Nitrogen Gas Springs for Dies and Molds
A nitrogen gas spring stores force in compressed gas rather than a coil, which is why it holds a flatter force curve across the stroke than a coil spring of the same envelope.
You reach for one when the force curve has to be adjustable, when the space will not take a coil spring, or when a long stroke would run a coil spring outside its long-life deflection band.
Start with the function
When gas beats coil
Adjustable force, a compact envelope and a stable force profile across a long stroke are the three reasons gas springs win.
Coil spring limits
Every die spring publishes a load-deflection table; past the average-life band the spring takes a set and preload drops.
Springs as a system
Gas or coil, springs work with the stripper bolts and the plate they sit behind. Size the force first.
What to look for
Force curve. A coil spring's force rises with deflection. A nitrogen gas spring's does not rise as steeply, which keeps stripping force predictable through the stroke - useful when the strip has to be even at both the start and the end of travel.
Adjustable charge. Because the force comes from gas pressure, the spring can be charged to the force the job needs rather than selected to the nearest catalog rate.
Compact envelope. Gas springs develop high force in a short body. Where the pocket will not accept a coil spring of the required rate and free length, that is the constraint a gas spring solves.
Know your deflection band either way. If you stay on coil springs, run them inside the long-life band - roughly 25-30% of free length depending on load class - and replace on the published fatigue intervals. Springs are the most frequently replaced component in a die and one of the most common causes of a bad setup.
Match the class to the job. Where a coil spring stays in the plan, pick the lightest ISO 10243 class that meets the force requirement. Heavier classes carry higher preload and fatigue faster, and mixed colors in one die are a mixed deflection profile.
Send the force requirement and the pocket dimensions - we will size the spring. Request a quote or call 814-438-7657.