Master Spring is here to answer all your spring and wire form design questions—from measuring wire dimensions and standard spring sizes to tackling tight tolerances and much more. Browse our list of frequently asked questions below. If you have specific questions about wire sizes, tolerances and applications, we invite you to contact us or explore our Technical Resource Center.
No. We manufacture all parts per your print, sample, or specifications. However, we can be a more economical source for standard or catalog springs when quantities reach production levels. We keep your blanket orders in stock and deliver per your just-in-time releases.
Cost is always a concern for product designers and purchasing agents.
Savings can be addressed in the following ways:
Yes. Our quality system is based on ISO 9001. We are certified to ensure that our springs and wire forms consistently meet customers’ requirements and that quality is continuously improved. Our goal is to provide our OEM partners with predictable quality and supply. We are proud of our quality system. Learn more.
Yes. We work with engineers from established OEMs on rapid prototype orders. Our goal is to develop long-term partnerships with OEMs where we support all their spring and wire form needs, from prototypes to production quantities. We prefer not to work with solo inventors or design engineering firms that only order prototype quantities.
Our knowledgeable staff can help OEM engineers throughout the challenging phase of prototyping by offering advice and design review. Learn more about our rapid prototyping services or contact us for more information.
Yes. Master Spring has the machinery, skills, and experience to make in-house tooling to save cost and time. We normally purchase a full set of standard tooling that covers the wire diameter range for each machine that we own. Most orders do not require custom tools because of our large tooling inventory and the flexibility of our high-tech forming machines.
Yes. We have several means to prevent tangling in packaging and shipment. Some methods include bagging, paper layering, placing parts on a tack-a-board, and stringing parts. These methods can be discussed at the time of quotation. Learn more about this service now.
Smart spring designs are dependent on factors such as dimensional and load requirements. Throughout the spring engineering process, our experts also consider:
Tolerances should allow spring makers to fabricate quality parts by ordinary production means in the most economical way. Therefore, the critical dimensions should be determined early in the engineering process to allow the spring maker to adjust or compensate for allowable variations in both wire size and mechanical properties.
Product designers often impose the standard tolerance box for machined dimensions on spring designs—which proves impractical based on history and the nature of spring materials. Such boxes must be reviewed, and more realistic tolerances applied.
At Master Spring, our team helps product designers determine what is critical and what specific tolerances should apply. Please call us at 708-453-2570 for spring engineering tips.
Burrs can be minimized during the wire forming process. However, sharp edges are a natural result of the cut-off operation. Sharp edges are generally harmless and their removal can increase cost without adding value to the spring’s performance. Give a second thought to adding the requirement to your drawing.
Stress relieving does change spring dimensions. Temperature and length of time in the oven, as well as material type, affect spring dimensions. Our experts anticipate these changes and work to ensure your final product meets your specifications. In general, the following is true:
Stress relieving or heat treating affects the type of springs as follows:
If you change a wire diameter by 1%, your spring rate will change by 4%. An increase in wire size by 1% results in a 4% stronger spring. The converse is also true. A decrease in wire size of 1% results in a 4% weaker spring.
You will get a 3% change in torsion stress on the spring wire size.
If you increase the mean diameter by 1%, the change in spring rate will decrease by 3%.
Adding a coil weakens the rate. Removing a coil strengthens the rate. For example, if you have a compression spring that has 10 active coils and a spring rate of 90 lbs./inch, and you want to get a rate of 100 lbs., how many active coils do you need?
Formula:
Final Answer: # Active Coils
Solution:
Final Answer: 9 Active Coils
Master Spring & Wire Form Co. offers several coating options to improve the look or durability of your products. These finishes require additional lead times and may increase cost. Finishes may prove cost effective down the road by improving life and performance of a spring.
Zinc plating
Passivation
Other
Manufacturing Springs for the Automotive Industry
Learn how Master Spring manufactured a compression spring with exacting tolerances to support the thin walls of an automotive hose—without the spring protruding from the hose. The result? We produce approximately 6,000,000 of these springs per year to spec for the customer.
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