Gas spring ALKO 280003 500N

The lifespan of a gas spring can vary significantly depending on several factors. Generally, high-quality gas springs used under normal conditions can be loaded approximately 40,000 times. Thus, a frequently used gas spring for a kitchen cabinet will last an average of 4 to 5 years.

However, if the gas spring is used in high-temperature environments or frequently exposed to chemical products, corrosion, or excessive load, this will negatively impact its lifespan.

Regular maintenance of the gas spring, such as removing dirt and lubricating moving parts, can help extend its lifespan. Be sure to regularly inspect the gas spring for signs of wear or damage so that it can be replaced in a timely manner. This will help you avoid potential safety risks.

For example, if you have a hatch with gas springs on both sides, we recommend replacing both gas springs simultaneously. With proper installation, both gas springs will wear evenly, and their lifespan will be approximately the same.

We distinguish between three types of gas springs

What is a gas compression spring?

A gas compression spring is the most common type of gas spring and most usually referred to as just a gas spring. When the piston rod is compressed, the piston is pushed towards the gas, compressing it. This results in a buildup of pressure which in turn exerts force back on the piston. It is this principle of compression and pushing back that provides a smooth, controlled movement. Gas compression springs are commonly found in the automotive industry, furniture, and numerous industrial applications where smooth and controlled motion is desired.

What is a gas traction spring?

Gas traction springs work on a similar principle to gas compression springs. As the name suggests, gas traction springs are designed to generate a pulling force instead of a pushing force. When the external force is removed, the internal pressure in a gas traction spring ensures that the piston rod is pulled into the cylinder. This provides a smooth and controlled closing effect for things like doors and hatches.

What is a lockable gas spring?

As the name implies, lockable or adjustable gas springs contain a mechanism that allows the piston rod to be locked in a desired position. This is achieved by controlling the gas flow within the cylinder with a locking valve. Lockable gas springs are often found in operating tables and adjustable chairs such as office chairs and dental chairs.

For gas springs, it is important that, when the flap is closed, the cylinder is positioned higher than the piston rod. This ensures that the oil provides the necessary lubrication. The cylinder is the thicker, sealed tube that contains the nitrogen gas, and the piston rod is the thinner part that moves within the cylinder.

The gas spring should be installed in the extended position. It is advisable to ask for assistance so that someone can hold the moving part of the application, such as a cabinet door, in place while the other person installs the gas spring. Another option is to support or prop up the moving part.

If the gas spring is slightly longer than the mounting distance, check if the flap can be opened a bit further to increase the distance between the mounting points. However, it is better and simpler to ensure that your new gas spring has the same length as the installation distance.

On first use, it is recommended to slowly compress and release the piston rod to promote lubrication of the gas spring components.

Avoid manually compressing gas springs with a force greater than 150 Newtons. Due to the significant force required, you risk injuring yourself or damaging the gas spring.

The easiest way is to enter the unique reference listed on your old gas spring into our gas spring finder. This way, we immediately know which gas spring it is.

If you cannot find a reference on your gas spring or only have a partial reference, you can identify your gas spring by measuring the required force and the correct dimensions. With this data, you can filter through 50,000 gas springs to find your ideal gas spring.

Also, keep in mind that many existing gas spring references have identical alternatives available. You can find these at the bottom of the product page for your specific gas spring.

If you still cannot find a suitable gas spring after filtering, you can use your measurements to order a custom gas spring.

You cannot repair a gas spring yourself. Gas springs contain nitrogen gas under high pressure to support the piston rod. If the gas spring is opened while under pressure, the gas can escape at considerable speed, causing the piston rod or cylinder to be catapulted away, potentially resulting in injuries such as bruises and fractures or damage to your surroundings.

Gas springs with a force up to 150N can, in principle, be compressed manually quite easily. However, we strongly advise against doing this. If significant force is needed to compress the gas spring manually, you risk bending the piston rod due to the twisting force.

Yes, for several items with an order button, you can order directly and pay online securely.

For other items, you can request a quote. To do this, place the product in the shopping cart, which will then be sent to us as a price request. Once we send you the quote, you can decide whether or not to place an order.

At the top of our website, you will find a search field where you can find your product using keywords.

Through our top navigation, you can also click through to a product category and then visually find your product via photo or filter by the features of your product. You can then click on the item to see a product sheet with all the details. On the detail page, you can click through to place an order.

Are you looking for a gas spring and have the reference? Enter it in the search field at the top or use the gas spring finder. If there is an exact match, a label with "exact match" will be displayed in the search result.

For most gas springs and other items, you can immediately see the price and order and pay online. For items without a price, you can only request a quote. We try to send you a quote within 48 hours. We are working daily on the website to ensure that you can see a price for every item. However, this process takes a lot of time because we have around 50,000 items in our range. We apologize for the inconvenience.

For many gas springs, we have price lists that allow us to show you the price of the gas spring immediately on our website. However, there are many thousands of types of gas springs, and if you request a price for a less common gas spring, we need to contact the manufacturer ourselves for the price and availability of the specific gas spring. 

Some manufacturers respond very quickly, while with others, we also need to be quite patient. Normally, you will receive your quote within 2 to 4 working days, but when we need to wait for the necessary information from the manufacturer, it can take up to 1 week before we can inform you. If you have not heard from us after a week, something may have gone wrong, so please do not hesitate to contact us again.

If the order value of your purchase is higher than €1000, you can request a quote from us. Of course, you can also do this for items whose price you cannot find on our webshop. If you place a quote request via email and the value of your order is less than €1000, unfortunately, you will not receive a better price from us. The fastest and easiest way to request a quote is through our webshop.

Shopping Cart

Place the items you wish to order in the shopping cart. If the order value is higher than €1000, you will have the option to click on "request a quote." You can consult your shopping cart at any time by clicking on the shopping cart icon at the top right of the website. Here you can review and possibly modify your quote request before proceeding.

Fill out information

Fill in the requested information. Fields marked with an asterisk * are mandatory.

Confirmation

When you click on "Request a Quote," you will see a screen confirming that the request has been successfully sent. You will also receive an automatically generated email with an overview of the goods for which you requested a quote. If you do not receive this email, we recommend checking if it has accidentally ended up in your spam folder (junk mail). This email does not yet contain any prices.

Quote

You will receive the personalized quote with prices once we have processed your request, which can take 2 to 4 working days, depending on the manufacturer.

You can submit a quote request or an order in different ways.

On our website, you can request a quote for items without a price. You can also request a quote for a shopping cart exceeding €500. A large number of gas springs and a few other items can be ordered directly and paid for securely. This is the fastest and easiest way for both you and us because we then have all your information immediately. For orders placed via the webshop, the payment is also completed directly (unless you choose to pay by bank transfer).

We try to respond to you within 48 hours on working days. For both quote requests and orders placed via the webshop, you will receive an automatically generated email with an overview of your order or request. For a quote request, we usually send you a personalized quote by email within 2 to 4 working days.

For an order placed via bank transfer on the webshop, an order confirmation follows with the details to pay for the items in advance. If the item is in stock and the payment is completed, you will receive an email with the track & trace number to follow your package.

We ask for the minimum amount of information necessary to serve you properly. We understand that privacy is very important, and this information is therefore not shared with third parties. More information can be found in the disclaimer.

Yes, both private individuals and businesses are welcome to come to us. However, please note that if the total amount of the selected products is less than €25, a "small order surcharge" will be automatically applied until you reach an amount of €25. This surcharge will be automatically removed once you reach the minimum threshold of €25.

Of course! New customers are required to pay in advance for their first order. Existing customers who regularly order goods from Hinscha can request to pay on invoice. In that case, your creditworthiness will be checked, and a payment term will be agreed upon. Feel free to contact us for more information or to place an order.

Hinscha offers different kinds of payment methods. We use Mollie as our trusted payment provider. The following payment methods can  be used:

Direct payments through Visa / Carte Bleue, Mastercard, Bancontact / Mister Cash, iDeal, Sofort, and Giropay are processed in a highly secure environment. For this, we collaborate with Mollie Payments, specialists in online payments. If you prefer, you can also pay by means of a classic bank transfer.

Is there a reason you can't complete the payment immediately? For example, you might not have payment authorization at your company or you might not have a card reader available. Do you have one of these or another issue? Don't worry, we want to assist everyone. Contact us to place your order or select the 'bank transfer' option in step 2 of the checkout process so you can pay after receiving your order confirmation.

New customers are required to pay in advance for their first order. Existing customers who regularly order goods from Hinscha can request to pay on invoice. In that case, your creditworthiness will be checked, and a payment term will be agreed upon. Feel free to contact us for more information.

Since the introduction of new EU/UK legislation following Brexit, specific customs rules apply to orders shipped from the EU to the United Kingdom. As a result, the minimum order value for UK-bound orders on our webshop is €175.

The product prices on our webshop are displayed by default excluding VAT. 

When you are logged in to your account, the correct VAT (if applicable) is automatically shown based on your details (destination country and your profile (business/individual)). 

For those shopping as a guest, we can only calculate the VAT amount as an estimate. Therefore, as a guest, you will always see an indicative 21% VAT. Once you select a delivery country other than Belgium in the shopping cart or during checkout, VAT will be calculated based on the destination. 

Finally, when you confirm your profile (business/individual) at checkout, the VAT amount will be definitively calculated. For businesses, a VAT exemption applies under Article 39bis for intra-Community deliveries (deliveries from Belgium to another EU country).

When you are logged in to your account, the shipping costs are automatically calculated according to your destination country. 

For those shopping as a guest, the indicative minimum shipping costs for domestic shipments to Belgium are shown. Once you select the delivery country in the shopping cart or during checkout, the correct shipping cost is calculated based on the destination, weight, and dimensions of your order.