COMPRESSION SPRING DESIGN (Static Loads)

the design methodology

the Desired Maximum Force is typically your design choice, fully DETERMINED by d, D, & material
The optimized Safe Spring approaches yield stress when the coils just touch (i.e. the "yield" pitch)
The Desired STROKE then determines the number of coils needed
Juvinall's book describes presetting (i.e. work hardening) which allows higher STATIC working stresses
* - Select These Items in Blue
SHIGLEY'S ANALYSIS (Ssy=43%Sut)
quantities Music Wire 302 SS 1/2H BeCu 3/4H BeCu
* E - Youngs Modulus (psi) 30000000 28000000 19000000 19000000 Std. AWG Size Table
* (1+n) 1+poisson's ratio 1.29 1.29 1.29 1.29 AWG #
* d - Wire Diameter (inch) 0.080 0.080 0.090 0.090 34
Ssy - Shear Yield Stress 123280 105669 86000 88150 32
* D - Nominal Spring Dia. 0.800 2.180 1.700 2.180 30
C - Spring Index (D/d) 10.0 27.3 18.9 24.2 28
Kw - Wahl Correction 1.14 1.05 1.07 1.06 26
Fmax - Yield Thrust (lbs) 27.05 9.27 13.47 10.94 24
pmax - Yield Pitch (inch) 0.313 1.808 1.186 1.966 22
* p - Chosen Pitch (inch) 0.500 1.500 0.650 1.000 20
* Na - Nr Active Coils (n=1) 25.0 12.5 9.5 11.5 18
K - Spring Constant (lb/in) 4.65 0.43 1.29 0.51 16
Lo - Solid Height 2.16 1.12 0.99 1.17 14
Lf - Free Height 12.66 18.91 6.36 11.68 12
* L1 - Operating Ht 2.00 4.40 5.35 4.40 10
F(L1) - Force at L1 49.58 6.23 1.30 3.69
F(Lo) - Force at Lo 48.84 7.63 6.94 5.33

* - Select These Items in Blue

JUVINALL'S ANALYSIS assumes "presetting" (Ssy=65%Sut)
quantities Music Wire 302 SS 1/2H BeCu 3/4H BeCu
* E - Youngs Modulus (psi) 29000000 29000000 29000000 29000000
* (1+n) 1+poisson's ratio 1.29 1.29 1.29 1.29
* d - Wire Diameter (inch) 0.080 0.080 0.090 0.090
Ssy - Shear Yield Stress 123280 105669 86000 88150
* D - Nominal Spring Dia. 1.700 2.180 1.700 2.180
C - Spring Index (D/d) 21.25 27.25 18.89 24.22
Kw - Wahl Correction 1.07 1.05 1.07 1.06
Fmax - Yield Thrust (lbs) 13.67 9.27 13.47 10.94
pmax - Yield Pitch (inch) 1.247 1.748 0.808 1.319
* p - Chosen Pitch (inch) 1.000 1.620 0.870 1.500
* Na - Nr Active Coils (n=1) 10.5 12.5 9.5 11.5
K - Spring Constant (lb/in) 1.12 0.44 1.98 0.77
Lo - Solid Height 0.96 1.12 0.99 1.17
Lf - Free Height 10.66 20.41 8.45 17.43
* L1 - Operating Ht 5.35 4.40 5.35 4.40
F(L1) - Force at L1 5.92 7.11 6.11 10.08
F(Lo) - Force at Lo 10.82 8.57 14.72 12.58
D, & material

working stresses

Std. AWG Size Table

decimal in.
0.0063
0.0079
0.0100
0.0126
0.0159
0.0201
0.0253
0.0320
0.0403
0.0508
0.0641
0.0808
0.1019