氮氣彈簧是一種具有彈性功能的部件，它將高壓氮氣密封在確定的容器內，外力通過柱桿將氮氣壓縮，當外力去除時，靠高壓氮氣膨脹，來獲得一定的彈壓力，這種部件稱為氮氣缸或稱氣彈簧，或稱氮氣缸彈壓裝置，簡稱氮氣彈簧。目前常規彈性元件是彈簧、橡皮和氣墊，這些彈性元件在工業領域中得到了廣泛的應用，解決了各種彈性儲能的需要，發揮著其應有的作用。
在模具工業中，一直大量使用著彈性元件。這些年來，模具技術和模具制造水平有了很大的發展和提高，工業產品對模具的需求量越來越大，模具朝著精密、復雜、高效、長壽命的方向迅速發展，而原有的常規彈性元件存在著一定的缺點，不能滿足這種形勢的需要，不能理想地解決沖壓工藝的要求，往往影響沖壓件質量，使模具結構設計變得比較復雜，影響模具在壓力機上更換的時間；同時常規彈性元件占有的模具空間太大，增大了模具制造的成本。例如彈簧、橡皮均存在著需要預緊，才能達到設計所需求的彈壓力，而它們的彈壓力又是隨行程加大而明顯地增大，這種彈壓力不恒定的性能，可能導致零件不能成形，對拉延壓邊是很不理想的。對于復雜的拉延成形零件，這個矛盾顯得特別突出，有時只好采用增加工序的辦法來解決這類問題。再如彈簧、橡皮的起始力都不大，這一點對要求起始力比較大的彎曲、翻邊等工藝，也不理想。由此產生的結果是，沖壓制件的質量不穩定，調整模具費時費力。對于密集型沖頭的沖裁工藝，如采用彈簧或橡皮卸料，往往會遇到模具的卸料空間不夠安放彈簧或橡皮，因而需要加大模具空間來解決這類問題。當前沖壓設計人員只能采用氣墊來部分彌補這些不足。但是采用壓力機氣墊時，模具的設計、調整、使用都不很方便；由于氣壓的波動和管道節流損失，氣墊所提供的力量也不是很準確；它所占有的空間比較大；需要配備專用的壓縮空氣站，況且并非所有的壓力機均配有氣墊。在使用氣墊時，模具設計均要受氣墊頂桿位置的限制，模具安裝調試也不方便。
為此，人們努力開發一種新型的彈性功能部件來替代常規的彈性元件，這種新型彈性元件具有更加完善的性能，能代替常規彈性元件，完成常規彈性元件難于完成的工作，具有常規彈性元件所不具備的性能，能代替常規彈性元件，完成常規彈性元件難于完成的工作，具有常規彈性元件所不具備的性能，氮氣彈簧做為新型彈性功能部件也應運而生。它能夠補上述不足，簡化模具設計、制造，方便模具調整；它可以作為獨立部件，安裝在模具中使用，也可以設計成一種氮氣彈簧系統，作為模具的一部分參加工作，可以在系統中很方便實現彈壓力恒定和延時動作，是一種具有柔性能的彈性部件。氮氣彈簧不僅可以在模具行業中廣泛地應用，也可以應用到其他工業領域，如汽車、電子、儀表等行業。由此看來，氮氣彈簧的用途相當廣泛，它的出現迎合了時代的要求，滿足了工業發展的需要，顯然，這項技術的發展如今正是方興未艾。

中譯英：
Nitrogen gas spring is an elastic function component, it will determine the high-pressure nitrogen gas sealed in container, external force through a column rod nitrogen compressor, when the external force is removed, by high-pressure nitrogen expansion, to obtain a certain elastic pressure, this part is named as a nitrogen cylinder or a gas spring, or nitrogen cylinder press device, referred to as nitrogen spring. Current conventional elastic element is spring, rubber and air cushion, the elastic element in industrial fields, to solve a variety of elastic energy storage needs, playing its due role.
In die mold industry, has a large number of use of elastic element. These years, mold and die manufacturing technology level has been greatly improved and the development of industrial products, mold growing demand, mold towards precision, complex, high performance, long-life direction of rapid development, and the original conventional elastic elements exist certain shortcomings, can not meet the need of this kind of situation, not an ideal solution, stamping process requirements, often affecting the quality of stamping parts, the mold structural design becomes more complex, effect of mold in the press on replacement of the time; at the same time the conventional elastic element holds the mold space is too large, increasing the mold manufacturing cost. For example, there are needs of rubber spring preload, to reach the design demand of the spring pressure, and they play with stroke and pressure is increased remarkably increased, the elastic pressure constant performance, may lead to parts not forming in drawing, crimping is not ideal. For complex stamping parts, this contradiction is particularly prominent, sometimes had to use increases the process approach to solve this kind of problem. Another spring, rubber initial force is not large, for the requirements of initial force relatively large bending, flanging process, is not ideal. As a result, stamping parts quality is not stable, adjust the mold is time-consuming and laborious. For intensive punch blanking process, such as the use of a spring or rubber discharging, often encounter the mold unloading space not placing a spring or rubber, consequently need increases the mold space to solve this kind of problem. The current stamping design staff can only partially compensate for these deficiencies by air. But the use of air cushion of press, mold design, adjust, use is very convenient; because of pressure fluctuation and throttle loss, air provided by the strength is not very accurate; it occupies a larger space; need to be equipped with special air compression station, and not all presses are equipped with air cushion. In the use of air cushion, mold design are subject to the air-cushion eject-rod location restrictions, mold installation is inconvenient.
Therefore, people develop a new elastic functional components to replace conventional elastic element, the elastic element has a more perfect performance, can replace conventional elastic elements, complete conventional elastic elements to complete the work, with conventional elastic elements do not have the performance, can replace conventional elastic elements, to complete the conventional elastic element it is difficult to complete the work, with conventional elastic element does not possess properties, nitrogen spring as the elastic components also emerge as the times require. It can make up the shortage, simplifying the mold design, mold manufacturing, convenient adjustment; it can be used as an independent component, mounted on the die in use, can be designed into a nitrogen system, as a portion of the mold to participate in the work, the system can easily play the constant pressure and delay action, is one kind has flexible properties of elastic components. Nitrogen gas spring can not only in the mould industry is widely used, but also can be applied to other industries, such as automobile, electronics, instrumentation and other industries. In view of this, the nitrogen spring use is quite extensive, it caters to the requirement of the times, meet the need of industrial development, obviously, the development of this technology are now be just unfolding.
(圖/文http://www.yaohua-power.com/)