Gas Springs and Dampers Safety and Design
Here are some important rules about Gas Springs and Dampers:
- Never allow a single gas spring or damper to be the only thing preventing a fall on to a person's body or body part. Always add redundant units, props or supports for safety.
- Always take care to account for forces at the mounting points, and provide sufficient strength in connectors, mounting brackets and fasteners.
- Always store and mount the gas spring or damper roughly vertical with the rod end down (except compression dampers, which should be rod up).
- Always align your design such that all forces or loads are purely axial in direction.
- Never allow any sideways forces on the rod or tube, and never allow any contact against rod or tube.
- Never allow any bending torque around the mounting points, they should be free swiveling.
- Keep cycles-per-minute under 4; faster cycling will overheat and/or over wear the seals.
- Although it is common practice, it is not recommended to use the gas spring or damper to stop travel.
- Never chip, bend, dent, paint or scratch the rod as this will damage the seals.
- Never attempt to puncture or burn the gas spring or damper.
