Belgian Gas Spring Success Story

Lesjöfors’ representative in Belgium and Luxemburg, NV Inexal, has managed to gain big business with a small gas spring.

Less than a year ago, Inexal´s sales manager Erik De Preter made a regular visit to an existing customer for a support issue with a strip component. He then noticed some samples of a small gas spring for a brand new project, where low force, smooth damping and space saving were essential.

The Lesjöfors gas spring design department in Stockholm was contacted immediately. They confirmed that a new product size with diameter 12 mm already was on the drawing table. After quoting, Erik persuaded the customer to participate in evaluating Lesjöfors´ gas springs as an alternative to the competitor’s.

Design and prototypes of the gas spring
An intense period with fine-tuning of interior component design and sample making was initiated. The development process was coordinated from Stockholm and went on in close cooperation with both the customer and the Lesjöfors manufacturing team. In August 2011 the tailored gas spring had technical approval, and the first order comprising 60 000 pieces was put.

Impressing flexibility
“Both the customer and I were impressed by the speed of the new gas spring product creation, including the sample service and the ability to adapt to the requirements of the application. It was also impressive the pace with which Lesjöfors built up a completely new line for mass production”, says Erik De Preter, as he now sees yearly demand of the gas spring taking off to 100 000 items and more.

Lesjöfors now plan to launch a standard range of the new 12-4 size. It will be an excellent alternative for low force demands and limited space in the applications, and a welcome complement to the already wide standard gas spring offer.

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