21st April 2017
Torsion Springs
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In our latest blog Tim Page, Managing Director analyses the ‘torsion spring’ and the difference in their mode of operation in comparison to extension and compression springs.
Torsion springs are stressed in bending, whereas compression and extension springs are stressed in torsion, in effect they are a wound-up cantilever. As a torsion spring can supply or withstand torque they require some form of spring leg. The type of spring leg depends on its application and can vary from a simple tangential straight leg or it can become a lot more complex. In order to reduce manufacturing tolerances and difficulties – the simpler the better! |
The torsion spring is unable to withstand as great a deflection if it is not operated in a wind-up condition. The spring designer will specify the spring requirements as a load applied to the legs and it’s necessary to convert this into a torque.
When torque is applied to a torsion spring the body length will increase by one wire size for every 360 degree of deflection, this can result in the spring binding if not enough space has been allowed, with the application resulting in spring failure.
As most torsion springs work over a shaft, if the mean diameter of the spring decreases and not enough clearance is allowed between the shaft and the spring, the spring will bind onto the shaft. Consequently the legs will take all of the torque resulting in a permanent set.
When applying tolerances to a spring component it’s essential that this is factored in with the spring design and manufacture.
We hope you found this post on ‘Torsion springs’ informative, please do get in touch if you would like to know more, email us or call 01425 611517.
In our next blog Jon Davies will review ‘flat strip materials’.
Tim Page
When torque is applied to a torsion spring the body length will increase by one wire size for every 360 degree of deflection, this can result in the spring binding if not enough space has been allowed, with the application resulting in spring failure.
As most torsion springs work over a shaft, if the mean diameter of the spring decreases and not enough clearance is allowed between the shaft and the spring, the spring will bind onto the shaft. Consequently the legs will take all of the torque resulting in a permanent set.
When applying tolerances to a spring component it’s essential that this is factored in with the spring design and manufacture.
We hope you found this post on ‘Torsion springs’ informative, please do get in touch if you would like to know more, email us or call 01425 611517.
In our next blog Jon Davies will review ‘flat strip materials’.
Tim Page