One of the daily challenges for springmakers/coilers is the adjustment needed to yield nominal rate. As all spring manufacturers know, the only bill of material for a spring is the material used to make the part. That very material has a list of properties that vary...
In the article titled “Rate Formula – For Those With Calipers,” I gave the example of the math needed to determine the rate of a submitted spring sample. With a few physical dimensions, we were able to calculate the rate. Our example had the following dimensions: d...
Many times, I have received samples instead of a blueprint for quoting purposes. It is common to slip out to the QA department and have the spring tested for rate. However, there is another way to calculate the spring rate if you have a set of dial calipers handy....
There are many concepts that require understanding to be successful in Engineering. As with any discipline, there are many axioms that are privy to a given field, such as spring design. One of the most misunderstood of those principles is the easy math behind...
A compression spring is defined as a mechanical device that produces a force when deflected and returns to its original height, ready to deliver the next repeat stroke and associated force. To accomplish this feat, the spring must produce a spring rate—a given amount...
Of all the things engineers solve in their careers, the most challenging is material fatigue and breakage. No matter what product a customer markets or the level of sophistication and imagination echoing through their halls, the question is the same … “why did the...
When I started working in the spring industry, most of my exposure was with round wire. Round cross-section tends to behave more predictably than other wire shapes. When I started in Engineering, I had to face all different scenarios. One of the more interesting...
Both compression and extension springs have straight-forward calculations. In both cases, the springs are either being pushed or pulled and typically respond with forces that are predictable. Not a whole lot of surprises under conventional deflection practices. But...
Spring design is a diverse career due to the nearly limitless possibilities of helical spring requirements. One customer may want a spring made from .011" music wire that requires force in ounces or grams, while another assembles a dump truck and needs a suspension...