What details should be paid attention to when selecting the wave ...

18 Aug.,2025

 

What details should be paid attention to when selecting the wave ...

波形弹簧选型设计应该注意哪些细节?

波形弹簧的选型设计是确保其在特定应用中高效、可靠运行的关键。选型时需要考虑多个因素,以确保波形弹簧能够满足工作环境和性能要求。以下是波形弹簧选型设计时应注意的主要细节:

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1. 载荷要求(Load Requirements)

  • 预紧力:确定波形弹簧的预紧力,以确保其在工作过程中能够承受所需的负荷。
  • 最大载荷:根据实际应用确定波形弹簧的最大载荷能力,避免弹簧因过载而损坏或失效。
  • 工作载荷范围:选择合适的波形弹簧以适应不同的载荷变化,确保弹簧在整个工作过程中始终保持稳定的性能。

2. 工作空间限制(Space Constraints)

  • 轴向高度:波形弹簧的设计是为了节省空间,因此需要精确计算可用的轴向空间,确保波形弹簧在有限的空间内提供所需的力。
  • 外径与内径:根据安装空间选择合适的外径和内径,确保弹簧能够在组件中顺利安装并发挥作用。

3. 材料选择(Material Selection)

  • 负载与环境要求:根据应用场景的负载要求和环境条件(如温度、湿度、腐蚀性等)选择适合的材料。常见的材料包括不锈钢、碳钢、合金钢和特殊合金材料。
  • 耐腐蚀性:在腐蚀性较强的环境中,选用耐腐蚀材料(如304不锈钢、316不锈钢等)确保弹簧的长期使用。
  • 温度范围:在高温或低温环境下使用时,确保选材能够适应温度变化,避免弹簧性能下降或失效。

4. 弹簧刚度(Spring Rate)

  • 弹簧刚度是指单位位移所需的载荷大小。在选型时,应根据应用要求确定波形弹簧的刚度,确保其能够提供足够的弹力并且不会因刚度过高或过低而影响性能。

5. 安装与使用方式(Installation and Use Conditions)

  • 运动方式:波形弹簧可以用于静态和动态应用中,选型时需要确认其工作方式(如往复运动、静止支撑等),以确保其稳定性和耐用性。
  • 工作环境:如果波形弹簧处于振动或冲击环境中,选择能够承受这些动态负荷的弹簧类型。
  • 预负荷要求:根据应用中的要求,确定是否需要波形弹簧在装配时就施加一定的预负荷。

6. 波形类型与层数(Wave Type and Number of Turns)

  • 单层与多层波形:根据负载和位移要求选择单层或多层波形设计。单层波形弹簧适用于较低的载荷,而多层波形弹簧则能提供更大的载荷和更高的刚度。
  • 嵌套设计:如果需要更高的载荷能力和更小的安装空间,可以选择嵌套波形弹簧设计。

7. 耐疲劳性与使用寿命(Fatigue Resistance and Service Life)

  • 波形弹簧在动态负载下工作时,材料的耐疲劳性至关重要。选择具有良好疲劳寿命的材料和设计,确保波形弹簧能够承受长期的重复使用而不失效。

8. 表面处理与涂层(Surface Treatment and Coatings)

  • 表面处理:为提高波形弹簧的耐腐蚀性、耐磨性和润滑性,可以选择镀锌、黑色氧化、磷化等表面处理方式。
  • 涂层:在某些特殊环境中,如食品加工或医疗设备中使用的波形弹簧,可能需要使用符合食品级或医疗标准的涂层材料。

9. 环境与安全要求(Environmental and Safety Considerations)

  • 在选型时,要考虑到环境因素,如化学物质的暴露、温湿度变化等,这些因素会影响波形弹簧的性能和使用寿命。
  • 确保波形弹簧符合相应的安全标准和认证,特别是在对设备安全性要求高的行业,如航空航天、医疗和汽车行业。

10. 成本与经济性(Cost and Economical Feasibility)

Wave spring or coil spring?

Wave spring or coil spring?

Crest-to-Crest wave springs can offer similar loads and deflection to traditional coil springs, but at around half the height. They can reduce axial space by up to 50%, leading to an overall decrease in assembly size, weight and cost. For design engineers looking to utilise these benefits and discover if a crest-to-crest wave spring can replace a coil spring in their application, according to Simon Ward, technical manager, European partner of Smalley.

Wave springs and coil springs are both types of compression spring, primarily used to provide an axial force in either a static or dynamic application. However, there are differences. Coil springs are typically made of round wire, whereas wave springs are made from flat wire. This provides an opportunity to significantly reduce working heights within any assembly. Space-saving is key in medical applications, such as handheld instruments like dental tools and insulin pens, which must be lightweight and compact.

A wave spring, true to its name, utilises a sinusoidal waveform to generate the required axial force. A Crest-to-Crest wave spring has multiple turns to build up the free height of the spring to achieve the required deflection characteristics.

Another difference is the way that wave and coil springs store and release energy. A coil spring has a pitch angle and is torsional so it can twist as it compresses, meaning not all force is necessarily aligned with the axis. On the other hand, wave springs rely on bending: as load is applied, the waves begin to flatten, providing an upward force, allowing for complete axial load transmission.

SWAPPING

For design engineers currently using coil springs, switching to a Crest-to-Crest wave spring needs careful consideration. There is an extensive range of standard sizes that may suit, but in 70-80% of cases a bespoke design will be developed to maximise the benefits.

Before designing any wave spring, it helps to understand the space constraints and the spring performance characteristics. The final design is then achieved by modifying the number of waves and turns, adjusting material cross-section and wave heights. Choice of material also affects the design and will normally be dictated by the operating temperature and environment where the spring must function.

If a crest-to-crest spring does not suit the application, other options include single-turn and nested springs.

To identify the correct wave spring for your application, the best thing to do is work with a specialist. 

Advantages of Using a Wave Spring

1. Can a Wave Spring be Made with the Same or Higher Spring Rate, Compared to a Helical Coil Spring? 

Yes, we can increase spring rate with various modifications such as the number of waves, material thickness, and number of turns. Crest-to-Crest springs can function similarly to helical springs in a variety of applications. Smalleys engineers can help you identify the correct wave spring for your specific design requirements.

2. Why Do Smalley Single Turn Springs have a Gap? How is This Better from a Stamped Washer?

Smalley products are manufactured by coiling, not stamping. Our edgewinding process allows us the flexibility to add a gap or an overlap during manufacturing. A benefit of having a gap or an overlap is that Smalley parts will operate and/or cling when contacting a bore, while stamped products would bind while contacting a bore. Binding causes the spring to become rigid, and the spring properties, as a result, become unpredictable. This allows Smalley parts to work in tighter radial cavities. Furthermore, the edgewinding process results in our springs having a circular-grain metallurgy. The benefit of this is it gives our products strength and stability far superior to that of conventional wave washers, providing a more accurate, repeatable load. 

3. Can You Create a Lower Rate Spring Like a Helical Coil Spring?

Smalley is capable of matching the spring rate of these springs in most cases. Our engineering support is available for specific design questions.

4. Can a Wave Spring Replace a Coil Spring?

Wave springs can provide similar forces and loads as a traditional coil spring. They achieve this at down to about half the height of a coil spring. Due to the space and weight savings, a wave spring cannot be directly substituted for a coil spring in your existing application without reducing the size of the spring cavity. Wave springs must be designed into your application in order to realize all of the benefits. 

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5. Are Wave Springs Cheaper Than Coil Springs?

Wave springs can save you money when taking the whole assembly into consideration. Crest-to-Crest Wave Springs allow for smaller assemblies with a reduced spring height, which results in a smaller spring cavity. This translates into considerable cost-savings for the surrounding assembly, resulting in a net savings that far outweighs the cost variance between the wave spring and coil spring.

What's the difference between a wave spring and a coil spring?

Custom or standard, Smalley takes great pride in its unparalleled dedication to delivering quality wave spring solutions for a variety of industries. Both wave springs and traditional coil springs fall under the category of compression springs. While the primary function of a compression spring is to provide axial load, wave springs have a few key differences and advantages when compared to coil springs.

The key advantage of using a wave spring is in the axial space savings. Whether it is a static or dynamic application, wave springs may be the ideal solution where space is a constraint. Mega Coil

The apparent difference between a wave spring and a coil spring is the height. A wave spring can provide the same force and deflection as a coil spring but in considerably less axial space. Wave springs have up to a 50% reduced height, mainly because of the following two design features:

Coil springs are typically made of round wire, while wave springs use flat wire. Flat wire takes up less vertical space than round wire, which contributes to the reduction in work height.

Just as the name implies, a wave spring has multiple waves per turn. The wave design contributes to the load output of the spring. In the image below, we have a flat wire coil spring, a traditional coil spring, and a wave spring, respectively.

Because a flat wire coil spring has a thinner cross-section in comparison to the coil spring, a taller free height is required to achieve a similar load output. On the other hand, a wave spring also has a thin cross-section, yet has the lowest free height. This is due to the unique Crest-to-Crest design, which allows for similar spring rates to a coil spring, but with axial space-saving capabilities.

Now that you understand the most notable difference between a coil spring and a wave spring, let’s go over some commonly asked questions.

The difference between a wave spring and a coil spring lies in the way they store and release energy. Wave springs rely on bending, similar to a simple beam, whereas coil springs are torsional. As a load is applied, the waves on the wave spring begin to flatten to provide an upward force, allowing for complete axial load transmission. Coil springs, on the other hand, twist as they compress, so not all the force is necessarily aligned with the axis.

Bottom line? Wave springs may potentially have a higher piece price, but overall cost savings may be seen when designing a wave spring into your application.

Other applications where an alternative spring should be used is in cases where extension or torsion is required. Wave springs are designed for compression only.

Interested in learning more about wave springs? Check out our new E-Book below.

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