ETAR · SPRING ENGINEERING

Spring engineering guide

Understand how springs work, what to measure and what to review before defining a part. From the concepts to calculation, with practical examples.

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Illustration of metal spring families — Educational illustration generated for this guide.

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Upright helical compression spring with spaced coils and flat ends resting on a surface.

Spring types

Compression springs

A wire helix that shortens under axial load. Geometry and end support determine the useful travel it can provide.

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Helical extension spring with close-wound coils and hooks at both ends.

Spring types

Extension springs and hooks

An extension helix produces force as it lengthens. The body and its ends behave differently and need separate evaluation.

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Helical torsion spring with two straight legs extending in different directions.

Spring types

Torsion springs

A round-wire helix resists rotation through a moment. Its legs transmit force and shape the installation.

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Group of conical, disc, leaf, flat spiral, and wave metal springs.

Spring types

Special geometries

Conical, barrel, disc, strip, spiral, and wave springs follow different geometry and contact behavior.

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Digital caliper measuring the outside diameter of a helical compression spring.

Dimensions and calculation

Dimensions that describe a helix

An unambiguous sketch avoids mixing up outer, inner, and mean dimensions.

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Compression spring between test platens in two compressed positions.

Dimensions and calculation

Rate, curve, and energy

Rate describes load change per unit of travel or angle over a defined range.

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Three spring geometries beside a mechanical cavity representing the available space.

Dimensions and calculation

Designing from a target load

An inverse problem searches for candidate geometries that meet operating points; it does not by itself produce an approved design.

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Three separate coiled wire samples with different metallic tones.

Materials and processes

Materials and environment

Material affects rate, strength, manufacturing, and environmental behavior; selection requires service context.

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Compression spring between platens inside an open temperature test chamber with a faint warm glow.

Assembly and service

Temperature and load loss

Operating temperature can affect properties and reduce load over time under sustained deformation.

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Spring in a test fixture beside a short wire specimen with a small surface fatigue initiation.

Assembly and service

Static and cyclic loading

A single load point does not fully describe an application that repeats cycles or combines minimum and maximum loads.

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Three matching springs: free, compressed straight, and compressed with lateral buckling.

Assembly and service

Stress, solid height, and stability

Body stress is only one part of mechanical evaluation.

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Close view of springs with ground ends and a spring fitted over a guide shaft.

Dimensions and calculation

Ends, guides, and tolerances

Support and guidance affect stability, load, friction, and repeatability.

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Two compression springs: one clean and one with light oxidation spots.

Materials and processes

Surfaces and treatments

Finishes, coatings, and surface processes should be selected with the material and environment.

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Spring samples in a tray beside a micrometer and dial comparator for inspection.

Assembly and service

Manufacturing, inspection, and validation

Theory becomes a part through a process whose range and controls depend on the requested geometry.

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Free conical spring beside a variable-pitch cylindrical spring under compression.

Spring types

Conical springs and progressive response

A conical or variable-pitch helix can change its response over the travel.

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Three platen arrangements: one spring, two springs in series, and two in parallel.

Dimensions and calculation

Springs in series and parallel

The arrangement of multiple springs changes equivalent rate and the load carried by each element.

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Platform with a mass supported by four upright helical springs.

Assembly and service

Springs in vibrating systems

Vibratory response depends on the spring together with system mass, installation, and damping.

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Compression spring, caliper, and components beside a blank drafting sheet.

Dimensions and calculation

What to include in a technical inquiry

A useful quotation request describes the spring's function, space, and service conditions.

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Three flat spring forms: curved leaf, stacked leaf pack, and flat spiral.

Spring types

Strip, leaf, leaf-spring, and flat spiral springs

Flat springs gain flexibility mainly through bending a strip or sheet, rather than twisting a round-wire helix.

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Four metal spring washers: conical disc, wave, split helical, and fingered types.

Spring types

Disc springs, elastic washers, and wave springs

A washer shape can provide preload, limit play, or act as an axial spring; similar-looking parts can serve different functions.

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FROM THEORY TO A REAL REQUIREMENT

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Use the calculator as an educational starting point, then discuss requirements with our team.

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