9/11/24, 10:04 PM Spring Design
Research
Publications Basics - materials
Software
The objective of the spring is to store then to restore energy. One can thus quickly think that the more one material could be stressed before
becoming deformed plastically, the more it will be ready to be used for the manufacture of a spring. There exists of course other criteria which
(-) Basics
must be taken into account.
Basic definitions The majority of the springs are made out of steel. Here are three types of the most used steels :
History
1) Non-alloy steel, cold drawn, patented (Pr EN 10270-1)
Types of springs
2) Non-alloy steel, oil quenched and tempered (Pr EN 10270-2)
Spring index
3) Stainless steel (Pr EN 10270-3)
How to make springs
Standards were defined for all these steels so that the manufacturers can use them in full confidence. The project of European standard
Material for springs
distinguishes for example five classes for drawn steels (SL, SM, HS, DM, DH). These classes impose in particular to the manufacturer tolerances on
Bases of calculus the dimension of the wire as well as a range for the resistance of the wire.
Drawn steels are often used for the manufacture of the springs. These steels have a good fatigue strength. Their yield stress is increased when the
(+) Compression springs
forming of a spring is followed of a heat treatment (tempered). This treatment allows to slacken the internal stresses in the material. These steels
have a low corrosion resistance, but a protective coating can be easily added to them. They can work at very low temperatures and are prone to
(+) Conical springs
relieving at high temperature. The field of application can thus be between -80�C and 150�C.
The tempered steels have a good fatigue strength and are less prone to relieving than drawn steels. According to tolerated relieving, a field of
(+) Tension springs
application from -20�C to 170�C can be considered. These steels have a low corrosion resistance.
When problems of corrosion occur, the use of the stainless steels is advised. They have a fatigue strength lower than the two preceding steels.
(+) Torsion springs
Many grades exist. The stainless steels result mainly from grade 1.4310. Also called AISI 302, it contains 18% of chromium and 8% of nickel . The
field of application, rather large, can go from -200�C until 300�C. Attention must however be paid to the fact that this grade is non-magnetic only
Contact
when it is annealed. Grade 1,440 (AISI 316) has an excellent behaviour with corrosion but lower mechanical characteristics. For a better resistance
Homepage to relieving and fatigue, the grade 1.4568 commonly called 631 following standard AISI or 17/7PH can be used.
Other materials can be employed for specific applications like, for example, alloys of copper with beryllium to have a high electric conductivity.
www.meca.insa-toulouse.fr/~paredes/Springs2K/index.php?men=gen&ide=Bmaterial 1/6
9/11/24, 10:04 PM Spring Design
Some characteristics of material
Material Steel DH Stainless steel
wire diameter (mm) from 0.3 to 12 from 0.15 to 15
density (Kg/dm3) 7.85 7.90
G (N/mm2) 81500 70000
E (N/mm2) 206000 180000
Rm = f(d) (N/mm2) 2230 - 355.94 Ln (d) 1919 - 255.86 Ln (d)
maximum torsion stress τzul 0.50 Rm 0.48 Rm
Maximum flexion stress σzul 0.70 Rm 0.70 Rm
Goodman diagrams for fatigue life prediction of compression springs
Goodman diagrams are for pour 107 cycles (DIN standards).
www.meca.insa-toulouse.fr/~paredes/Springs2K/index.php?men=gen&ide=Bmaterial 2/6
9/11/24, 10:04 PM Spring Design
www.meca.insa-toulouse.fr/~paredes/Springs2K/index.php?men=gen&ide=Bmaterial 3/6
9/11/24, 10:04 PM Spring Design
www.meca.insa-toulouse.fr/~paredes/Springs2K/index.php?men=gen&ide=Bmaterial 4/6
9/11/24, 10:04 PM Spring Design
www.meca.insa-toulouse.fr/~paredes/Springs2K/index.php?men=gen&ide=Bmaterial 5/6
9/11/24, 10:04 PM Spring Design
Manuel Paredes
www.meca.insa-toulouse.fr/~paredes/Springs2K/index.php?men=gen&ide=Bmaterial 6/6
