Metrol IE is proud to be a part of the Metrol family, the UK’s largest manufacturer of high quality gas springs and specialist motion control components. We are invested and passionate in all of the products we supply, whether through distribution or those we design and manufacture ourselves.
At Metrol Ireland, we aim not only to meet industry standards but surpass them. High standards are paramount to what we do, and consistency in quality is essential in the final, finished product and in every aspect of our operations.
Designed & Manufactured in the UK
Metrol has been designing and manufacturing gas springs since 1984. We have grown to become the largest gas spring supplier and specialist motion technology manufacturers in the UK during this time. In 2020 Metrol joined the Lesjofors Group allowing us to expand our expertise and offering as wire spring suppliers to include an extensive range of products that complement our own range of gas struts and motion control solutions.
Our gas springs are designed and manufactured at our facility in Northampton, UK. Still, we understand and respect that local representation is critical to maintaining high standards and delivering a tailored service for our customers. Having salespeople based in Northern Ireland allows us to offer a personal service and assist with application solutions, logistics, orders and ongoing support.
We supply the UK market directly and export globally through our distribution network from our UK base.
The Importance of Quality Gas Springs
Formed of a cylindrical sealed body and a piston rod that can be pushed inside the body, gas springs are pressure vessels that rely on compressed gas to provide a resistant force to push the inserted rod back to its fully extended position. In order to achieve this functionality, high-pressure nitrogen is used to charge the gas springs.
Because gas springs are stored energy devices, it is crucial that they are designed and manufactured to a high standard, stored and handled safely in accordance with the manufacturer’s guidelines. To preserve the quality of our products after the sale and ensure they are being used correctly, we supply both gas spring user instructions and offer gas spring safety training courses. This allows us to pass on the relevant knowledge and best practices to the customer for safe handling and use.
The Pressure Equipment Directive – PED 2014/68/EU
The Pressure Equipment Directive (PED 2014/68/EU) outlines the standards for designing and manufacturing pressure equipment when the equipment has over 1L in volume and a maximum pressure of more than 0.5 bar gauge. This includes gas springs, and multiple safety requirements (ESRs) must be conformed to for the product to be placed on the market in the UK and the EU.
The PED has a more rigorous set of standards than the sound engineering practice (SEP), the latter being used as the industry standard for pressure equipment under 1L in volume. SEP’s requirements outline that products should be safe and delivered with a user manual, but PED’s requirements are far more specific, setting out several essential safety requirements that must be met.
A summary of these complex requirements:
- Product testing, inclusive of fatigue testing to 2 million cycles
- Materials used must have certain properties
- The Source of steel must be approved within the UK or EU
- Traceability of components back to the original 3.1 mill certificate
- Non-destructive testing of every spring
- Products are designed to meet high safety standards
CE and UK CA Markings
All gas springs above 1L in volume must be permanently marked with a CE or UK CA mark. Gas springs under 1L in volume should not carry the CE or CA UK mark. In short, this means:
- Gas springs that do not carry a CE/CA UK mark have been designed and manufactured to sound engineering practice
- Gas springs that carry a CE/CA UK mark have been designed and manufactured to conform with the requirements of PED
Brexit’s Impact on CE Marking
The CA UK marking was a result of the UK seeking its own system of quality approval following Brexit. The CA UK mark will eventually replace the EU’s CE mark. The CE mark is still acceptable until 1st January 2023, after which point all gas springs intended for the UK market that are required to conform to the PED standard will need to have the CA UK mark.
This change will mean foreign manufacturers will be required to use a notified body to assess the company and the pressure equipment they intend to sell on the UK market to ensure they meet the CA UK standard. Similarly, the reverse applies to UK companies wanting to use the CE mark for exportation to the EU.
Metrol Ireland are gas strut manufacturers approved to apply both the CE and the CA mark to our products, so no matter where you are in the world, you will receive approved gas springs that meet the highest standards.
High-Quality Gas Spring Manufacturing
Metrol is proud to design and manufacture gas springs and other products that conform to the PED and meet the strictest safety standards in the industry. We use the PED as a benchmark over the less thorough sound engineering practice to ensure we meet the highest quality safety standards for gas spring products.
Our ISO9001:2015 quality management system supports our processes to form a comprehensive standard across both design and manufacturing. We have full traceability of every material, process and operation through a digitised system. Our high standards across our entire operation, paired with our drive to continuously improve, are key to our long term success and sustainable growth.