Design Tips

Here are some important considerations to bear in mind when designing a spring.

There are many factors which enter into the design of a spring and we would be happy to discuss these with you. The correct choice of materials and dimensions will serve to provide a superior spring for your particular application and could result in a more cost effective product.

These are some of the most critical areas which affect the performance of a spring:

• Operating conditions: what are the conditions the spring will be operating in? Hot, cold, water, other corrosives?
• Longevity: How long is the spring expected to function and maintain its load characteristics?
• Force: Is the a specific load requirement for your spring and is what is the deflection expected? How far will the spring travel?
• Space: What space constraints do you have for the spring to operate in, if any? Is there sufficient room to allow the spring to function efficiently without causing undue stress which could result in premature failure?

What design tolerance do you need to be aware of?

Tolerances on the dimensions of a spring are a critical design criteria. It is vital that any physical constraints that will affect your spring be addressed at the outset. This could be fitting into a bore or over a shaft, etc. Because of the variations allowed in both the size and mechanical properties of spring materials, the standard tolerance box of machined dimensions often found on drawings will not apply. We would be pleased to work with you to determine what is important for your application.

For a more in-depth understanding of the spring design process, check out this technical article .