Compression Springs

1) Type of ends?

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 Compression Springs
2)What are my Physical Characteristics?
 Size/Type of Material?
 Outside Diameter?
 Inside Diameter?
 Free Length?
 Total Coils?
 Solid Height?
 Stiffness?
 Load @ Length?
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 Compression Springs

Ground Section
Free Length
Mean Diameter

Outside Dia.
Inside Dia.
12
½

Coils
Pitch Space Between Coils
Size of Material

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 Extension Springs
2)What are my Physical Characteristics?
 Size/Type of Material?
 Outside Diameter?
 Inside Diameter?
 Free Length Body/Inside Hooks?
 Total Coils?
 Initial Tension?
 Stiffness?
 Load @ Length?
 Max Deflection?
 Gap Lengths of hooks?
 Straight Pull?

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Extension Springs

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Extension Springs

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Extension Springs

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Extension Springs

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 Torsion Springs
2)What are my Physical Characteristics?
 Size/Type of Material?
 Outside Diameter?
 Inside Diameter?
 Body Length?
 Total Coils?
 Angle at free position?
 Degrees of deflection?
 Stiffness?
 Max degrees of Deflection?
 Closewound or Pitched?

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 Torsion Springs
1)Type of Ends?

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 Conclusion
1) Always offer as much information as
possible!
2) Remember, price is not always
everything!
3) Remember, lead times!

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Spring Specification Sheet

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 Types of Springs

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 Types of spring cont.

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 Types of springs cont.

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 Types of springs cont.

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F  ky 1 1 1 1
  
kF/y k series k1 k 2 k3
k parallel  k1  k 2  k3
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 Factors in spring design
High strength
High yield
Modulus may be low for energy storage
Cost
Environmental factors
– Temperature resistance (e.g. valve springs)
– Corrosion resistance

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 Common materials springs

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 Influence of diameter on
ultimate stress

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 Influence of diameter on
ultimate stress cont.

Sut  Ad b
Sus  0.67 Sut
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 Design of helical compression springs
Length nomenclature
– Free
– Assembled
– Solid or shut height
– Working deflection

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 Stresses in Helical Spring

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Stresses in Helical springs cont.
At the inside of the spring Substituting for

Gives

4<C<12
Defining the spring index

Therefore the stress is

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 Effect of curvature on Stress
Equation (1) is based on the wire being
straight
However the curvature increases the
stress on the inside of the wire
For static stress the effect of curvature can
be neglected
For fatigue the effect of curvature is
important

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 Effect of curvature cont.

Wahl factor

Bergstrasse
r factor

The results of the two equations differ by less than

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 Deflection
The external work done on an elastic member in
deforming it is transformed into strain, or potential,
energy. If the member is deformed a distance y, and
if the force-deflection relationship is linear, this
energy is equal to the product of the average force
and the deflection, or

This equation is general in the sense that the force F

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 Deflection cont..

By substituting appropriate expressions for

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 Deflection of a helical spring
Using Castigliano’s theorem, strain energy
is equal to

Substituting

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 Deflection cont.
Using the spring index

Spring scale is

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 Spring design – end treatment
End details affect active coils
Plain ends
Squared ends
Squared
Ground

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 Number of active coils

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 Stability of a column

Euler Formula

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 Stability of a spring
We know a column will buckle when the
load is too large
A compression coil spring will also buckle

ycr is the deflection corresponding to onset

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 Deflection cont.
Is called the effective slenderness
ratio

Alpha = end condition constant

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 Instability cont.
End constraint alpha given by

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 Instability cont.
For absolute stability

For steels it turns out

For square and ground ends

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 Static design flow chart

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 Flow chart cont.

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 Recommended design
conditions

Figure of merit (fom)

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 Materials for springs
Yield strength for static loading
– Depends on set
– Before set removed use Wahl factor
– After set removed no stress concentration
used

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 Properties for fatigue
Fatigue Strength
– Torsion is relevant loading- could use von
Mises stress
– Materials testing specific to helical
compression springs is available, however
– Correct for temp., reliability, environment

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 Properties - endurance
Endurance Strength (steels) unlimited cycles
– For high ultimate strengths, endurance limits
max out at 45 kpsi (unpeened) and 67.5 kpsi
(peened)
– Small wires have high ultimate strength
– Tests have been done specific to spring wire
Temperature may require compensation
Corrosion
Reliability

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 S-N and Modified Goodman

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 Designing springs
Requirements Design Choices
 Functionality  Index C
 Stiffness  Material
 Lengths
 Wire and coil
 Diameter
diameter
 Forces
 Number of turns
 Reliable operation  End treatment and
 Static factor of
safety
constraint
 Set and shot peen
 Fatigue factor of
safety Constraints (other)
 Buckling and surge • Bend radius

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Manufacturability 45
 Helical extension spring
 Similar in most ways to
compression springs
 Usually wound to be closed
coil at zero force
 Thus a preload is required
to stretch any, i.e. y=k(F-
Fi )
 Spring hook is a source of
failure in bending and
torsion
 No set is used

 One coil not considered

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 End stresses
Bending stress:
16 DF 4 F
 A  Kb  2
d 3
d
4C12  C1  1 2 R1
Kb  ; C1 
4C1 (C1  1) d

Torsional stress:
8 DF
 B  K w2
d 3
4C2  1 2 R2
K w2  ; C2 
4C2  4 d
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 Design for fatigue
Data available for springs with loading from
zero to some compresion value
Application often has preload… how to
use?
First construct (or find) S-N curve
Next construct Mod-Goodman chart
Apply load line for given preload and
design stress
Find factor of safety to failure point
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 Goodman curve

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 A word about torsional springs
The wire in a torsional spring is primarily in
bending
Spring constant is rotary M=k
Loading should act to wind up coil
Design process resembles compression
springs

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 Torsional

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 Homework
Read chapter 10 of Shigley

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