ACE’s Industrial Gas Springs for gentle Movement

Designing a new type of medical care and stand-up wheelchair for people with limited mobility, such as people in rehab, requires the finest coordination of all medical and technical components. In this case, Paravan GmbH succeeded in bringing a study to market maturity within two years. They've been supported by Nold Hydraulik + Pneumatik GmbH with the help of ACE’s industrial gas springs.

Paravan GmbH is a leader in the market for individually adapted vehicles for the disabled. The success of the company from Pfronstetten-Aichelau near Reutlingen is based on the vision of its founder Roland Arnold to give people with handicaps their mobility and joy of life back. Driven by social commitment and Swabian diligence, Paravan provides holistic solutions, even for people with severe disabilities such as tetraplegia, progressive neuromuscular diseases or dyslepsy, to be able to participate in road traffic again. "Paravan is inventor, developer and manufacturer at the same time. The solutions are characterised by German workmanship from a single source, from the software to the electronics to the mechanical engineering," explains marketing manager Alexander Nerz.

This is about the holistic approach of offering everything from a single source: Using the Paravan cassette lift or the underfloor ramp, drivers can drive their wheelchairs right up to the steering wheel. The specially developed docking station connects it firmly to the car. Via the multi-redundant drive-by-wire system 'Space Drive', the control of the car, i.e. the operation of steering, accelerator and brake, can be individually adjusted.

Whether it's adapted electronic steering and driving aids, power wheelchairs or vehicle conversions, Paravan's goal is always to achieve the maximum possible mobility for customers. Advice from internationally recognised experts, specially trained driving instructors and a mobility centre where interested parties can test all products in practice complete the programme. Just as the team from Swabia cooperates on the technical side with renowned doctors, patients and therapists, they also fall back on competent support in the selection of technical components, as the following application shows.

Successful partnership for even smoother speed control

In order to meet the objective of maximum mobility and greater enjoyment of life for patients, and because during the 24-month development and production phase of the innovative PR Biolution medical care and stand-up wheelchair, the missing pieces of the puzzle were added piece by piece and existing components were continuously improved, the Paravan development team was in close contact with Nold Hydraulik + Pneumatik GmbH. The company, headquartered in Bad Waldsee, is part of the pool of suppliers and distributes the solutions of well-known manufacturers in the areas of hydraulic, pneumatic, compressed air and electromechanical components.

"The PR Biolution stand-up wheelchair is an absolute novelty in its design and precision. The latest findings in mechanics, mechatronics, neuro- and geriatric rehabilitation as well as the latest medical knowledge have been incorporated into the development and production. Therefore, the aim of the aid, which was developed according to strict medical-technical guidelines, was also to be unique in terms of stability and safety," explains Stefan Ludwig, Head of Wheelchair Systems.

The task to be solved jointly by the team was to regulate the running and acceleration forces of the electric motor in the PR Biolution standing wheelchair. In particular, the automated and pre-programmed movement sequences, which are precisely coordinated with the persons treating each patient, had to be as smoothly gliding and thus as pleasant as technically possible. Even the smallest jerky movements are to be avoided, for example with rehabilitation patients, as they are often particularly sensitive to pain and react sensitively to stretching or compression of joints or muscle parts.

After determining all the design data, the partners then selected industrial gas springs push type for the desired support of the lift motor. In the headquarters in Bad Waldsee, as well as in the Riederich branch of Nold Hydraulik + Pneumatik GmbH, which supports Paravan GmbH not only in this case, the solutions of ACE Stoßdämpfer GmbH are trusted in the area of speed regulation, because their gas springs push and pull type are characterised by high functionality and long service life. On the other hand, they can be used to achieve customisable strokes and extension forces thanks to the integrated valve technology. Last but not least, just like the PR Biolution medical care and stand-up wheelchair, these components are customised solutions made in Germany.

Normally, industrial gas springs are always used when it comes to supporting the manual force when opening flaps and bonnets. Thus, the high-quality solutions of the Langenfeld-based company ACE, which has been part of the Stabilus Group since 2016, are able to provide perfect support for the human musculature with forces of 10 N to 13,000 N with body diameters of 8 mm to 70 mm. In this specific case, models of the type GS-28-150-AA-2500 were installed, which means that with a cylinder diameter of 28 mm and a stroke of 150 mm, a maximum of 2,500 N is available as extension force. These values prove to be ideal in the practice of the PR Biolution stand-up wheelchair.

For Paravan GmbH, Stefan Ludwig draws this conclusion: "The use of industrial gas springs from Nold provides power support for the motor, which thus supports and ensures stable running and reliable supply of the lifting force. The goal of our engineers to realise a standing wheelchair that can be closely adapted to the needs and clinical pictures of each patient could also be achieved thanks to the integration of this component."

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