2/19/2016 Compression Spring Calculator (Load Based Design)

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HOMEPAGE CALCULATORS EXAMPLES GUIDELINES REFERENCE

COMPRESSION SPRING CALCULATOR (LOAD BASED DESIGN) CALCULATORS

The Compression spring calculator has been developed to Beam Deflection Calculators
calculate compression springs design parameters with the
knowledge of design type (one load & free height, one load Engineering Unit Converter

& spring rate, two loads), compression spring wire diameter,

Fastener Dimensions
spring diameter, spring free height, loads at specific
heights, compression spring end type and material
Hertzian Contact Calculator
selection. Material selection of compression springs can be
done from listed spring steels including music wire, stainless Limits, Fits and Tolerances
steel wire, chrome vanadium, etc. Calculation results
generated by the compression springs calculator are solid Material Properties
height, torsional shear stress at solid height, factor of safety
against yielding, buckling check, spring outer diameter Mechanical Springs
expansion, load-deflection curve, stress–deflection curve,
spring index. Screw Thread Calculators

This calculator can be used to design statically loaded compression springs. For compression springs which work Sectional Properties Calculator
under cyclic loading, first use this calculator for the sizing according to static loading and then visit "Critical
Frequency of Helical Springs" and "Stress Analysis of Coil Compression Springs for Fatigue Loading" calculators to Stress Concentration Factors

check the compression spring design against cyclic loading.

Stress/Strain Analysis
The formulas and parameters used in the calculator are given in the "Supplements " section of this page.
Structural Analysis of Beams
Note: This calculator was developed by mainly using Shigley's Mechanical Engineering Design book. If further
information on the subject is needed, this reference source can be used. Tooling Calculators

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Vibration Calculators
Calculator:

COMPRESSION SPRINGS

Critical Cyclic Loading Frequency

Load Based Design

Rate & Dimension Based Design

Analysis for Fatigue Loading

An Example on Spring Design

INPUT PARAMETERS

One Load & Free Height

Design Type EXTENSION SPRINGS
One Load & Spring Rate
Two Loads
Dimensional Spring Design
DIMENSIONAL PARAMETERS
Analysis for Static Loading
Parameter Symbol Value Unit

Wire diameter d 1.5 Analysis for Fatigue Loading

Spring outer diameter - [OD] 13 An Example on Spring Design

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2/19/2016 Compression Spring Calculator (Load Based Design)
Spring free height (length) Lf 25 mm

Height 1 L1 20

Height 2 L2 ---

Load 1 @ height 1 F1 20
N
Load 2 @ height 2 F2 ---
SILICONE OVEN RACK …
Spring rate k --- N/mm $8.99

End types for compression spring Plain (Open) and Ground 66%
off

SPRING MATERIAL & STRESS RELEATED PARAMETERS

Parameter Symbol Value Unit

Material selectionx Chrome-vanadium

Silicone Non-stick …
Elastic modulus E --- GPa $29.95 $9.95

Poisson's ratio v --- --- 46%

off

Material tensile strength Sut --- MPa

Prestressing (Set romoval) Unprestressed (Set Not Removed) - Default

Allowable torsional strength (% of Sut) + 45 %

Oven Rack Guards …
Design factor at solid height against ns $27.95 $14.89
1.2 ---
torsional stress

SPRING STABILITY (BUCKLING)

Parameter Symbol Value Unit

Spring stability (buckling) check Stability control

End condition* Ends are fixed with flat parallel surfaces

End condition constant α 0.5 ---

Design factor for buckling nb 1.5 ---

Calculate

Note 1 : x Spring material properties are from Ref-2 except "User defined" selection.

Note 2 : + Equals maximum allowable torsional stress in static applications. See supplements for reference
values.

Note 3 : * Ends supported by flat surfaces must be squared and ground [Ref-2] .

RESULTS Shigley's Mechanical

Engineering Design
DIMENSIONAL PARAMETERS (McGraw-Hill Series
in Mechanical
Parameter Symbol Value Unit Engineering)
(20)
Number of active coils Na 8.03
$278.16
Number of total coils Nt 9.03 ---

Spring index C* 7.67

Spring rate k 4 N/mm

Wire diameter d 1.5

Spring outer diameter OD 13

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Spring mean diameter D 11.5

Spring inner diameter ID 10

Outer diameter at solid length ODat solid*** 13.02 mm

Spring free length (height) Lf 25

Spring solid height Ls 13.55

Maximum deflection (Lf to Ls ) Δx 11.45

Pitch at free length p** 2.77

SPRING MATERIAL & STRESS RELEATED PARAMETERS

Parameter Symbol Value Unit

Load at solid height Fs 45.82 N

Shear stress at height 1 τ1 206.98

Shear stress at height 2 τ2 ---

Shear stress at solid height τs 474.17 MPa

Ultimate tensile strength of material Sut 1872.97

Allowable torsional strength Sall 842.84

Factor of safety against torsional yielding at foss

1.78 ---
solid height (Sall / τs )#

Modulus of rigidity G 77.2

GPa
Elastic modulus E 203.4

Material ASTM No. A232

SPRING STABILITY (BUCKLING)

Parameter Symbol Value Unit

Stability condition (includes nb ) Stable

Factor of safety against buckling fosb + 2.428 ---

Note 1 : * The preferred spring index range is 4 to 12 according to [Ref-1] . Compression springs with high
indexes tangle and may require individual packaging, especially if the ends are not squared. Springs with
indexes lower than 4 are difficult to form [Ref-1] .

Note 2 : ** According to no yielding assumption and Lf length shall be same after loading.

Note 3 : *** Does not include the effect if the spring ends are allowed to unwind.

Note 4 : + Shall be larger than the design factor for buckling (nb ≤ fos b )

Note 5 : # Shall be larger than the design factor at solid height (ns ≤ fos s )

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2/19/2016 Compression Spring Calculator (Load Based Design)

Force vs Spring Height

Shear Stress vs Spring Height

Note 1 : The load deflection curve for helical compression springs is essentially a straight line up to the elastic
limit, provided that the amount of active material is constant. The initial spring rate and the rate as the spring
approaches solid often deviate from the average calculated rate. When it is necessary to specify a rate, it should
be specified between two test heights which lie within 15 to 85 % of the full deflection range. [From Ref-1]

Definitions:

Link Usage

Compression Coil (Helical) Spring

Terms and definitions about compression coil springs.
Definitions

Supplements:

Ads by Google ► Use a Calculator ► Machine Design ► Spring Steel ► Compression Test

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2/19/2016 Compression Spring Calculator (Load Based Design)
Link Usage

Spring Steels for Coil Springs List of spring steel materials given in the calculator.

Formulas For Compression Spring

List of formulas used in the calculator.
Design

Allowable Torsional Stresses for Helical

Supplementary tables about the material strength properties
Compression Springs in Static
of helical compression springs.
Applications

End Condition Constants For Helical End condition constants for helical compression spring
Compression Spring Stability Analysis stability and buckling analysis.

Reference:

Courtesy of Associated Spring (1987)., Design Handbook

Budynas.R , Nisbett.K. (2008) . Shigley's Mechanical Engineering Design .8th edition. McGraw-Hill

Shigley J.E. , Mischke C.R. (1996), Standard Handbook of Machine Design , 2nd edition

EN 13906-1: 2002 - Cylindrical helical springs made from round wire and bar – Calculation and design – Part 1:
Compression springs

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