Springs that follow Hooke’s Law are often referred to as “linear springs” because they have a linear relationship between load and deflection. A linear spring has the same diameter along its entire length, and this uniform diameter gives it a constant spring rate. In other words, the spring rate doesn’t change regardless of the load acting on […]
Types of industrial springs: compression, extension, and torsion
Typically mounted deep inside an assembly of moving parts, industrial springs often go unnoticed, despite their importance to motion control and industrial equipment. In fact, they’re found in everything from door closing mechanisms on machine tools to mechanical seals in rotary unions. While springs are readily available in custom designs and variations, there are three primary types […]
What are strain energy and resilience in the context of compression (wave) springs?
When a compressive or tensile load is applied to a spring (or any elastic material), the load does work on the spring, causing the spring to undergo a change in shape (extension or compression). This change in shape creates a type of potential energy — referred to as strain energy — in the material. Typical […]
How to avoid wave spring fatigue in dynamic applications
Wave springs are gaining acceptance in motion applications, thanks to their ability to provide similar force and deflection characteristics to traditional coil springs, but with significantly reduced working height. Although wave springs can be used in static applications — such as preloading a bearing or mechanical seal — many applications require dynamic movement — for example, […]
What are some common wave spring material and finish options?
There are four key criteria for sizing and selecting a wave spring: load, working height, physical design requirements (bore diameter, ID, OD), and material. In many cases, manufacturers supply custom wave springs in “exotic” materials or with special finishes to meet unique application demands, including difficult environments or corrosion resistance. And in some cases, appearance also […]
New Spirawave nested wave spring series from Smalley
Smalley now offers a new nested Spirawave wave spring series. Smalley has been producing nested wave springs as customs for over 30 years, but this will mark the first standard series on the market. These multiple turn, flat wire wave springs are coiled in parallel to produce two to three times as much force as […]
What are rotary unions and how are they used in motion applications?
Rotating components are common in motion applications — robot arms, winders, spools, spindles, and rotary tables are just a few examples. And while creating rotary motion is easy, when air or liquids need to be transferred from a stationary supply to a rotating component for cooling, heating, lubricating, or transmitting fluid power, the task becomes […]
Common challenges that wave springs address
Updated November 2018 || Springs are flexible mechanical components to store and release energy or apply and release forces on machine axes. Wave springs combine flat (non-coiled) bow springs (as their waves) with traditional compression-spring coil geometry. For the design’s compactness (as a high force-to-work height ratio) and other benefits, some motion systems have migrated […]
Updated: Basics of compression springs for motion designs
Engineers incorporate compression springs in motion designs that need linear compressive forces and mechanical energy storage — designs such as pneumatic cylinders and push-button controls, for example. The most conventional compression spring is a round metallic wire coiled into a helical form. The most common compression spring, the straight metal coil spring, bends at the […]
Wave spring basics video: Spring force, work height, materials, and installations
Within mechanical designs, tension, compression, and torsion springs take numerous forms to store and release energy. A wave spring is a type of compression springs made of flat wire. They are called wave springs because they have multiple waves per turn. The flat wire, along with the multiple waves per turn, combine to create the […]
