When you hear the word “spring,” it is likely that the image of a compression spring comes to mind. Compression springs are the most common of all spring types.
As the name suggests, compression springs are designed to compress when force is applied. These springs deflect in a linear motion, resisting the applied force and storing energy.
Compression springs are frequently used in industrial equipment as well as in many household objects. Applications for these versatile springs include:
As with all custom springs, it is important to consider several factors when designing compression springs.
If a compression spring is the wrong length for the space for which it is designed, it will not be able to travel far enough to function properly, or may not be able to compress as much as needed.
Of course the spring must also physically fit in the space provided, with an inner diameter large enough if fitting over a rod, or an outer diameter small e
nough if fitting inside a hole.
Although compression springs can withstand stress better than other spring types (e.g., extension springs), excess stress can still cause spring failure.
An overstressed compression spring may yield, or leave its elastic range, leading to permanent spring deflection. Repeated compression of an overstressed spring can lead to fatigue failure.
Here are a few rules to remember regarding spring stress. Each rule assumes all other dimensions are constant.
Calibrating these three measurements for your application is key to getting your design right.
How flush does your spring’s alignment need to be? For certain applications, such as firearms and flow control valves, ground ends may be necessary.
If your spring has a tight index (the ratio of the mean coil diameter to the diameter of the wire), that is a good indication that you may need to call out ground ends.
Does your compression spring require secondary processes such as shot peening, plating, or powder coating? Certain finishing treatments can introduce risk.
For example, when springs require plating, we almost always recommend a baking process afterward to help prevent hydrogen embrittlement.
It is important to be aware that calling out tight tolerances for your springs will likely increase your manufacturing costs.
If you are unsure how tight your tolerances need to be, we are happy to provide you with either the standard commercial or precision spring tolerances for compression springs.
At Orlando Precision, we typically conduct a round of prototyping when working on a new compression spring design. In this phase, we test a specific set of variables for the custom spring: material, wire diameter, outer diameter, and space between coils. Prototyping helps us make sure that a spring functions as intended before we move into production.
In our shop, we believe that proactive communication with our customers always leads to the best results.
Request a quote to begin collaborating on your custom spring today!
With hooks on both ends, extension springs attach to two components in an application and resist tensile forces, elongating as those components pull away from one another. An extension spring stores energy as it elongates creating a pulling force between the components.
Extension springs are used in many common and industrial applications, including:
When designing a custom extension spring, you will want to consider these factors.
While preventing stress is important when designing any spring, it is especially critical for custom extension springs. When a spring is overstressed, it may yield or become distorted. The same extension spring may work well in one application, but can be overstressed in another application requiring additional deflection, also known as “travel distance”.
Wire diameter, coil diameter, body length, and maximum travel all play key roles in extension spring stress.
The end type, or the way the hook is attached to the end of the spring, also affects spring stress. In fact, the most common point of failure for extension springs is the location where the hook bends away from the spring. One way to minimize spring stress is to design an end type featuring a gradual (rather than a sharp) radius.
Additionally, consider whether your hook placement is fixed or could be modified slightly. If there is flexibility regarding where the hook is attached, we can extend hook length with a larger bend radius away from the coil body.
It is important to factor initial tension into your design to achieve your desired spring rate—the ratio of pounds per inch of deflection.
Initial tension—the force keeping the spring’s coils together—is the amount of tension that exists in the spring itself. The initial tension is overcome when enough force is reached to deflect the spring and you can see light passing between the coils.
Many custom extension springs do not require surface finishing. However, if you need plating, we almost always recommend following it up with a baking process.
Extension springs that are not properly baked after plating are prone to hydrogen embrittlement, which can reduce cycle life and result in spring failure.
While tight tolerances may be essential to the function of your spring, keep in mind that achieving tight tolerances requires more extensive processes and can increase manufacturing costs.
If you are unsure about the ideal tolerance specifications for your custom extension spring, we are happy to point you toward industry standards for tolerancing these types of springs.
At Orlando Precision, we manufacture custom extension springs in wire diameters from 0.010” to 0.148”. We welcome questions from our customers throughout the design process and are pleased to help you choose the best material, end type, or hook position for your spring.
Request a quote today, and let’s collaborate on your design.
With the twin pressures of inflation and supply chain challenges continuing to impact manufacturers, keeping cost in mind for spring and wire forming services remains a high priority for our customers.
At Orlando Precision, we are here to support you. — Here are a few factors that directly impact the cost of your parts.
The type of material a customer requires for spring or wire forming services can significantly impact the cost of their order.
Sometimes, customers call out a material in their design that could be substituted for a more cost-effective alternative, without compromising quality. Material is an especially important cost-saving consideration if a significant portion of your part cost comes from material due to part weight.
If you have questions about material costs, we are always happy to answer them. Our team understands the properties of different materials and, when appropriate, can recommend economical materials that will preserve the integrity of your custom spring or wire form.
The more complex a part is, the more expensive it is to produce. In some cases, that complexity is essential to the functionality of a custom spring or wire form. However, there are often opportunities to simplify designs (and reduce costs) without compromising performance.
Sometimes, customers ask spring manufacturers to flatten the ends of springs using a process known as grinding. For example, grinding may be used to make the end of a compression spring flush with another part or to enable it to stand upright.
Orlando Precision can help you determine whether grinding ends is necessary or if a less expensive closed spring, for example, would function comparably.
If a spring is not designed to support the stress load of its application, it can become overstressed and cease to function properly sooner than anticipated. Many overstressed springs also require a secondary preset operation that adds to manufacturing costs.
We can suggest design adjustments that will prevent your spring from becoming overstressed, helping you avoid costly equipment repairs and part replacements.
The cost of finishing services varies considerably depending on the finishing specification and the volume of parts in the order. Orlando Precision can inform you of the costs and limitations of various methods to help you make the most economical choice.
If you are ordering a small number of parts, for instance, stainless steel might be a good option because it does not require plating. Finishing shops typically have plating minimums, so choosing a material that requires plating, such as music wire, may not be optimal for a low-volume order.
How tight are your custom spring or wire form’s tolerances? Although we routinely manufacture tight tolerance parts for our customers, we ensure they know that the extra labor required will increase the overall cost of their orders. In many cases, loosening tolerances on non-critical features can reduce cost without compromising the part’s performance.
Many of our customers place repeat orders for parts they know they will need periodically. If it is possible to plan ahead and anticipate such needs, we recommend placing one larger “blanket” order rather than submitting multiple smaller orders. A blanket order is a schedule of multiple smaller quantity shipments.
An example of a blanket order would be ordering a year’s worth of parts up front and telling us when to send them to you. We purchase all the material at a single price point, protecting us—and you—from price increases. You also avoid the long lead times associated with supply chain breakdowns that may occur and instead get your parts when you need them.
Ready to work with a spring manufacturer who always has your best interests in mind? Request a quote today.
At Orlando Precision, meeting (and exceeding) our customers’ expectations is our top priority. That means making sure we can provide the parts you need today—as well as six months or a year from now.
It is no secret that supply chain challenges have significantly impacted the manufacturing industry since 2020. While recent indicators show cause for optimism, one takeaway we have from the last few years is that material availability is subject to change at any time.
We are emerging from this period of uncertainty stronger and smarter, armed with strategies to weather any future disruptions.
At the height of the supply chain chaos, it took up to six months to procure materials we once could get in only a day or two. Spring tempered stainless steel, a go-to material for spring manufacturing, was particularly hard to source.
Fortunately, several varieties of stainless steel are readily available once again, but our recent experience has prepared us to preempt any gaps in availability going forward.
When time constraints prohibit customers from obtaining their desired material for a project, we often advise them to consider whether a comparable in-stock material would work just as well for their application.
In some instances, sourcing a wire size or type that deviates only slightly from the customer’s original choice has made it possible to fulfill critical orders for custom spring services within tight timeframes.
One of the most effective ways to guard against material shortages is to place blanket orders for custom springs and wire forms you know you will need throughout the year.
A blanket order is a single order comprising multiple releases of parts at different points during the year. Bundling a full year of orders for small torsion springs, for example, enables us to plan ahead and proactively source the required materials to supply you with the springs you need, when you need them.
This ordering model also provides a degree of pricing stability in a volatile market. In the case of the small torsion springs, sourcing a year’s worth of materials protects us from the consistent price increases that have impacted manufacturers over the past few years. We can simply purchase the material up front at a single price point—and pass the savings on to you.
When supply chain breakdowns began to cascade during the pandemic, our customers who had placed blanket orders fared much better. We were able to look ahead and either secure the requested material or find high-quality alternatives that would work equally well for their applications. In contrast, fulfilling customers’ last-minute order requests was much more challenging—though we always did what we could to support them.
There is a good reason many of our customer relationships have spanned the decades we have been in business. In addition to providing the highest-quality custom springs and wire forms in Texas and beyond, we are always searching for new ways to protect our customers’ interests in a constantly changing market.
If you are looking for a spring manufacturer who will work hard to support you, give Orlando Precision a try. Request a quote today.
Do you need a custom torsion spring for your assembly?
Torsion springs are an excellent choice for mechanisms that require rotational force or resistance (torque). With legs extending from both sides of the spring’s coils, the torque is transferred from the spring’s coils, through the legs, then to the component attached to the legs.
Depending on how it is designed, a torsion spring can store energy to trigger a reaction (as in a mouse trap) or resist/assist a rotational movement (as with a door hinge).
Torsion springs are essential to the proper functioning of many everyday items, including:
As with all spring types, there are important factors to consider when designing torsion springs. Here is what you need to know to design the best torsion spring for your assembly:
In contrast to other types of springs, which move two directions along an axis when a mechanism exerts force on them (e.g., compression springs), torsion springs rotate in a plane around a single point. As a result, this spring type is best suited for mechanisms with a rotational motion.
Amount of torque measured depends on where force is applied along the spring’s legs, and how the spring is fixtured for testing. Some energy will always be lost due to deflection of the legs under load, often leading to inconsistent torque measurement results.
For this reason, we do not offer load testing for torsion springs at Orlando Precision. However, we do provide a calculated load based on the physical dimensions used to manufacture the spring.
When a torsion spring is rotated into a “closed” coil position, the diameter of the spring body decreases and the spring body elongates. Essentially, coils are being added to the spring without adding additional material.
When the coils rotate towards the “open” position, the coil diameter increases and the body length decreases as coils are “removed” from the spring.
To ensure optimal performance, the design for your torsion spring must account for the spring’s diameter and length in both open and closed positions.
While the coiling direction rarely matters for compression and extension springs, it is a critical consideration for torsion springs because it determines where the legs will sit in the assembly.
When springs are wound too tightly, the coils may rub against one another, causing friction and adding tension to the coils. When wound too tightly, this can cause the spring rate and rotation to be inconsistent. If you need a highly precise spring, consider adding some amount of space between the coils.
At Orlando Precision, our master coilers manufacture custom torsion springs from 0.012” to 0.200” in wire diameter. If you have questions when designing springs for your assembly, we are always happy to share our expertise.
Request a quote today!
Customers often think the best way to ensure their custom spring functions as intended in an application is to carefully define the spring’s physical dimensions such as free length or number of coils.
While that information is important, there is a tried and true way of simulating a spring’s function in its end-use environment: a method known as load testing. As your custom spring manufacturer, Orlando Precision can perform load testing here in our facility.
If you have heard the term load testing but are unsure what it entails, here is a quick refresher.
Load testing measures the force required to compress a spring to a specific length. For example, if a customer needs a 1” long spring to give 10 lbs of force when compressed at 0.5”, we can simulate their criteria to see how the spring will behave. Customers can also ask us to test spring rate, which is the ratio of pounds per inch of compression.
Load testing is carried out with a calibrated piece of equipment called a load tester that measures within a specific range of force. We primarily perform load testing on compression springs, though it’s possible (but more challenging and expensive) to carry these tests out on extension springs and torsion springs as well.
Load testing helps to ensure that custom springs give the force required in their end-use application. Typically, customers know how far the spring will compress and the force their spring must give at that length. Load testing can confirm success or failure in a specific tolerance range for a given load.
For example, suppose a valve application has a compression spring that needs 1 lb of force to hold the valve open or closed. Too much or too little force will cause the valve to open or close when it isn’t supposed to, resulting in failure in the end use environment. The load test helps identify the risk of spring failure, which may lead to design iterations that help the spring perform more successfully.
The industry tolerance standard for load testing is +/- 10%, meaning a 1 lb load could be between 0.9 and 1.1 lbs. Customers may require a tighter tolerance, like +/- 5%, for their load testing, although there will be an impact on setup times and costs.
Once we have carried out a load test, we include that information on our part documentation. If you require first article inspection (FAI) documentation with confirmation of the load test, we can also provide that.
We can fully coordinate and perform load testing for your application, but we need a few key pieces of information:
A quick note on spring dimensions: Designs must have some flexibility in the dimensions so a spring can achieve the load height required. We often have to adjust dimensions like the number of coils or the free length of the spring to meet load goals, so knowing where we can make those adjustments beforehand is important.
If you’re looking for a custom compression spring manufacturer who can produce your spring and perform the proper testing, request a quote from Orlando Precision today!
At Orlando Precision, we can form just about any round material into a custom wire form. But we like to dig deeper with our customers so that they feel confident they are using the best material possible for their specific applications.
When selecting a material for your wire form, it is critical to look at your project from multiple angles, including budget, manufacturability, and end-use environment. If you are not sure where to begin, we are here to guide you in the right direction.
The first question to ask yourself when choosing a material for your wire form is: what do I need my wire form to do in its end-use environment? If the wire form wil
l function like a spring (e.g., holding tension or springing back to a specific shape), then it must be formed from a spring steel such as one of the materials we use for custom springs:
If your wire form does not have spring-like properties, there are several other material options available. From least to most expensive, here is a list of materials we typically use for wire forming services that are not spring tempered:
Basic carbon steels like C1008 or C1018 are the lowest-cost option for custom wire forms. However, these materials are not particularly corrosion resistant. These basic steels typically have lower tensile strength than other materials (about 49,300 psi).
Hard drawn steel is a type of carbon steel with significantly higher tensile strength than C1008 and C1018, ranging from 220,000-315,000 psi. This material is similar in tensile strength to music wire, but should be avoided for any spring-like applications due to inconsistency in tensile strength.
When it makes sense for your application, using a pre-plated material—like galvanized steel wire or pre-plated zinc—is always cheaper than plating after manufacturing and removes any chance of damaging parts during the plating process. However, there are sourcing challenges associated with acquiring pre-plated materials: the selections are often limited, and lead times can be long. Pre-plated materials are often a great solution, we suggest discussing projects using this material early-on to mitigate any longer lead times.
Lower tensile stainless steels are ideal for custom wire forms that need to be flexible and corrosion resistant. Additionally, if your part does not require the high tensile strength of standard stainless steel, you can often save money on manufacturing costs by using a lower tensile alternative. While the cost of the material itself is not significantly different, lower tensile steels are easier on tooling and more forgiving in manufacturing, which can help keep prices down.
At Orlando Precision, we want to be your go-to resource for wire forming services. Whether you need support selecting the right material or already have your material picked out, request a quote today to begin (or continue) our partnership!
As a trusted custom spring manufacturer, we work with many customers whose specific needs cannot be met by the items in an online stock spring catalog. Often, customers are unsure if their vision can become a reality, but at Orlando Precision, we do everything possible to bring even the most complex ideas to life.
Recently, we partnered with Advanced Spot Welding on a custom compression spring project that we are incredibly proud of. If you have been considering working with a custom spring manufacturer, this story will give you a better sense of what we can do for you.
Advanced Spot Welding is a contract welding company specializing in materials joining, design, fabrication, and assembly, offering a turn key approach to custom manufacturing.
They contacted us about manufacturing a custom compression spring to be used in the fracking industry. The spring ultimately functions as an electrical contact that, when triggered, detonates an explosive charge on a perforating gun to loosen nearby soil.
This was a part that had been previously manufactured, but was being redesigned to be manufactured using a fully automated process.
Advanced Spot Welding sought to purchase a spring component for their assembly that would require a customized and automated manufacturing process. The component had been previously manufactured, but using a manual and labor intensive process. Fit and function were both highly critical in the spring design and required careful attention.
As with any reverse engineering project, we needed to identify the right materials and finish processes. The spring needed to have a high tensile spring material that was both corrosion resistant and somewhat electrically conductive.
Our next challenge was finding the proper tooling to manufacture the compression springs. Though we were sure we could take this project on, we did not yet have the specialty tooling needed and knew we would have to test a variety of manufacturing methods to identify what method would be required to hold to the tightest tolerances possible.
We successfully machined our own in house tooling as well as made adjustments to existing machine tooling to be able to form this spring complete off of one of our coiling machines.
With our tooling in hand, we began our collaborative prototype manufacturing process. We ran about 25 pieces of the compression spring and sent them to the customer where they were tested and approved.
For the spring material, music wire with a pre-plated zinc finish was chosen for production. This material met all three project requirements of having a high tensile strength, corrosion resistance from the zinc plating, and some electrical conductivity.
Once the customer approved the prototype, we went into production, manufacturing quantities of 50,000 at a time. We will continue working with Advanced Spot Welding as they require more inventory for their custom spring.
If you are in the market for a custom spring manufacturer and looking for a collaborative partner, request a quote from Orlando Precision today!
When preparing to produce a custom spring or wire form, a great custom spring manufacturer will initiate a conversation with you to gain a thorough understanding of the component’s end use.
Even if you have provided comprehensive specs and part documentation in your quote request, this initial dialogue helps ensure that both parties—customer and manufacturer—are aligned before manufacturing begins.
At Orlando Precision, we also use these discussions as opportunities to offer Design for Manufacturability (DFM) advice that can yield time and cost savings.
No matter which spring manufacturer you work with, they should ask a series of questions in the beginning of your engagement.
Here are the questions we ask our customers about their custom springs and wire forms:
First, we need to know the overall application of the customer’s assembly. As a team of curious people, we always want to hear more about what our customers are building! But we are not just looking to satisfy our own curiosity. The answer to this question adds essential context that we take into consideration during our manufacturing process.
Sometimes we discover surprising information that we would not have known otherwise. For instance, we may learn that a component will need to function in a particular environment that impacts material selection.
Once we have a clear understanding of the overall assembly, we will want to discuss the component’s function within the assembly. This information gives us a deeper understanding of the customer’s needs, allowing us to strategically review the part design and think critically about how to best manufacture it.
For example, if your component needs to hold a specific force or act as a frame in an assembly, those details are essential to successful spring and wire forming services.
Understanding the history of your component is another factor that helps us make the most informed manufacturing decisions.
If your custom spring or wire form has been manufactured before, we may ask follow-up questions like:
While it is technically possible to manufacture a spring or wire form out of nearly any material, selecting the wrong material can compromise a component’s functionality.
Not all materials can withstand the pressure and repetitive use that the component might be subjected to in its final environment. If you are unsure of the right material for your custom spring or wire form, we are happy to provide input and recommendations.
It is essential to determine the acceptable range for deviation regarding a component’s dimensions. If there are any critical tolerances, we will need to know what they are to ensure we meet all your specifications.
While springs have well-defined tolerancing criteria established by the Spring Manufacturers Institute, there are no official industry standards for tolerancing wire forms. No matter which type of component you need, we will work with you to achieve tight tolerances if necessary.
It is helpful for us to know if a specific finishing process or secondary operation will be required for your spring or wire form.
The more information you can provide, the better. If you have specs that clearly define your component’s finishing requirements, we want to see them. And if you are not sure what you need, we are always happy to discuss surface finishing operations such as plating or electropolishing.
Our goal is always to build a process that meets your requirements. Part of that process is understanding what your quality and inspection requirements are.
If you need a first article inspection or specific documentation such as material certifications, we will need that information as soon as possible so that we can take it into consideration.
When manufacturing custom springs specifically, it is important to know if the spring has a certain load criteria. Does it require a certain force or torque at a certain length or angle of deflection?
Knowing this allows us to inspect this criteria during production. We will also review your spring’s design in case your dimensional specifications do not provide the desired load or rate.
While information about a component’s life cycle is not necessary for wire forms, it is of critical importance for custom springs, which can become less functional over time. For example, will the spring be used only once, or will it need to last for thousands of cycles without wearing down?
This is especially important for any new spring design. If it is an existing spring and has been functioning in application without issue, there is rarely a need to make any design changes.
If you want to partner with a custom spring and wire form manufacturer who will go the extra mile to get you the component you need, request a quote from Orlando Precision today!
Tolerancing standards or tolerance guidelines for custom wire forming applications are different from those used for precision machined parts, as well as custom springs.
Most methods of machining (such as turning, milling, and drilling) can hold exceptionally tight tolerances. Machining tolerances typically cannot be applied to springs. Instead, springs have well-defined tolerance criteria put forth by the Spring Manufacturers Institute. Wire forming is not quite like either.
There is no official industry standard for tolerancing wire forms, so individual manufacturers set standards and guidelines based on their experience and capabilities as well as the engineer’s design and requirements. Wire forms generally require more leniency in tolerancing, but their flexibility often ensures that looser tolerances do not impact functionality.
It is possible to achieve tight tolerances with wire forming services, but doing so requires more extensive processes and can increase costs. When in doubt, follow these six rules of thumb for tolerancing wire forms to optimize quality, cost, and lead time.
The most critical tolerance is often located where the wire form interfaces with another part of the assembly. At Orlando Precision, we will want to pay close attention to this tolerance, so we ask that you call it out explicitly.
For example, if a coil or radius fits over an 0.25” O.D. rod, we need to ensure that the inner bend radius or coil I.D. does not interfere with the rod while remaining in a specific tolerance range. The rest of the part should include reference tolerances wherever a dimension does not require close inspection.
If you are not comfortable forgoing inspection for non-critical features, we are happy to accommodate you. In that case, we still recommend providing a more forgiving tolerance for the rest of the part.
Wire size is a helpful metric on which to base wire forming tolerances. Our rule of thumb is to hold to +/- half of a wire diameter for a straight length.
If we are machining a straight length on a wire form with 0.25” material, we recommend a tolerance of +/- 0.125” on the length. If the material is 0.120”, we recommend a tolerance of +/- 0.060.”
While these may seem like wide tolerances, wire forms are generally flexible enough to deflect into an assembly, even with looser tolerances. We are always willing to devise a plan for achieving tighter tolerances during wire forming services, but if more development time or different processes are required, it can impact cost.
We can comfortably hold +/- 3 degrees as our standard when tolerancing bends angles.
Tighter tolerances are possible depending on your design, but with more bends, each angle’s variation adds up and impacts the wire form’s final shape. To ensure the best outcome, we advise customers to think critically about bends in their design.
The more bends there are between two points on a wire form, the harder it is to hold a specific tolerance.
For this reason, tolerances must increase when measuring across multiple bends. At Orlando Precision, we can review your wire form drawing and advise you on the achievable tolerances in the case of multiple bends.
One way to verify that your wire form will fit in an assembly is to provide a check gauge, sometimes called a go/no-go gauge, for us to test the fit and/or function.
A check gauge simulates the final assembly and/or has a negative cavity of the profile of the wire form with space added for allowed tolerances. If the wire form fits the check gauge (or does not fit a “no-go” gauge), it indicates that the part meets specifications.
Burrs commonly occur during custom wire forming at the cut-off points, but we can leverage secondary processes or special cutting tools to minimize them. If your wire form needs a smooth, clean cut on its end, let us know, and we will employ one of these techniques.
Some wire forms have nearly no burr depending on wire diameter, tensile strength, and which cutting tool is used. We always recommend testing your wire form without a secondary chamfer or deburr process. These processes add to production costs, and are not always necessary for functionality.
Keep in mind that these tolerance guidelines are general and that tighter tolerances are always possible when manufacturing wire forms. At Orlando Precision, we are happy to work with customers to determine the optimal tolerancing for a well-functioning wire form within budget. Request a quote today!
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You have been redirected to this site because Gifford Spring has been acquired by Orlando Precision as of August 2024.
Gifford Spring is now part of the Orlando Precision family, continuing to provide the same high-quality products and services you trust.
For more information about this transition and our expanded capabilities, feel free to explore our site or contact us directly.
You have been redirected to this site because Fibreform Precision has been acquired by Orlando Precision.
Fibreform Precision is now part of the Orlando Precision family, continuing to provide the same high-quality products and services you trust.
For more information about this transition and our expanded capabilities, feel free to explore our site or contact us directly.
