The design, shape and material of your springs affects the functionality and efficiency of their application. When ordering springs for your product, it is important to understand how the dimensions and shape impact the maximum performance of a spring. Conical springs, in particular, have a strength and stability during compression that is matched by few other designs. Take a look at some of the more advantageous aspects of conical springs, from lowering slenderness ratios to creating nonlinear forces.
Varying Slenderness Ratio
The slenderness ratio of a spring is the amount a spring will warp or bend when compressed. A high slenderness ratio means the length of the spring is much wider than the diameter of the coil. When the slenderness ratio is too high, the spring will deform during compression or deflection. With a conical spring, the slenderness ratio lowers as the spring compresses, since the coil diameter decreases as the length decreases. This creates a more stable spring.
Nonlinear Force Distribution
A conical spring is a nonlinear spring. This means that the amount of force distributed throughout the spring varies. For instance, more force is applied to compress the smaller diameter end of the spring than on the larger end. As a result, there is a more efficient distribution of force.
Telescopic Properties
One of the greatest advantages of a conical spring is its telescopic properties. Depending on the spacing of the coils, conical springs can compress all the way down to the solid height of the wire, or essentially flat. Conical springs can also compress into more trapezoidal shapes if the wire is thicker than the inner diameter of the spring.
Depending on the application, conical springs may be more beneficial than a linear compression spring. If your machine requires stable spring-action, then you may want to opt for a coned spring, which provide greater load bearing capabilities in a smaller amount of space.