Lee Spring offers some tips to help companies to maximise the life of their springs:
1. Lower stress, the better!
In the early design stages of a spring, try designing with a larger wire diameter or a lower final load to allow more room for the spring to improve cycle life.
2. Shot peening
A shot-peened spring can handle more stressful conditions than unpeened springs. This process can greatly improve performance and sustainability.
3. Keep cool
Spring relaxation or loss in spring load occurs faster in high-temperature applications, due to stress over time. Reducing operating temperatures can reduce the chances of spring relaxation.
Read the full article in the May issue of DPA