MACHINE DESIGN - An Integrated Approach, 4th Ed.

Case Study 10C-1

CASE STUDY 10C

Design of a Return Spring for a Cam-Follower Arm

Problem: Design an extension spring for the cam-follower arm in Figure 9-8 based on the
loadings defined in Case Study 10A in Chapter 9.
1
Units: cpm  min
Given: The spring rate is 25 lb/in with a preload of 25 lb. The spring's dynamic
deflection is 1.5 in.
lbf
Spring rate k  25 Working deflection Δy  1.50 in
in
Minimum force Fmin  25 lbf Forcing frequency ff  180  cpm

Assumptions: The spring operates in an oil bath whose temperature is below 250 deg F.
Infinite life is required. Use ASTM A228 music wire and standard loops on
each end.
6
Shear modulus G  11.5 10  psi
Solution: See Figure 14-36 and Mathcad file CASE10C.
1. Assume a trial wire diameter from the available sizes in Table 14-2. Assume a spring index of 8 and calculate
the mean coil diameter D from equation 14.5.
Wire diameter d  0.177  in
Spring index C  8
Mean coil diameter D  C d D  1.416  in (a)
2. Use the assumed value of C to find an appropriate value of initial coil stress i from equations 14.21as the
average value of the functions that bracket the acceptable range of spring preloads in Figure 14-22:

 3 2 
τi1  4.231  C  181.5  C  3387 C  28640  psi τi1  10994  psi (b)

  2.987  C  139.7  C  3427 C  38404   psi

3 2
τi2 τi2  18399  psi (c)

τi1  τi2 (d)

τi  τi  14697  psi
2
3. Find the direct shear factor Ks :
0.5
Direct shear factor Ks  1  Ks  1.063 (e)
C
4. Use the value of i from (c) in equation 14.8 to find the corresponding initial coil- tension force Fi:

3
π d  τi (f)
Fi  Fi  21.3 lbf
8  K s D

Check that this force is less than the required minimum applied force Fmin, which in this case, it is. Any
applied force smaller than Fi will not deflect the spring.
5. Find the maximum force from the given rate and deflection and use them to find the mean and alternating
forces from equation 14.15a:

Maximum force Fmax  Fmin  k Δy Fmax  62.5 lbf

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MACHINE DESIGN - An Integrated Approach, 4th Ed. Case Study 10C-2

Fmax  Fmin
Alternating force Fa  Fa  18.75  lbf
2
(g)
Fmax  Fmin
Mean force Fm  Fm  43.75  lbf
2
6. Use the direct shear factor Ks and previously assumed values to find the minimum stress min and the mean
stress m:
8  Fmin D
Stress at Fmin τmin  Ks τmin  17.27  ksi
3
π d
(h)
8  Fm D
Stress at Fm τm  Ks τm  30.23  ksi
3
π d

7. Find the Wahl factor Kw and use it to calculate the alternating shear stress a in the coil.
4 C  1 0.615
Wahl factor Kw   Kw  1.184 (i)
4 C  4 C
8  F a D
Alternating stress τa  Kw τa  14436  psi (j)
3
π d

8. Find the ultimate tensile strength of this music-wire material from equation 14.3 and Table 14-4 and use it to
find the ultimate shear strength from equation 14.4 and the torsional yield strength for the coil body from
Table 14-12, assuming no set removal.

From Table 14-4, for A228 music wire A  184.649  ksi b  0.1625
b
S ut  A   
Ultimate tensile d
strength  S ut  244.7  ksi
 
in
Shear yield
strength S ys  0.45 S ut S ys  110.1  ksi (k)

Ultimate shear
strength S us  0.667  S ut S us  163.2  ksi (l)

9. Find the wire endurance limit for unpeened springs from equation 14.13 and convert it to fully reversed
endurance strength with equation 14.18b.

Wire endurance limit S ew  45.0 ksi (m)

S ew S us
Fully reversed S es  0.5 S es  26.1 ksi (n)
endurance limit S us  0.5 S ew

10. The fatigue safety factor for the coils in torsion is calculated from equation 14.18a.

Fatigue factor S es  S us  τmin

Nfs  Nfs  1.4 (o)
of safety S es  τm  τmin  S us τa

Note that the minimum stress due to force Fmin is used in this calculation, not the coil-winding stress from (d).
11. The stresses in the end hooks also need to be determined. The bending stresses in the hook are found from
equation 14.24:
2  R1 2 D
C1 = = =C C1  C C1  8
d 2 d

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MACHINE DESIGN - An Integrated Approach, 4th Ed. Case Study 10C-3

2
4 C1  C1  1
Kb  Kb  1.103 (p)
4  C1  C1  1 
16 D Fa 4  Fa
σa  Kb  σa  27650  psi (q)
3 2
π d π d

16 D Fm 4  Fm
σm  Kb  σm  64517  psi
3 2
π d π d
16 D Fmin 4  Fmin
σmin  Kb  σmin  36867  psi (r)
3 2
π d π d

12. Convert the torsional endurance strength to a tensile endurance strength with equation 14.4 and use it and
the ultimate tensile strength in equation 14.16 to find a fatigue safety factor for the hook in bending:
S es
S e  S e  38953  psi
0.67
S e  S ut  σmin
Nfb  Nfb  1.0 (s)
S e  σm  σmin  S ut σa

13. Find the torsional stresses in the hook at point B in Figure 14-23 using equation 14.24 and an assumed
value of C2  5.

C2 d
R2  R2  0.442  in
2
4  C2  1
Kw2  Kw2  1.188 (t)
4  C2  4

8  Fa D
τBa  Kw2 τBa  14478  psi
3
π d
8  Fm D
τBm  Kw2 τBm  33783  psi (u)
3
π d

8  Fmin D
τBmin  Kw2 τBmin  19304  psi
3
π d
14. The fatigue safety factor for the hook in torsion is calculated from equation 14.16b.

S es  S us  τBmin
Nfs  Nfs  1.4 (v)
S es  τBm  τBmin  S us τBa

Two of these safety factors are acceptable. The safety of the hook in bending is low.
15. To get the specified spring rate, the number of active coils must satisfy equation 14.7, solving for Na yields:
4
Number of active d G
coils Na  Na  19.878 Na  20 (w)
3
8 D  k

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MACHINE DESIGN - An Integrated Approach, 4th Ed. Case Study 10C-4

Note that we round it to the nearest 1/4 coil as the manufacturing tolerance cannot achieve better than that
accuracy. Having rounded the number of active coils, we must now calculate the spring rate using equation 14.

4
Corrected d G lbf
spring rate k  k  24.85  (x)
3 in
8  D  Na
16. The total number of coils in the body and the body length are

Total coils Nt  Na  1 Nt  21
(y)
Body length Lb  Nt d Lb  3.717  in

17. The free length can now be determined. The length of a standard hook is equal to the coil inside diameter:
Hook length Lhook  D  d Lhook  1.239  in
Free length Lf  Lb  2  Lhook Lf  6.195  in (z)
18. The inside and outside coil diameters are
Inside coil dia Di  D  d Di  1.239  in
(aa)
Outside coil dia Do  D  d Do  1.593  in
19. The weight of the spring's active coils is found from equation 14.11b and is
3
Weight density ρ  0.28 lbf  in
2 2
π  d  D Na ρ
Weight Wa  Wa  0.613  lbf (ab)
4
21. The natural frequency of this spring is found from equation 14.25a and is:

1 k g
Natural frequency fn   fn  62.6 Hz fn  3753 cpm (ac)
2 Wa

The ratio between the natural frequency and the forcing frequency is
fn
Frequency ratio  20.9 which is sufficiently high.
ff

22. We now have a complete design specification for this A228-wire spring:
Wire diameter d  0.177  in
Outside diameter Do  1.593  in
Total coils Nt  21
Free length Lf  6.195  in (ad)
23. This design is marginal as the hook is predicted to be at failure in bending fatigue after about a million cycles
of operation. If that is too short a life, then the design should be iterated again to improve it. Increasing the
wire size to 0.192 in and the spring index to 8.5 will raise all the safety factors, with the hook in bending the
lowest at 1.2.

CASE10C.xmcd