Slenderness Ratio Slenderness ratio typically describes the ratio of the Free Length (FL) of a compression spring to its Mean Diameter (D). This ratio is important because the more buckling will occur... read full article
Free Length of Compression and Extension Springs When we refer to Free Length (FL or L), we are describing the overall length of a compression spring or an extension spring. This measurement is taken when... read full article
Calculating a Spring's Mean Coil Diameter The Mean Coil Diameter (D) of a spring is the Outside Diameter minus one wire diameter (d), and the Mean Coil Diameter (D) is also the Inside Diameter (ID) plus one wire size (d)... read full article
Deflection of a Spring Simply stated, deflection in compression and extension springs is the movement of the spring, either by applying force to it or removing force from it... read full article
Newcomb Spring Corp. Announces 25 Billion Parts Manufactured Newcomb Spring announces that the company recently reached a milestone of producing 25 billion parts. Put end to end, these parts would reach from the earth to the moon and back, with length to spare... read full article
Pitch - What is it? The pitch of a spring is the distance from the center of one coil to the center of the adjacent coil like threads (lead) on a bolt or screw... read full article
Free Angle & Methods of Measurement of Torsion Springs The free angle of a torsion spring is the angular difference between the two legs that protrude from the coil body when the spring is not loaded. Measuring the free angle can be done by using tools... read full article
Heat Treat Distortion Preventative practices should be considered when designing stamped/flat stock parts in order to reduce distortion caused by heat treating and austempering... read full article
Squareness of Compression Springs Squareness of a compression spring refers to the perpendicularity of the spring to its own axis. A spring that is "square" will exert more uniform loads, which may be needed in critical applications... read full article
Presetting of Overstressed Springs Presetting is an added operation that allows the design to obtain allowable elastic limits and thus greater load capacity at higher load lengths otherwise not obtainable... read full article
Permanent Set Simply put, permanent set in a compression spring is a condition where the spring is deflected (compressed) and does not return to its original free length. This occurs when the material is deflected beyond its elastic properties... read full article
Modulus of Elasticity Modulus of Elasticity is the measurement of stiffness and rigidity of spring material, or its elastic ability. The higher the value (modulus), the stiffer the material. Conversely, materials with lower values are more easily bent under load... read full article
Types of Ends on Helical Compression Springs There are basically four (4) types of ends on helical compression springs: closed & ground, closed & not ground ends, open & ground ends and open & not ground ends... read full article
Springs, Wire Forms & Metal Parts for Critical Missions Quality complex parts and unmatched reliability are standard practice at Newcomb Spring, and we are proud to have manufactured many springs on the Phoenix Mars Lander... read full article
Spring Index The spring index is the relationship between the mean diameter and wire diameter. The equation is shown... read full article
Spring Tolerances vs. Block Tolerances One of the least understood facets of spring design is specifying the proper tolerance to various dimensions of the spring. Sometimes the person engineering and/or drafting a new spring will disregard specifying any tolerance... read full article
How Spring Design Affects Costs Often spring designs are more expensive and difficult to manufacture due to lack of space. Each type of spring presents its own challenges, however, adequate space for coils and spring diameters can simplify design and save cost when placed into production... read full article
Proper Radii in Torsion Springs & Wire Forms Proper bend radii is a topic that, when overlooked, can often result in excessive cost caused by breakage and therefore should be addressed prior to final design... read full article
Spring Rate - What Is It & How Do I Determine Spring Rate? Spring rate is the change in load per unit of deflection and may be determined using the following procedure... read full article
Solid Height The solid height of a compression spring is the height of the spring when all of the coils are brought together (stacked) by compression (load). The following formulas are used to calculate solid height for different end configurations... read full article
Active Coils in a Spring The active coils are what make a spring a spring. We normally refer to the coils that open in an extension spring, the coils that deflect or close in a compression spring and the coils that twist or wind up/down in a torsion spring as "active"... read full article
Right Hand vs. Left Hand Spring Wind Direction Direction of wind is often confused by those unfamiliar with spring design. The direction of wind of a spring can be determined by simply... read full article
Manufacturing & The Cost of Materials Manufacturing spring and metal components while working to keep the cost of materials low. A comment about material prices from Newcomb Spring... read full article
Measuring Initial Tension Measuring the amount of initial tension in an extension spring can be tricky and an often misunderstood process for those unfamiliar with spring manufacturing... read full article
Initial Tension - What Is It? One of the least understood elements of spring design is initial tension in extension springs. So often designers will guess at the amount of force necessary to overcome this one time load, or they will disregard it entirely... read full article
