Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Choosing Flat Wire Springs




Flat Wire Springs

Flat wire springs are compression springs made from flat wire and have a rectangular cross section. They come in all sizes and shapes, and are typically used in the production of push button switches, shock absorbers and ballpoint pens. Their cross section is much larger than that of your common round wire spring. This provides you with several important benefits, such as offering a higher energy absorption than a round wire spring since they are able to store more energy in a small space. The larger surface area of the flat wire spring enables it to absorb higher impact loads than round wire springs because it distributes forces over a bigger surface. 

To make a flat wire spring, first you start with round wire drawn to the correct size for flattening. Then the round wire is rolled to a flat cross section using a series of rolling operations.
 

Knowing what your springs are made of is a huge advantage to you when it comes time to order replacements.

Flat wire springs can be made from a selection of materials such as brass, steel and metals like titanium, tantalum, nickel, copper and niobium. Brass is the most popular choice in making flat wire springs because it is relatively inexpensive. However, using brass sacrifices the longevity of your springs in high stress applications, as it lacks durability. Using stainless and high-carbon steel is also a fairly inexpensive way to make flat wire springs, so it is also a popular choice by customers. Exotic metals like titanium are the preferred choice by customers looking to design springs to be used in custom applications.
 

There are many applications that call for using a flat wire spring. Some of these applications include, but are not limited to, communication equipment, construction equipment, medical instruments, electronic components and plastics.
 

Choosing the wrong spring can result in the loss of time and money from having to remove your broken spring and then replace it with the correct one. So you may want to consider going with a flat wire spring instead of the traditional round wire spring.

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