Springs are incredibly useful for a vast array of purposes and come in different sizes and designs in order to best fulfil their roles. Compression springs are used in so many different applications; from day-to-day products to specialised equipment in various precision-critical industries. In this post, we explore compression springs and their uses and show you how The Active Spring Company can assist you in your search for small compression springs in the UK.
What is a Compression Spring, How Do they Work and Where are they Applied?
Compression springs are a type of coil spring, and there are various compression spring designs, for example, variable pitch, conical, reduced end, parallel, open-ended, and closed and ground compression springs. They are a popular choice of spring because their design allows for the energy to be stored when pressure is applied to the spring and then released when necessary, returning to its original shape where it is then ready to use again when required.
A compression spring can be manufactured with various materials and making sure that the right material is chosen is vital to the spring’s performance. You want to make sure that the material is able to withstand the purpose they need to carry out, and that it has good durability, strength and other additional factors that may be relevant to your project, such as withstanding temperature or corrosion resistance.
Compression springs can be used in a huge number of applications that vary so much in purpose. We encounter compression springs daily, such as pens, toys, mattresses, locks, and parts of our vehicles including brakes, engines and clutches. They can also be used in applications such as medical equipment, safety-critical equipment for the aerospace and aviation industry, such as parachutes, headsets, buckle clips, as well as valves for the gas and oil industry.
When you have a project that has specific requirements, then getting your spring custom made is vital in order to achieve this specification and get the optimal performance you need from your product. We have listed some of the key features of compression springs below;
- Helical coil, the spring is made of a helical coil of wire. The coils are wound tightly together, and the wire is typically made of steel or stainless steel.
- Compression force, when the spring is compressed, the coils are forced closer together. The amount of force required to compress the spring depends on the spring’s material, wire diameter, and number of coils.
- Spring rate is the amount of force required to compress the spring by a unit length. The spring rate is typically measured in pounds per inch or newtons per millimeter.
- Free length is the length of the spring when it is not compressed.
- Solid length is the length of the spring when it is compressed to its maximum capacity.
- Active coils are the coils that are compressed when the spring is compressed.
- End coils coils are the coils that are not compressed when the spring is compressed.
Compression springs are a versatile and reliable mechanical device that is used in a wide rangr of applications. They are available in an array of sizes, shapes, and materials, and can be custom-made to meet specific requirements.
How Can We Help you?
Here at The Active Spring Company, we have been providing our spring manufacturing services since 1980, and our team can boast a combination of over 150 years of experience. We manufacture bespoke springs, helping an array of projects receive the components they need. We manufacture our springs to the highest standards and quality, to a vast range of industries.
We also manufacture a range of other springs, including tension, torsion, wire form and pressings. Contact us today by calling 01371 830 557 or emailing [email protected], and we can discuss your spring requirements in more detail.