Air Springs

Air springs use a contained column of air inside an elastomeric bellows or sleeve to buffer cyclic motion, provide vibration isolation, or serve as a pneumatic actuator. They can be used as a primary suspension spring or a secondary component inside a coil spring for automotive and heavy transportation applications. Other applications include vibration isolation on rotating machinery, use as linear actuators in place of pneumatic or hydraulic cylinders, and load lifters.

Air springs can be thought of as heavy-duty balloons that provide a smoother riding suspension when compared to metallic or plastic springs, when used for actuation and isolation tasks within industrial equipment and within vehicle suspensions.  They incorporate a carefully designed rubber and fabric bellows that contains a column of compressed air. The rubber bellows itself does not provide force or support load - the column of air does this when the air spring is inflated according to the load required of it. Load capacity can vary from 40-40,000kg.

As actuators air springs provide linear motion. They offer a favorable stroke to compressed height ratio when compared to air cylinders and can accept a wide variety of actuation media such as air, water, nitrogen or anti-freeze.

As isolators, air springs are effective in reducing the harmful effects of vibration. They can simultaneously isolate vibration and regulate load height, as well as allow constant vibration isolation under varying loads.

Air springs provide a number of distinct advantages when used in place of air cylinders or other types of springs.  Most notably, their cost is generally much lower than that of a pneumatic cylinder with comparable capabilities.  Additionally, they are more compact, with a minimum height generally less than the available stroke. And with their flexible bellows design, lacking seals or guides, they can be installed more easily with side load flexibility. 

In terms of performance, air springs offer another wide range of advantages.  They do not require lubrication, which leads to greater system cleanliness, and less overall maintenance to continuing performing at a high level. Since they do not need to be lubricated, air springs are designed without seals, which cause them to induce less friction, and are better able to handle constant force, especially in high-speed applications.  Since there are no seals sliding against exposed surfaces, an air spring can often survive abrasive and corrosive environments that require special consideration when a conventional cylinder is used. However, careful consideration should be used to keep air springs away from petroleum-based fluids and chemicals that attack rubber.

• Tire Cord Dynamic Properties Measured for FEA Model
  Textile cords in a rubber matrix are an important class of composites. Applications of such composites can be found in tires, air springs, shock isolators, and hoses. The most complicated of these...
  (read more)
• Air Spring: Rate of Force Rise - Air Spring Characteristic
  Damping direction and starting position of the piston combine to affect the rate of force rise. In an air dashpot, at the beginning of the stroke, the piston will quickly travel a finite distance with...
  (read more)
• Case History: Sealed Air Sheds Light On Davis Neon's Packaging
  At a 155,000 square-foot facility in Heath Springs, S.C., Davis Neon Inc. - a leading wholesale neon-sign manufacturer - creates custom-made neon signs from raw materials for shipments worldwide. For...
  (read more)

Pages: 1 - 3 of 324