Selection of Springs

in Tool Design
Raghavendra M.
PGTE – 2004-05
04112
 Spring
 A spring can be defined to be an elastic member
which exerts a resisting force when its shape is
changed.
 Most springs are assumed linear and obey the
Hooke's Law.
 The spring stores the energy in the deformed state
and releases it, once the deforming load is removed.
 This is the main function of springs used in tool and
die industry (to return a member to its original
position).

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 Types of Spring
The major types of Springs used in tool and die industry
 Helical Coiled Springs
 Polyurethane Springs
 Belleville (Washer) Springs
 Leaf Springs

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 Types of Loads on Springs
 Static Loading
(E.g., Braking, Winding and accumulating springs)
 Dynamic Loading of Limiting Duration
(E.g., Trigger mechanisms in fire arms, Shock absorbers)
 Dynamic Loading of Indefinite Duration
(E.g., Valve springs of IC engines, Springs in forging machines and presses)

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Helical Coiled Springs
 Nomenclature
Do Outside Diameter
Di Inside Diameter
D Mean Diameter
d Wire Diameter
p Pitch
Lo or Lf Free Length

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 Hand of Coiling

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 Active Coils (na) - Those coils which are free to deflect under
load.
 Free length (Lo) - The overall length of a spring which is not
under load.
 Pitch (p) - The distance from centre to centre of the wire in
adjacent active coils.
 Slenderness ratio - Ratio of spring length (Lo) to mean coil
diameter (D).
 Solid height - Length of a compression spring when under
sufficient load to bring all coils into contact with adjacent
coils; no additional deflection is possible.
 Spring index (c) - Ratio of mean coil diameter (D) to wire
diameter (d).
 Total number of coils (nt) - Number of active coils (na) plus
the number of dead coils forming the ends.

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 Different Forms of End Coils

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 Plain ends - when the wire is just cropped off to length - are
suitable only for large index, light duty applications unless
shaped platens or coil guides are employed.
 One or more turns at the end of a spring may be wound with
zero pitch, this is called a squared or closed end.
 Ground ends distribute the load into the spring more
uniformly than do plain ends, but the contact region on a flat
platen will be very much less than 3600 which is ideal for
concentricity of bearing surface and spring axis.
 squared and ground ends are invariably specified when the
duty is appreciable. Grinding produces a seating best suited for
uniform load transfer.
P. S.: Grinding the ends becomes difficult when the spring index
exceeds 10, and is obviously inappropriate for small wire sizes
- say under 0.5 mm.

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Spring Characteristics
 The slope of the red line is called Stiffness (k)
of the spring.
 The yield limit of the material of the spring
will be much above the solidity limit.
 The spring is given a pre-load by an amount
indicated by lo.
 To avoid impact and surface deterioration as
the spring approaches solidity, the working
length of the spring should exceed the solid
length by a clash allowance of at least 10% of
the maximum working deflection.
 So, the working range of the spring is limited
between lo and hi.

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Spring Selection Steps
 Four Load classification and corresponding colour
coding for Helical Springs

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 Step - 1
Estimate the level of production
required of the die - short run,
constant production, etc.

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 Step - 2
Determine compressed spring
length “H” and operating travel
“T” from the die layout.
C

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 Step - 3
 Decide which load classification the spring
should be selected from Light, Medium,
Heavy, or Extra-Heavy Load.
 Then choose the figure nearest the
compressed length “H” required by the die
design from the chart in the next slide.
 Read corresponding “C” (free length).

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 Step - 4
Estimate total spring load “L”
on all springs when springs are
compressed to X.

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 Step - 5
Determine “X” (initial compression) by
using the following formula:
X=C–H–T

=C–H–T

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 Step - 6
Determine “R”
(total rate for all springs in N/mm)
by using the following formula:
R = L/X

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 Step - 7
 The free length “C” must comply with the length
determined in Step 3.
 Divide “R” in Step 6 by the number of springs to be
used (if known) in order to get the rate per spring.
Then refer to the catalogue for springs having the
desired rate.
 If the number of springs is not known, divide “R”
from Step 6 by the rate of the spring you select for
the correct number of springs.

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 Helical Spring
Design Equations
The spring constant k is function of the spring geometry and the
spring material,

The distance between adjacent spring coils (defined as the coil

pitch) is found by,

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The rise angle of the spring coils (the angle between the coils
and the base of the spring) is found from the arctangent of the
coil-pitch divided by the spring circumference,

The length of wire needed to make the spring is found from,

The maximum force the spring can take occurs when the spring
is deformed all the way to its solid height,

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The maximum shear stress in the spring associated with the
maximum force is given by,

where W is the Wahl correction factor (accounting for spring

curvature stress) and C is the spring index (essentially an aspect
ratio of the spring cross-section),

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 Springs in Series

δs = δ 1 + δ 2

So, the resulting stiffness of the combination will be less

than the stiffness of both the springs

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 Springs in Parallel

F s = F1 + F2

So, the resulting stiffness of the combination will be

more than the stiffness of both the springs
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 Buckling in Helical Springs

 Compression spring bucking refers to when the spring deforms in a non-

axial direction.
 Buckling is a very dangerous condition as the spring can no longer provide
the intended force. Once buckling starts, the off-axis deformation typically
continues rapidly until the spring fails.
 Buckling of compression springs is similar to buckling for vertical
structural columns. When the free height of the spring is more than 4~5
times the nominal coil diameter D, the spring can buckle under a
sufficiently heavy load.
 The maximum allowable spring deflection that avoids buckling depends on
the free length, the coil diameter, and the spring ends.

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Polyurethane Springs
Advantages
 High Pressures
 Closer Centre Distances
 High Tear Resistance
 Punch Vibration Dampening
 Easy Installation and Replacement
 No Flying into pieces, when fractured under load, thus
preventing injury to worker and damage to the die.
 Increased durability
 Quieter Operation Than Steel
 Longer service life

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 Nomenclature
Di Inside Diameter
Du Outside Diameter
Dc Diameter when compressed
F Force on Spring
Lo Free Length
fmax Maximum Deflection

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Spring Selection Steps
 Step - 1
Estimate the level of production
required of the die - short run,
constant production, etc.

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 Step - 2
 Then choose the compressed
length “Lc” required by the die
design from the chart in the
next slide.
 Read corresponding “L ” (free
o
length).
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 Spring Hardness – Spring Hardness – Spring Hardness –
80 Shore 90 Shore 95 Shore

Lo fmax (35% Lo) Lc Lo fmax (30% Lo) Lc Lo fmax (25% Lo) Lc

mm mm mm mm mm mm mm mm mm

12.5 4.3 8.2 12.5 3.6 8.9 12.5 3.1 9.4

16 5.6 10.4 16 4.8 11.2 16 4 12

20 7 13 20 6 14 20 5 15
25 8.7 16.3 25 7.5 17.5 25 6.2 18.8
32 10.6 21.4 32 9.6 22.4 32 8 24

40 14 26 40 12 28 40 10 30

50 17.5 32.5 50 15 35 50 12.5 47.5

63 22 41 63 18.9 44.1 63 15.7 47.3
80 28 52 80 24 56 80 20 60
100 35 65 100 30 70 100 25 75

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 Step - 3
Estimate total spring load “L”
on all springs when springs are
compressed to X (pre-load).

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 Step - 4
Determine “X”
(initial compression)
by using the following formula:
X = 25% of fmax

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 Step - 5
The Operating Travel
of the spring will be
“T” = Lo – (H + X)

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 Step - 6
Determine “R”
(total rate for all springs
in N/mm)
by using the following formula:
R = L/X
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 Step - 7
 Divide “R” in Step 6 by the number of
springs to be used (if known) in order to
get the rate per spring (R’).
 Then refer to the load/deflection graph in

the standards book.

 Now, choose the spring dia, that would

give the desired load.

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 Shore Hardness?
Shore’s Scleroscope
The scleroscope is an instrument that measures the hardness of
the work in terms of elasticity.
A diamond-tipped hammer is allowed to drop from a known
height on the metal to be tested. As this hammer strikes the
test piece, it rebounds, and the harder the material, the greater
the rebound. The extreme height of the rebound is recorded,
and an average of a number of readings taken on a single piece
will give a good indication of the hardness of the work. The
surface smoothness of the work affects the reading of the
instrument. The readings are also affected by the contour and
mass of the work.

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Belleville Washer
Springs
 Nomenclature

De Outside Diameter
Di Inside Diameter
t Thickness
ho Cone Height
lo Overall Height

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 Advantages
 Very large loads can be supported with a small installation
space.
 Depending on the dimensional relationships, its spring
characteristic can be designed to be linear or regressive and
with a suitable arrangement also progressive.
 High service life under dynamic load if the spring is properly
designed.
 With suitable arrangement, a large damping effect may be
achieved.
 Stock keeping is minimised, as the individual spring sizes can
be combined universally.
 Because the springs are of an annular shape, force
transmission is absolutely concentric.

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 Stacking of Disc Springs

Single Disc Spring

Total Force = Force of single disc spring
Total Deflection = Deflection of single disc spring

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 Stacking of Disc Springs

Disc Springs in Parallel

Total Force = 2 X Force of single disc spring
Total Deflection = Deflection of single disc spring

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 Stacking of Disc Springs

Disc Springs in Series

Total Force = Force of single disc spring
Total Deflection = 2 X Deflection of single disc spring

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 Stacking of Disc Springs

Disc Springs in Series & Parallel

Total Force = 2 X Force of single disc spring
Total Deflection = 2 X Deflection of single disc spring

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Design of Disc Springs
Different methods of designing Disc Springs are –
 Checking Fatigue Life of a Disc Spring

(Existing design to be used elsewhere, check for fatigue strength)

 Selection from catalogue, given the load, deflection,
installed length etc.

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Design Formulae
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Spring Selection Steps
 Step - 1
Note down suitable inside &
outside diameter for the spring,
considering the space
restrictions

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 Step - 2
 Now, from the catalogue
Search for the nearest values of
De & D i
 Note down all the parameters
pertaining to the selection

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 Step - 3
First the factors (K1, K2 & K3)
are calculated using
formula 3, 4 and 5.

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 Step - 4
Calculate the stress σOM using
formula 9.
Check whether it is within the
specified limits as per catalogue.

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 Step - 5
 Now the spring loads can be calculated to
formula 7, preferably for the 4 deflections
s = 0.25h0, s = 0.5 h0, s = 0.75h0 and s = h0
 And using these load and deflection,
spring diagram (Load Vs Deflection) can
be drawn.

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 Step - 6
Now, using spring diagram,
determine the deflection for the
load conditions in our case.

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 Step - 7
Now if the deflection or force is
not as per the requirement,
different stacking
combinations can be adopted.

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Data collected from
 DANLY Spring Catalogue
 Machine Elements Design, by Orlow
 Schnorr Disc Spring Handbook

 www.mech.uwa.edu.au/DANotes/springs/home.html
 www.efunda.com/designstandards/springs/spring_introduction.cfm
 home.earthlink.net/~bazillion/intro.html
 www.foxvalleyspring.com/home/diesprings/DieSprings.htm
 www.centuryspring.com
 www.bellevillesprings.com

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Thank You