Collection:Shock Absorber Clamping Flanges

Clamping flanges mount a pneumatic shock absorber onto a panel, bracket, or machine frame. Side-mount flanges grip the absorber body radially; axial flanges support it face-on through a bored hole. Both styles fix the absorber square to the impact path.

Types of clamping flange

Two distinct mounting styles cover most installations:

• Side-mount flanges wrap the absorber body and clamp it with one or two screws. Mounting depth is adjustable by sliding the absorber through the clamp before tightening, so the same flange suits a range of installation heights. They suit applications where the bracket runs parallel to the absorber and where the absorber must be replaceable without unbolting the bracket.
• Axial flanges bolt to the bracket through clearance holes and accept the absorber body from one side. They carry the impact reaction load through a broad face rather than a radial clamp, which makes them the typical choice for higher-energy industrial absorbers where the reaction load is significant.

Materials

Match the flange material to the absorber size and the environment:

• Steel galvanised: the standard for small and medium absorbers in clean industrial environments. Strong, inexpensive, and the zinc layer is enough for indoor and most factory floor conditions.
• Aluminium alloy, anodised: lighter than steel and a visual match on aluminium framing. Suits absorbers carrying moderate impact energy and applications where weight matters.
• Stainless steel: for wet, washdown, or food-contact lines where galvanised steel would corrode at the threads.

When not to use a clamping flange

Side-mount flanges hold the absorber by gripping its body radially, so they are the wrong choice for the most energetic industrial impacts: under repeated heavy hits the clamping screw can creep and let the absorber walk along its mounting line. An axial flange or a back-end locking nut takes the load through the body face rather than the body wall and avoids that creep.

Side-mount or axial: which is easier to service?

Side-mount is easier when the absorber sits behind a sealed enclosure, because the absorber slides in and out of the clamp without unbolting the flange. Axial mounting requires unbolting the flange to remove the absorber but locks the absorber position once tightened, which is what high-cycle lines usually want.

Can a clamping flange replace a locking nut?

An axial clamping flange can: it holds the absorber against its rear shoulder, the same way a locking nut would. A side-mount flange cannot replace a locking nut, because its clamping force is radial; on a high-energy hit the absorber can creep along the clamping line even if the screw is fully tightened.