Brief Introduction of Metal Springs

Brief Introduction of Metal Springs

There is a wide range of springs on the market with various materials and shapes for selection. In a broad term, a product can be called a spring as long as its purpose is to store and release energy. The most common springs are metal circular coils that are widely used in many industries. Due to the advancement of technology, the manufacturing process of metal wires has been perfected. Wire material of different characteristics and tensile strength can be manufactured by adjusting the proportions of chemical compositions and production processes, resulting in many wire size options for spring production. That is why springs made of metal coils have become the most popular in the market.

Metal springs can be made of various wire shapes including the most common round wires, on top of other rectangular, square and oval options, etc., depending on the strength requirements and frequency of use. The most widely used wire materials include piano wire, hard drawn wire, oil temper wire, stainless steel wire, titanium alloy and copper alloy, etc., which is customizable based on the specific needs of different industries. For instance, stainless steel wire is most frequently used in the medical field, while oil tempered wire can often be found in automobile and transportation industries, and copper alloy is a more common option for electrical appliances and electronic devices. General machinery and hardware products, on the other hand, could require specific types of wire materials based on their applications and working environment.

The most common metal springs on the market are divided into four categories:.
1. Compression springs: the metal material is wound up in the fashion that its spring body has a pitch between coils. As the name suggests, the pitch between each metal coil allows the transmission of energy back and forth repeatedly. Production of compression springs is more complicated than it appears depending on their applications. For instance, the compression springs used in ball pens are relatively simple, whereas valve springs used in automobiles require much higher strength due to massive use. Whenever personal safety is involved, the aspects that must be considered are relatively complex. In addition to accuracy and durability, whether the springs can withstand frequent engine operation more than hundreds of thousands of times without breaking is quite a challenge for manufacturers
2. Tension springs: the spring bodies of most tension springs do not have pitches between coils. Only a few of them have pitches due to specific design considerations. A tension spring usually has tightly compacted coils that, when first pulled by outer force at one end or both ends, require maximum force to bring about pitches between coils, hence creating initial strength. The tensioning effect of the outer force then reverts tension springs back to its original state by rebound recovery, achieving the purpose of energy storage and release.
3. Torsion springs: most spring bodies are pitch-less with linear legs extended at one or both ends. One of both ends is usually fastened while the other end is tasked with reciprocating motion by torsion force to serve its function. The most well-known applications are door hinges or laptop hinges, etc.
4. Wire forms: this type of springs comes in a wide range of forms without a certain shape. The rigidity and elasticity of each different metal wire determine its best application. Wire forms do not usually have standardized specifications, and are usually customized based on customer requirements.

Springs, like fasteners, play the best supporting role in various industries. Some types of springs have gradually been standardized and widely used by product designers. Those stock springs are ready for immediate delivery and thus quickly satisfy design needs, offering reasonable prices and high efficiency. In order to follow market trends of scale-down product sizes, the design of miniature springs is in high demand. As the result, various multi-axis spring machinery has emerged to allow spring production to evolve with the times.

Oscar Precision specializes in manufacturing various customized springs, with an expertise in complex precision springs. If you have a large demand for compression springs, tension springs, torsion springs or various types of wire forms, please contact us at: sales@oscarprecision.com