Gas springs offer a cost-effective solution for positioning moving parts. You can find them in office chairs, medical equipment, fitness equipment, desk lids, food processing equipment and more. As their name suggests, gas springs use pressurized gas to generate outward force. If you’re thinking about using gas springs to position moving parts, though, you might be wondering whether they contain oil.
Yes, Gas Springs Contain Oil
While there are different types of gas springs, most of them contain oil.
A typical gas spring features several parts, including a rod, tube, piston, seals and end attachments. Gas springs are sealed, which allows them to generate pressure. The internal pressure will exceed the external atmospheric pressure. Therefore, the pressurized gas inside of a gas spring will generate an outward force.
Why Gas Springs Contain Oil
While they rely primarily on pressurized gas to position the moving parts with which they are used, gas springs still contain oil. Oil serves several purposes, one of which is a smoother dampening action.
As the oil coats the gas spring’s inner parts, it will promote a smoother dampening action. The gas spring won’t move abruptly. With oil coating the inner parts, the gas spring will move in a more controlled manner.
Protection From Friction
Oil will protect the gas spring’s inner parts from friction-related damage. Like most springs, gas springs generate friction during use. Friction occurs whenever two or more parts move while touching each other.
Too much friction can damage moving parts. It will expose the moving parts to greater mechanical wear, and it will expose them to more heat. Oil, however, protects the moving parts in a gas spring from friction-related damage. Oil will coat the moving parts so that they can move more easily while generating less friction.
Regulates the Temperature
Another reason gas springs contain oil is temperature regulation. Heat can damage gas springs. And the more friction a gas spring’s parts generate, the more heat to which it will be exposed.
Oil helps to keep gas springs’ temperature in check. Heat is a byproduct of friction. With oil, gas springs will generate less friction as they move, resulting in less heat.
Seals
Oil provides sealing benefits as well. If there are any small cracks or openings in a gas spring, oil will help to seal them. The presence of oil will create an air-tight structure while maintaining the appropriate pressure level for the gas.