Flange Connection Industrial Air Spring W01-M58-6985 Firestone Style 203 Airstroke Actuators

Flange connections are a very common and important connection method for air springs. Bolts are used to secure the metal flanges at the upper and lower ends of the air spring to corresponding flanges on the vehicle body (or frame) and axle (or suspension arm).

• 1. Extremely High Connection Rigidity and Stability

  Advantage: Multiple bolts are used to evenly distribute the force between the flanges, creating surface contact and a very strong connection. This allows the air spring to withstand significant vertical and lateral forces, as well as torsional moments.

  Applications: This is crucial for commercial vehicles (such as trucks and buses), rail vehicles, and industrial equipment, as these applications operate in harsh conditions and place extremely high demands on the stability and reliability of suspension components.

• 2. Excellent Sealing Performance

  Advantage: Flange connections typically feature an O-ring or large flat gasket, which is firmly compressed in the sealing groove by the bolt preload, providing an extremely reliable airtight seal and effectively preventing air leakage.

  Importance: The core function of an air spring is to maintain internal air pressure. Good sealing is essential for proper operation, vehicle height, and suspension performance. The sealing reliability of flange connections is far superior to that of threads alone.

• 3. Strong Load-Bearing Capacity

  Advantage: Due to the large connection area and optimal bolt distribution, flange connections evenly distribute loads across the air spring's end cord layers and the entire structure, making them ideal for heavy-duty applications.

  Comparison: Threaded connections, by contrast, have more concentrated stress points. Under high impact loads, the threads can become stress concentration points.

• 4. Easy Installation and Accurate Positioning

  Advantage: During installation, simply align the air spring, insert the bolts, and tighten to the specified torque. The locating pins or bolt holes on the flange provide excellent positioning, ensuring the air spring is installed at the correct angle and preventing crooked or twisted installation.

  Efficiency: This makes the installation process relatively quick and simple, improving assembly efficiency on the production line and facilitating after-sales maintenance.

• 5. High Durability and Reliability

  Advantage: The metal-to-metal connection and protected seals make flange connections resistant to vibration, shock, and corrosive environments, ensuring a long service life.

  Maintenance: Routine maintenance requires only checking the bolts for signs of loosening, resulting in low maintenance costs.

• 6. Easily integrates complex structures

  Advantage: The flange can be designed in a variety of shapes, facilitating integration of other functions. For example, it can be easily integrated with the linkage mechanism of a height control valve, shock absorber mounts, or other accessories to form a compact suspension module.