Solid Mechanics Lab (ME218)

Section:- S1
Group:-T5
Testing of Helical Spring

Team members
Name Roll number

Adit Daftary 170100022

Ananga Rana 170100021

Saurabh Parekh 170100016

Amey Gohil 170100019

Objectives:-
● To classify springs based on their Force-Deflection curves and discuss their
properties
● Compute and compare the stiffness constant of a spring using tensile and
compression tests and find the relative errors in the same

Equipment and Tools:- ​Stainless Steel Helical Springs, Galvanised Iron Springs,
Universal testing Machine, Vernier Calliper, Metal Cutting Machine, Plier

Work Contribution:-

Roll Numbers 170100022 170100021 170100016 170100019

Names Adit Miten Ananga Rana Saurabh Amey Bharat

Daftary Parekh Gohil

Leading the 25% 25% 25% 25%

Experiment

Summarising 25% 25% 25% 25%

 Planning 25% 25% 25% 25%

Making the 25% 25% 25% 25%

Observations

Plotting the 25% 25% 25% 25%

graphs

Analysis 25% 25% 25% 25%

Conclusions 25% 25% 25% 25%

Report 25% 25% 25% 25%

Writing

Theory:-
A spring is defined as an elastic body, whose function is to distort when
loaded and to recover its original shape when the load is removed. The helical
springs are made up of a wire coiled in the form of a helix and are primarily intended
for compressive or tensile loads. The cross-section of the wire from which the spring
is made may be circular, square or rectangular. Helical compression springs have
applications to resist applied compression forces or in the push mode, store energy
to provide the "push". Different forms of compression springs are produced. The
helical springs are said to be closely coiled when the spring wire is coiled so close
that the plane containing each turn is nearly at right angles to the axis of the helix
and the wire is subjected to torsion. in other words, in a closely coiled helical spring,
the helix angle is very small, it is usually less than 10 degree. The major stresses
produced in helical springs are shear stresses due to twisting. The load applied is
parallel to or along the axis of the spring. In open coiled helical springs, the spring
wire is coiled in such a way that there is a gap between the two consecutive turns,
as a result of which the helix angle is large.

1) Identification of Hard and Soft Springs​-

In this experiment we have 4 springs of 2 different materials namely ​Stainless
Steel​ and ​Galvanised Iron​. We proceed to compress each spring individually
 using the ​Universal testing Machine​ with a compression speed of
10mm/min​. As we see in the figure below, the hard springs have a greater
spring stiffness (​F/ ) as compared to the soft springs and thus based on the
data obtained using UTM, we can easily classify the springs as hard and soft.

2) ​Comparison of Stiffness Constant in Tensile and Compressive test​-

In this experiment, we perform tensile and compressive tests on the two
similar springs in order to compare the experimental stiffness constant we
obtain. The springs used are of Galvanised Iron material. In ideal cases we
have ​k​=(​F/ ) and thus for the same compressive and tensile force, we should
obtain exactly same displacements, but in reality they aren’t the same. One
should know the stiffness constants for tensile and compressive operations to
avoid errors.

Procedure:-
1) Measure the diameter of the spring wire using vernier callipers.
2) Place the spring in proper position in UTM machine.
 3) Apply compressive load at a certain interval and record the corresponding
displacement from the load cell display.
4) Continue applying load upto the point when the pitch of spring is nearly zero.
5) Unload the spring and mount it in the UTM for tensile loading using
appropriate mounting apparatus.
6) Apply tensile loading until the spring setup fails.

Graphs:-
1) Material- ​Stainless Steel 304
Spring 1:-
● Initial Length= 45.7mm
● Final length= 23.2mm
● Inner Diameter= 12.5mm
● Slope= ​6.9 N/mm

The subsequent picture has been zoomed in on the linear portion of the graph
Spring 2:-
● Initial Length= 36.1mm
● Final Length= 19.1mm
● Internal Diameter= 7.7mm
● Slope= ​1.2N/mm
The subsequent picture has been zoomed in on the linear portion of the graph

2) ​Material- ​Galvanised Iron

Spring 1:-
● Initial Length= 90.1mm
● Final Length= 52.6mm
● Internal Diameter= 16mm
● Slope= ​4.2N/mm

Spring 2:-
Compression Test
● Initial Length= 42.4mm
● Final Length= 27.1mm
● Internal Diameter= 10.2mm
● Slope= ​2.6N/mm

Tension Test
● Initial Length= 50mm
● Final Length= 234mm
● Internal Diameter= 10.2mm
● Slope= ​1.4483N/mm
Observations:-
1) With increasing displacement, the force required for a unit change in length
was increasing, which means the stiffness ratio doesn’t remain constant
throughout the process of deformation. This increase is very sharp when the
springs are in compression and represents the point where the pitch of the
spring becomes almost 0 and it starts behaving as a cylinder.
2) Slope of graph of springs with smaller coil diameter and/or larger diameter of
wire is more than that of springs with larger coil diameter and/or lower
diameter of wire.
3) Springs have a very high compliance value as compared to solid metal
bodies(around 0.1mm/N). Hence machine compliance(0.0000323) can be
ignored.
4) The spring having a diameter of 10.2mm has a higher spring constant in
compression than in tension.
5) The following is the picture of the springs post compression test.

In this picture, soft spring is 3rd from the left and it did not regain its original
length after unloading.
6) The following is the picture of the spring before tensile test.

7) The following are the pictures of the spring post tensile test
Results and Conclusions:-
1) Springs with larger coil diameter and/or smaller wire diameter are easily
compressed and hence are classified as soft spring. However, sprigs with
smaller coil diameter and/or larger wire diameter are relatively difficult to
compress and hence are classified as hard springs.
2) This distinction is important while selecting springs for the suspension system
of a vehicle. Softer springs are more effective in maintaining contact with the
ground and are hence preferred for off road vehicles. Race cars generally
have stiffer suspension springs as they want to maintain their suspension
geometry and want to minimize suspension travel due to their low ground
clearance.
3) The stiffness constant for the spring in compressive and tensile test came out
to be different with it being more for the compressive test.
4) Under compression, the springs follow Hooke’s law for a larger range of
extension whereas in the tensile test the springs follow Hooke’s law only for
the initial forces and become nonlinear afterwards.
Sources of Error:-

1) The spring stiffness constant may vary due to any temperature changes in the
environment which may lead to thermal stresses induced in the spring.
2) Presence of residual stresses in the springs may lead to errors in measuring
exact spring stiffness constant.
3) The spring tends to slip from the fixtures in the tensile test thus leading to a
sharp drop in force readings at that point.
4) During compression the spring may not lie perpendicular to the UTM base as
the spring does not have a flat surface to rest on. Hence the spring bends
during the compression test.