Floor flap shatters because of improperly mounted gas spring

Correctly calculated fixing positions are key to gas spring applications – only a couple of centimeters separate a properly functioning flap or a broken glass pane and deformed frame!

This gas spring came a long way before it arrived at its destination: Mauritius. Here, a glass floor flap closes the access to the cellar. It weighs about 85 kg, a weight that is almost impossible to move without some assistance. The solution was a gas spring. It was calculated by DICTATOR in such a way that it supports the flap when opening and counteracts its closing.

Because of improperly mounted gas spring, the glass flap breaks

Unfortunately, the installation points specified by DICTATOR were not observed during the first attempt at installation and they improperly mounted the gas springs. A major mistake: the flap slammed shut when closing, the glass shattered and the frame bent.

The incorrect fixing points not only caused the floor cover to break, but the gas spring also stuck out quite far into the passageway, which posed a dangerous tripping hazard on the stairs leading down to the basement. Because the fixing points were directly below the bottom flap and quite high up on the frame, the flap could not be opened to 90°.

Fortunately, no one was injured, but an expensive new glass pane had to be made, the frame had to be straightened and reworked and time was lost again before a new attempt could finally be made.

But this time, they stuck to DICTATOR’s calculations, and to the satisfaction of everyone, the gas spring now lived up to all expectations. The gas spring was now placed right at the edge. The lower fixing position was moved to the height of the top step and the gas spring engages a little further down on the frame at the top. The flap can be opened to a full 90° and closes slowly.

DICTATOR calculation service for gas springs – we don’t just supply the right product, we also provide individual advice and the ideal installation points for every application

We want our gas springs to fulfill all desired functions perfectly and to provide safe and reliable solutions. That is why we at DICTATOR have always attached great importance to individual advice. Thanks to specially developed calculation programs and the many years of experience of our customer support staff, we are able to implement perfect solutions for a wide range of requirements.

Our technicians are available to you as your individual contacts and will support you from the planning stage through the selection of the right product to professional installation.

In the video you can see a comparison of both movement sequences depending on the installation situation: