Turning application requirements into Gas Spring solutions

A customer may know the environment, dimensions and load their gas spring needs to support but translating those requirements into the correct force, mounting position, gas spring and end fittings requires specialist calculation. 

A newly updated Lesjöfors Gas Spring Calculator brings that technical capability directly into the sales process, helping customers reach the right solution more quickly. 

Using the customer's application data, Lesjöfors sales teams can now calculate the technical requirements and identify the appropriate gas spring during the customer conversation, providing an accurate technical answer without routinely needing to refer the calculation to a separate technical team. 

If a standard stock gas spring meets those requirements, the calculation can then be transferred directly into the Lesjöfors webshop configurator, providing a streamlined route from application requirement to configuration and purchase. 

And when a standard product isn't the answer, Lesjöfors can design and manufacture a custom gas spring to meet the customer's application requirements. 

Rapid prototyping at its finest 

For Greg Lehman, Head of Gas Springs at Lesjöfors, the development is about making specialist technical knowledge more immediately available to customers. 

“Our customers know their applications better than anyone. They understand the environment, the loads involved and exactly what they need the gas spring to achieve. Translating those parameters into the exact gas spring specification is where our specialist knowledge comes in. 

Our sales and technical teams have always worked closely with customers to develop the right solution. What's changed is how quickly we can now provide that technical answer. The calculator gives our sales teams the capability to work through the application and identify the appropriate solution there and then, rather than routinely having to refer the calculation to one of our technical specialists. 

That removes potential waiting time and makes the process much more efficient. If the answer is one of our standard gas springs, we can move directly into configuration and towards purchase. If the application requires something different, we have the manufacturing capability and specialist knowledge to develop a custom solution. 

For me, that's rapid prototyping at its finest.” 

From calculation to the right solution 

Behind the process is a major redevelopment of Lesjöfors' gas spring calculation technology. 

The calculator incorporates the complete Lesjöfors range of standard compression gas springs and end fittings, with product information synchronized directly with the Lesjöfors PIM and webshop. This means calculations use the same current product data as the online purchasing environment. 

Calculations can be saved and revised as an application develops, allowing different iterations to be explored before the final solution is determined. 

Where the technical requirements match a standard product, the completed calculation can be transferred directly into the Lesjöfors webshop configurator, automatically creating the basis of the required gas spring configuration. 

Beyond standard stock 

If the application demands more than the stock range, Lesjöfors also designs and manufactures custom gas springs, providing solutions for applications where dimensions, forces, stroke lengths or other technical requirements call for a specially developed product. 

Custom manufacturing capabilities include cylinder sizes from 12–40 mm, rod diameters from 4–20 mm, strokes from 20–550 mm and forces from 10–5,000 N. 

Lehman concludes: “It's not about directing every customer towards a standard product. It's about understanding the application and finding the right answer. 

To our knowledge, no other gas spring supplier currently offers this combination of application calculation, standard product configuration, purchasing capability and access to custom gas spring manufacturing in one connected process. 

Whether the answer is already in our standard range or needs to be designed specifically for the application, we can help the customer get there faster.”