FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
GENERAL ABOUT US
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Do you sell off-the-shelf springs?
No, we are a custom or job house and only build to your specifications. If you need off-the-shelf springs, GOOGLE “spring catalog” or “stock springs” and you will find a few good sources.
Do you make prototypes?
Sure do, every day. All we need is a blueprint, sample or spec sheet (and a purchase order).
Do you expedite orders?
We will for a fee, it all hinges around raw material availability and our current work load.
What is Lean Manufacturing, and do you do it?
Lean Manufacturing is a Continuous Improvement Program (CIP) that is essential to manufacturing. It supports Continuous Improvement in processes AND in the elimination of waste. CIP utilizes many tools, including 5S, 5Y, 5M, SDCA – PDCA, & Identifying the 7 deadly waste, Visual Management, SOP, PMM, and Root Cause analysis.
What is ISO, and do you do it?
International Organization for Standardization (ISO) ensures that products and services are safe, reliable, and of good quality. For business, they are strategic tools that reduce costs by minimizing waste and errors, and by increasing productivity. YES, we fully embrace it! We’re proud of our ISO 9001:2015 registration. To maintain our status, we are re-certified every 3 years and audited annually by an accredited certification body.
What types of industry do you serve?
Everything from aerospace to mining and from agriculture to medical. See a sampling of industries and applications.
Do you have any special inventory programs like JIT, Kan-Ban, or Consignment?
Yes! We will be happy to custom build a program around your needs.
What is a Die Spring and when is it used?
Die springs are made out of square, rectangle or keystone wire. They will produce greater force than springs made of round wire. The trade off is that you gain greater force but you lose spring life. Die springs are typically used in areas where space is limited.
What is the development process for wire forms and stampings?
This is something that you should go over personally with one of our engineers. It can be complex and there are some subtle decisions that can make a huge difference it cost.
Do you offer Shot Peen and what does it do?
Yes, we do an assortment of shot peening. This adds or improves spring fatigue life. Technically it is a cold-working process in which the material surface is peened to induce compressive stresses and thereby improve fatigue life. On some designs, shot peening can increase the life of the spring by ten times or more – depending on the design.
What does "take set" mean? And do you do it?
Many springs will not come back to the original height after being compressed. This is called taking set. Yes, we can pre-set your springs, if needed.
What does Stress Relieve mean?
To stress relieve is to subject springs to low-temperature heat treatment so as to relieve residual stresses. Any time steel is formed, it produces certain types of stresses in the formed shape. These stresses are present because the metal is being pulled apart at one surface and pushed together at another. The material is, literally, in an “unrelaxed” state and this can promote early breakage at the form or bend. Stress relieving in an appropriate temperature will relax the steel and make it more cooperative at maintaining the shape into which it has been formed.
Is Heat Treating the same as Stress Relieving?
No, heat treating is not stress relieving. Stress relieving is at a temperature that relaxes the spring but does not change the material structure. Heat treating is used to make the material harder or softer. Different materials have different reactions to heat and a variety of temperatures are needed. For example, stainless steel 17-7 PH must be exposed to a high temperature for an hour after forming to produce its hardness.
Do you grind springs? If so, why?
Grinding is the process of removing the material at the end of the spring. This is usually done on both ends. A spring doesn’t naturally set squarely on a surface, due to the way the ends are closed. Also, springs are often slid over some type of guide or shaft, or inside a bore or cylinder. An unsquare spring will not deflect well if the ends are unground. The squareness of the ends simply means how “perpendicular” the spring is to the surface it rests on. Springs are considerably cheaper without grind, but the grinding adds to the successful function of the spring. Unground ends are not usually an option – nor are they cost effective in the long run.
What types of corrosion preventative options are available?
We have a variety of finishes available both in-house and locally. These include but are not limited to, oil-based and water-based rust preventatives, painting, powder coating, color coding, plating, and coating.
PRODUCTION
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Is there a minimum order quantity?
No, we are a custom job shop. We manufacture to your specifications.
What does it take for me to place an order?
It’s simple. Essentials are company name, contact, address, phone, credit references design (or sample), and a purchase order.
What kind of lead time can I expect?
In today’s market, you can expect 4 – 7 weeks. It all hinges around raw material and our current work load. If needed, we will make every effort to accommodate you.
Why does it take 6 to 7 weeks for you to make a spring order?
Raw material availability varies as does our work load commitment to other customers. We will treat your order with the same respect.
What spring materials are available?
Common spring materials are readily available, as are unique materials. All spring makers buy their raw materials from the same suppliers.
SAMPLES / PROTOTYPES
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Do I have to get and approve samples first?
Absolutely not. We build to your print (or specifications). If it matches the print, you buy it. The only reason to ask for a prototype or sample is to see if the spring will do what you thought it would. Otherwise, samples & prototypes would just add unnecessary cost to your order.
If a sample or prototype is necessary, is there a way to reduce cost?
No, however the bigger the order, the easier it is to absorb it. We will work with you on a case-by-case basis.
Why does it cost so much for a few samples?
There are two major factors that affect sample cost, 1) material, because of possible minimum-buy requirements from our suppliers; and, 2) set-up cost, which is the same whether we build 1 or 100 springs.
DESIGN / QUOTING
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What information do you need to quote a part?
In general, we need a print, EAUs, and the number of parts you want quoted. Click here for an RFQ form.
Can you provide spring design assistance?
Yes. MWS has an engineering department with seasoned engineers ready to assist you. They will gladly answer your questions and make appropriate suggestions on design and material selection. They will likely request that you fill out a spring design sheet to expedite the process.
Do you have design sheets to prompt me for the required information for a quote?
Design sheets are available here under resources/spring guide design or call 800-424-0244 and we will fax you one.
How will a design spec sheet help me?
It will tell you what minimum information is required and provides other details that would be helpful to us.
Do I really need to go to all of that trouble? Can't you just shoot me a ballpark price?
Yes, you do and no, we can’t. There is no “ballpark.” If we guess at what you want, inevitably a costly error or omission will occur.
Can you help me avoid a bad spring design?
Sure, provide us with the necessary information (on our spec sheet) and we will run a stress or fatigue analysis for you. (You will need to request it.)
What are design stresses and what do they mean to me?
Design stress is the force divided by the area over which it acts. It is one of the tools used to determine if a design is safe.
How do I know what design stresses exist on a particular design and the impact on my spring?
Contact our engineering department. We’re happy to help.
How long does it take to get a quote back?
You should see your quote in 3 days or less for routine quotes. Quotes that require hard-to-find materials or outside services could take longer.
How do you assure product consistency from run to run?
We are certified to the ISO 9001:2015 quality standard. We instill appropriate process controls throughout our company, at all levels, and in all divisions. Orders are manufactured with certified material within the appropriate ASTM Standards. And we employ a vigorous continuous improvement program.