For more than 30 years, customers of ACE Stoßdämpfer GmbH have been receiving gas springs tailored precisely to their requirements and specific applications. The product range of the company based in Langenfeld, Germany, covers sectors such as mechanical engineering, medical technology, and the food processing industry, as well as numerous applications across other industries, commerce, and small businesses. Even if customers do not find the exact solution they need at ACE, they remain in excellent hands. Since the acquisition by global gas spring expert Stabilus in 2016, the ACE brand has become a key component of the industry’s most flexible gas spring portfolio. Together with other gas spring experts such as HAHN Gasfedern and General Aerospace, the Stabilus Group has developed a unique "Motion Control Ecosystem" over the past few years. It provides customers worldwide with access to nearly 700,000 gas spring variants — suitable for every application in all quantities.

COVID-19 diagnostic equipment optimized with ACE gas springs

Digital, mobile X-ray units are effective tools for diagnosing severe cases of COVID-19, as they quickly provide images of the condition of infected patients' lungs and chests. At the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, the Chinese medical technology company Wandong was able to rapidly supply these mobile X-ray units. This was made possible, in part, by the decision to use pull type gas springs from ACE. Even before the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, Wandong had tested components from various manufacturers that would allow operators to raise, lower, fold out, and fold in the X-ray units' 10 kg radiation arm and the 30 kg X-ray emitter mounted at its end with minimal physical effort. ACE’s GZ-28-450 gas pull type springs proved to be the best choice compared to competing solutions, thanks to on-site consultation from the ACE team in China, as well as the product's design principle which allows the components to fit compactly inside the radiation arm. Wandong was completely convinced when ACE was able to supply several hundred units of this gas spring model in very short order during the spring of 2020, all while maintaining consistent quality.

To this day, ACE’s versatile industrial gas springs have lived up to their reputation as problem solvers. Whether during the peak of the coronavirus crisis in hospitals worldwide or in the calmer clinical routine that followed, these components — which operate without electricity, relying solely on pressurized nitrogen gas — enhance both the safety and user-friendliness of Wandong’s mobile digital X-ray units. This has not only provided tangible physical relief to medical staff during the uniquely hectic times of the pandemic but also allows them to focus on their core tasks every day: making reliable diagnoses and providing optimal patient care.

 Gas springs and electromechanical drives enhance industrial ergonomics

 ACE demonstrates its great flexibility in motion control at KeyTec Netherlands B.V. As a B2B supplier, the company provides customers worldwide with metal and plastic components in medium to high volumes. At its headquarters in Sittard, Netherlands, KeyTec operates three shifts to manufacture approximately one billion wire pins for batteries in various designs for clients in the electronics sector. This process requires machines capable of precise wire processing while maintaining consistent quality at high productivity levels. Every eight hours, operators replenish the machines with new coil material, a task that involves opening hoods weighing around 45 kg. Two ACE industrial gas springs facilitate this operation. KeyTec values these ready-to-install, maintenance-free, self-contained systems for their durability and the way they make work easier. With an extension force of 920 N per gas spring, they have reliably assisted operators in opening and closing the hoods for many years.

Additional advantages include the components' valve technology and the availability of on-site support. When KeyTec technicians consulted ACE sales engineers in the Netherlands about ways to improve ease of use and upgrade their machines easily, they quickly found the ideal solution within the Stabilus Group portfolio: Industrial POWERISE® electromechanical drives. Originally developed and perfected for the automotive sector, where they serve as actuators for tailgates, hoods, and trunk lids, these drives are increasingly being adapted for industrial applications like those at KeyTec. Powered by either a 12V or 24V connection, Industrial POWERISE® units reliably deliver a 200 mm stroke with a spindle pitch of 8 mm per revolution at the touch of a button. In the case of the machine hoods in Sittard, the lifting and lowering operations are supported by an additional force of 65 N per actuator, working in tandem with the aforementioned gas springs. Thanks to the valve technology used in these springs, the nitrogen pressure could be easily adjusted to the new design requirements. Using the release and fill valve, the force was reduced from the original 920 N to 700 N per unit, allowing the hydraulic and electromechanical components to execute movements safely and in perfect coordination. Another advantage is that combining the system with ACE gas springs relieves the load on the drive unit. This enables heavier loads, more ergonomic manual movement, and faster travel speeds. In practice, this translates to easier operation, quicker access to the machine interior, and greater satisfaction among all involved regarding workflows and the overall noise level in the machine hall.

Stainless steel gas springs combine hygiene and convenience

 Manufacturers of food processing machinery as well as home cooking enthusiasts demand performance that truly shines, when it comes to hygiene and food safety. Stainless steel is the ideal solution here, meeting the need for corrosion and temperature resistance alongside high hygiene standards in both industrial and other environments. Renowned manufacturers of specialized machinery rely on ACE’s application engineering expertise and powerful, nitrogen-filled, self-contained gas springs made from this durable material to assist with the opening and closing of loading and maintenance flaps and hatches. At the same time, ACE’s stainless steel gas springs are finding their way into the private sector, where they make it easier to access outdoor kitchens or operate heavy lids on food preparation stations.

For both target groups, ACE’s high level of flexibility, expert advice, customer focus, product variety, and speed are crucial. From its warehouse in Langenfeld, Germany, the company supplies gas springs in various stainless steel versions — using V2A and V4A alloys — with body diameters ranging from 15 mm to 40 mm. ACE also offers smaller pull type gas springs in V4A stainless steel. This makes the range suitable for any application with demanding hygiene requirements in addition to the food industry, such as the medical, laboratory and clean-room sectors. 

The Stabilus Motion Control Ecosystem

 As these applications illustrate, ACE stands out within the Stabilus Group’s motion control ecosystem thanks to its expertise in various industrial sectors and its consultation. This expert brand can supply small to medium volumes of catalog products featuring valve technology directly from stock, and can equip customers with bespoke prototypes within 24 hours.

 HAHN Gasfedern GmbH manufactures products ranging from single units to large-scale series, always customized to individual specifications and delivered with short lead times. This expert brand is also a leader in stainless steel products and custom solutions — such as high- and low-temperature seals, seals for heavy-duty construction machinery applications, protective tubes and other special features.

 For decades, customers have relied on the parent company and gas spring pioneer Stabilus for high-quality gas springs, delivered as OEM and series solutions, leveraging large-scale production, a global presence, and automotive-grade quality standards.

 And when customers seek bespoke, certified gas springs for safety-critical aerospace applications, they find the right solution within the Stabilus Group at General Aerospace GmbH.

 Together, these four expert brands — supported by their high-performing engineering and sales teams — form an interconnected system serving a wide range of industries and motion control needs, complete with application engineering and personalized system consulting.