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30.08.2006 - Hofer supplies diaphragm compressors to the world's largest manufacturer of airbag systems

Guaranteed gas purity at point of use with uninterrupted availability of 1,000 bar - this is what the customer required of the gas supply for the manufacture of his airbag inflators.

Hofer were able to convince the customer with their solutions. A type MKZ diaphragm compressor now reliably supplies the production process with a gas mixture of 90% helium and 10% argon, which is filled into small, pressurised containers (airbag inflators).

Diaphragm Compressor Model MKZ, 1000 bar

In the event of an impact, it is gases under pressure of 600 to 1,000 bar that inflate the airbag into a life-saving cushion when, in the normal surrounding air, they expand to many times their volume in a fraction of a second. To occasion this, in the event of an impact a propellant charge breaks through a metal diaphragm that closes one end of the capsule in which the gas mixture is held, thus releasing the highly-pressurised gas.

The filling of the inflators is an absolutely high-tech application, for which the purity of the gases, the purity of the surrounding air and the pressure constitute the defining factors. If the capsules contain only a few gas molecules too many or too few, they are discarded to eliminate the possibility of a malfunction. It is therefore necessary to be able to analyse the surrounding air for signs of possible escaped gas. An absolutely leak-free compressor is essential to this. It must also be possible to categorically preclude contamination of the gas from outside. Hofer diaphragm compressors fulfil these high requirements. They guarantee absolute airtightness and make gas available at consistent quality and consistently high pressure.

Type MKZ diaphragm compressors are also deployed both in high pressure laboratories and in the air and space travel industries, i.e. everywhere that the highest pressure ratings, the highest purity of gases and freedom from leakage are required.

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