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Terminology of Helical Spring

Helical springs are coils of wire that compress or extend under an applied force. The main dimensions include the wire diameter, inside diameter, outside diameter, and mean coil diameter. The spring index is the ratio of the mean coil diameter to the wire diameter and indicates the sharpness of the coil curvature. An ideal spring index is between 4 and 12 for manufacturing considerations. The free length is the unloaded length, compressed length is when under maximum force, and solid length is when coils touch. Stiffness is defined as the force required to produce a unit of deflection.

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1K views4 pages

Terminology of Helical Spring

Helical springs are coils of wire that compress or extend under an applied force. The main dimensions include the wire diameter, inside diameter, outside diameter, and mean coil diameter. The spring index is the ratio of the mean coil diameter to the wire diameter and indicates the sharpness of the coil curvature. An ideal spring index is between 4 and 12 for manufacturing considerations. The free length is the unloaded length, compressed length is when under maximum force, and solid length is when coils touch. Stiffness is defined as the force required to produce a unit of deflection.

Uploaded by

sandeep c s
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© © All Rights Reserved
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HELICAL SPRING

Definition
It is made of wire coiled in the form of helix having circular, square or rectangular cross
section.

Terminology of helical spring

The main dimensions of a helical spring subjected to compressive force are shown in the
figure.
They are as follows:
d = wire diameter of spring (mm)
Di = inside diameter of spring coil (mm)
Do =outside diameter of spring coil (mm)
D = mean coil diameter (mm)
Therefore,
Di D 0
D=
2
There is an important parameter in spring design called spring index. It is denoted by letter C.
The spring index is defined as the ratio of mean coil diameter to wire diameter. Or
C = D/d
In design of helical springs, the designer should use good judgment in assuming the value of
the spring index C. The spring index indicates the relative sharpness of the curvature of the
coil.
A low spring index means high sharpness of curvature. When the spring index is low (C < 3),
the actual stresses in the wire are excessive due to curvature effect. Such a spring is difficult
to manufacture and special care in coiling is required to avoid cracking in some wires. When
the spring index is high (C >15), it results in large variation in coil diameter. Such a spring is
prone to buckling and also tangles easily during handling. Spring index from 4 to 12 is
considered better from manufacturing considerations. Therefore, in practical applications, the
spring index in the range of 6 to 9 is still preferred particularly for close tolerance springs and
those subjected to cyclic loading. There are three terms - free length, compressed length and
solid length that are illustrated in the figure. These terms are related to helical compression
spring. These lengths are determined by following way,
Solid length: solid length is defined as the axial length of the spring which is so compressed,
that the adjacent coils touch each other. In this case, the spring is completely compressed and
no further compression is possible. The solid length is given by. Solid length = Nt d Where,
Nt = total number of coils

Compressed length: Compressed length is defined as the axial length of the spring that is
subjected to maximum compressive force. In this case, the spring is subjected to maximum
deflection _. When the spring is subjected to maximum force, there should be some gap or
clearance between the adjacent coils. The gap is essential to prevent clashing of the coils. The
clashing allowance or the total axial gap is usually taken as 15% of the maximum deflection.
Sometimes, an arbitrary decision is taken and it is assumed that there is a gap of 1 or 2 mm
between adjacent coils under maximum load condition. In this case, the total axial gap is
given by,
Total gap = (Nt-1) x gap between adjacent coils

Free length: Free length is defined as the axial length of an unloaded helical compression
spring. In this case, no external force acts on the spring. Free length is an important
dimension in spring design and manufacture. It is the length of the spring in free condition
prior to assembly. Free length is given by,
Free length = compressed length + y
= solid length + total axial gap + y
The pitch of the coil is defined as the axial distance between adjacent coils in uncompressed
state of spring. It is denoted by p. It is given by,

free length
p=
N t 1

The stiffness of the spring (k) is defined as the force required producing unit deflection
Therefore,

p
k=

Where k= stiffness of the spring (N/mm)


F = axial spring force (N)
Y or = axial deflection of the spring corresponding to force p (mm)
There are various names for stiffness of spring such as rate of spring, gradient of spring, scale
of spring or simply spring constant. The stiffness of spring represents the slope of load
deflection line. There are two terms are related to the spring coils, viz. active coils and
inactive coils. Active coils are the coils in the spring, which contribute to spring action,
support the external force and deflect under the action of force. A portion of the end coils,
which is in contact with the seat, does not contribute to spring action and called inactive coils.
These coils do not support the load and do not deflect under the action o external force. The
number of inactive coils is given by,
Inactive coils = Nt N where N = number of active coils
Symbols Used In Helical Spring
lo = free length of spring
d = Diameter of spring wire
D = Mean diameter of coil
Do = Outer diameter of coil
Di = Inner diameter of coil
p = Pitch
i = Number of active coils
i = Total number of coils
F = load on the spring or Axial force
_ = Permissible stress or design shear stress
y = Deflection
G = Modulus of Rigidity
c = Spring index
k = Curvature factor or Wahl's stress factor
Ko or Fo =Stiffness of spring or Rate of spring
a = Clearance, 25% of maximum deflection.
ty = Torsional yield shear strength (stress)
F.O.S = Factor of safety
F1 = Minimum load
F2 = Maximum load
Y2 = Maximum deflection
Y = Deflection for the load range
n = Number of additional coils
g = Acceleration due to gravity
V = Volume
m = Mass of the spring
= Mass density of the spring
y1 = Initial deflection or initial compression

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