILUS Sales Office Shanghai 88 ke Yuan Road, Room N 309, 3rd Floor Zhiang Jiang Hi-Tech Park Pudong, Shanghai 201203 PR China ) ++86-21-2898-6500 2 ++86-21-2898-6510 8 info@cn.stabilus.com Deutschland STABILUS GmbH Wallersheimer Weg 100 56070 Koblenz Germany ) ++49-261-8900-0 2 ++49-261-8900-204 8 info@de.stabilus.com Espaa STABILUS GmbH Oficina de representacin Espaa Edificio Arteaga TXORIERRI ETORBIDEA, 9 - 3 planta (ocina 303) 48160 Derio (Vizcaya) Espaa ) ++34-94-455-4170 2 ++34-94-455-4183 8 info@es.stabilus.com France STABILUS France Sarl Le Technoparc / LEspace Mdia 3, rue Gustave Eiffel 78306 POISSY CEDEX France ) ++33-139-226-494 2 ++33-139-226-496 8 info@fr.stabilus.com Italia STABILUS GmbH Ufficio Italia Via Francesco Giacomo Bona, 1 10064 Pinerolo, Italy ) ++39-0121-300-711 2 ++39-0121-202-161 8 info@it.stabilus.com Japan STABILUS Japan Corporation Toshin 24 Shin-Yokohama, Bldg B-8F 2-3-8 Shin-Yokohama, Kohoku-ku 222-0033 Yokohama, Kanagawa Japan ) ++81-45-471-2970 2 ++81-45-471-2989 8 info@jp.stabilus.com Korea STABILUS Co. Ltd. Sales Office 3F,Woogang Bldg., 402-3 Yuljeon-dong, Changan-gu Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do Korea / Zip Code 440-827 ) ++82-31-298-1743 2 ++82-31-298-0742 8 info@kr.stabilus.com Mxico STABILUS S.A. de C.V. Industria Metalrgica No. 1010 Parque Industrial Ramos Arizpe C.P. 25900 Ramos Arizpe, Coahuila Mxico ) ++52-844-411-0707 2 ++52-844-411-0706 8 info@mx.stabilus.com New Zealand STABILUS Limited 75 Ellice Rd. Glenfield PO Box 101023 NSMC Auckland New Zealand ) ++64-9-444-5388 2 ++64-9-444-5386 8 info@stabilus.co.nz Romania STABILUS S.R.L. Romania km 5+900 (soseaua Brasov-Harman) RO-507190 Sanpetru, Brasov Romania ) ++40-268-309-100 2 ++40-268-309-170 8 info@ro.stabilus.com Singapore STABILUS Singapore Sales Office c/o ZF Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd. 11 Tuas Drive 1 Singapore 638678 ) ++65-642-48726 2 ++65-642-48788 8 info@sg.stabilus.com United Kingdom STABILUS Sales Office Unit 4, Canada Close Banbury, Oxon. OX16 2RT England ) ++44-12-95-700-100 2 ++44-12-95-700-106 8 info@uk.stabilus.com USA STABILUS Inc. 1201 Tulip Drive Gastonia NC 28052 - 1898 USA ) ++1-704-865-7444 2 ++1-704-865-7781 8 info@us.stabilus.com USA STABILUS Detroit Sales Office Automotive 36225 Mound Road Sterling Heights, MI 48310- 4739 USA ) ++1-586-977-2950 2 ++1-586-446-3920 8 info@us.stabilus.com USA STABILUS Chicago Sales Office Industrial 919 N. Plum Grove Road, Suite G Schaumburg IL 60173, USA ) ++1-847-517-2980 2 ++1-847-517-2987 8 info@us.stabilus.com

w w w. s t a b i l u s . c o m

Ty p o g r a p h i c a l e r r o r s a n d c ha n g e s r e s e r ve d .

1 0 0 0 / 0 9 .12 / A R T K O M