Compression Spring Calculator (Load Based Design)

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REFERENCE

COMPRESSION SPRING CALCULATOR (LOAD BASED DESIGN)

The Compression spring calculator has been developed to calculate compression springs design parameters with

CALCULATORS
Beam Deflection Calculators

the knowledge of design type (one load & free height, one load & spring rate, two loads), compression spring wire
diameter, spring diameter, spring free height, loads at specific heights, compression spring end type and material
selection. Material selection of compression springs can be done from listed spring steels including music wire,

Decibel Converter
Engineering Unit Converter

stainless steel wire, chrome vanadium, etc. Calculation results generated by the compression springs calculator are
solid height, torsional shear stress at solid height, factor of safety against yielding, buckling check, spring outer

Fastener Dimensions

diameter expansion, load-deflection curve, stressdeflection curve, spring index.

Hertzian Contact Calculator

This calculator can be used to design statically loaded compression springs. For compression springs which work
under cyclic loading, first use this calculator for the sizing according to static loading and then visit "Critical

Limits, Fits and Tolerances

Frequency of Helical Springs" and "Stress Analysis of Coil Compression Springs for Fatigue Loading" calculators to
check the compression spring design against cyclic loading.

Mechanical Springs

The formulas and parameters used in the calculator are given in the "Supplements " section of this page.

Screw Thread Calculators

Note: This calculator was developed by mainly using Shigley's Mechanical Engineering Design book. If further

Sectional Properties Calculator

information on the subject is needed, this reference source can be used.

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Calculator:

Sinusoidal Motion Calculator

Stress Concentration Factors
Stress/Strain Analysis
Structural Analysis of Beams
Tooling Calculators

COMPRESSION SPRINGS
INPUT PARAMETERS

Critical Cyclic Loading Frequency

One Load & Free Height

Design Type

Load Based Design

One Load & Spring Rate

Two Loads

Rate & Dimension Based Design

DIMENSIONAL PARAMETERS
Parameter

Symbol

Value

Unit

Wire diameter

Spring free height (length)

Lf

Height 1

L1

Dimensional Spring Design

Height 2

L2

Analysis for Static Loading

Load 1 @ height 1

F1

Analysis for Fatigue Loading

Load 2 @ height 2

F2

Spring rate

Analysis for Fatigue Loading

An Example on Spring Design

EXTENSION SPRINGS

An Example on Spring Design

End types for compression spring

SPRING MATERIAL & STRESS RELEATED PARAMETERS

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Compression Spring Calculator (Load Based Design)

Parameter

http://www.amesweb.info/MechanicalSprings/CompressionSpringFor...

Symbol

Value

Unit

Material selectionx
Elastic modulus

Poisson's ratio

Material tensile strength

Sut

---

Prestressing (Set romoval)

Allowable torsional strength (% of Sut) +
Design factor at solid height against torsional
stress

%
ns

---

SPRING STABILITY (BUCKLING)

Parameter

Symbol

Spring stability (buckling) check

Value

Unit

Stability control

End condition*
End condition constant

---

Design factor for buckling

nb

---

Note 1 : x Spring material properties are from Ref-2 except "User defined" selection.
Note 2 :
values.

Equals maximum allowable torsional stress in static appliacations. See supplements for reference

Note 3 : * Ends supported by flat surfaces must be squared and ground [Ref-2] .

RESULTS
DIMENSIONAL PARAMETERS
Parameter

Symbol

Value

Number of active coils

Na

91.06

Number of total coils

Nt

91.06

Spring index

C*

Spring rate

0.15

Wire diameter

Spring outer diameter

OD

10

Spring mean diameter

Spring inner diameter

ID

Outer diameter at solid length

ODat solid***

10.07

Spring free length (height)

Lf

337.5

Spring solid height

Ls

92.06

Maximum deflection (Lf to Ls)

245.44

Pitch at free length

p**

3.7

Unit

---

SPRING MATERIAL & STRESS RELEATED PARAMETERS

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Parameter

Symbol

Value

Load at solid height

Fs

37.76

Shear stress at height 1

362.87

Shear stress at height 2

846.7

Unit

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Compression Spring Calculator (Load Based Design)

http://www.amesweb.info/MechanicalSprings/CompressionSpringFor...

Shear stress at solid height

913.48

Ultimate tensile strength of material

Sut

2211

Allowable torsional strength

Sall

994.95

Factor of safety against torsional yielding at

solid height

(Sall / s )#

Modulus of rigidity

81.7

Elastic modulus

200

foss

1.09

Material ASTM No.

---

A228
SPRING STABILITY (BUCKLING)

Parameter

Symbol

Stability condition (includes nb)

Factor of safety against buckling

Value

Unit

Not stable
fosb+

0.135

---

Note 1 : * The preferred spring index range is 4 to 12 according to [Ref-1] . Compression springs with high
indexes tangle and may require individual packaging, especially if the ends are not squared. Springs with
indexes lower than 4 are difficult to form [Ref-1] .
Note 2 : ** According to no yielding assumption and Lf length shall be same after loading.
Note 3 : *** Does not include the effect if the spring ends are allowed to unwind.
Note 4 : + Shall be larger than the design factor for buckling (nb fosb )
Note 5 : # Shall be larger than the design factor at solid height (ns foss )

Force vs Spring Height

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Compression Spring Calculator (Load Based Design)

http://www.amesweb.info/MechanicalSprings/CompressionSpringFor...

Shear Stress vs Spring Height

Note 1 : The load deflection curve for helical compression springs is essentially a straight line up to the elastic
limit, provided that the amount of active material is constant. The initial spring rate and the rate as the spring
approaches solid often deviate from the average calculated rate. When it is necessary to specify a rate, it should
be specified between two test heights which lie within 15 to 85 % of the full deflection range. [From Ref-1]

Definitions:
Link

Usage

Compression Coil (Helical) Spring

Definitions

Terms and definitions about compression coil springs.

Supplements:

Link

Usage

Spring Steels for Coil Springs

Formulas For Compression Spring

Design

List of spring steel materials given in the calculator.

List of formulas used in the calculator.

Allowable Torsional Stresses for Helical

Supplemantary tables about the material strength properties
Compression Springs in Static
of helical compression springs.
Applications
End Condition Constants For Helical End condition constants for helical compression spring
Compression Spring Stability Analysis stability and buckling analysis.

Reference:
Courtesy of Associated Spring (1987)., Design Handbook
Budynas.R , Nisbett.K. (2008) . Shigley's Mechanical Engineering Design .8th edition. McGraw-Hill
Shigley J.E. , Mischke C.R. (1996), Standard Handbook of Machine Design , 2nd edition
EN 13906-1: 2002 - Cylindrical helical springs made from round wire and bar Calculation and design Part 1:
Compression springs

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