A new suite of compression springs made from plastic composite marks a breakthrough in spring technology claims specialist manufacturer, Lee Spring. Called LeeP these new products were developed in response to customer requests for springs that combine the strength of metal with the special attributes of high-performance thermoplastics.
Manufactured from SABIC Innovative Plastics’ Ultem PEI (polyetherimide) resin, the range will feature different formulations to meet a variety of performance criteria. PEI was chosen following years of engineering design and materials research by Lee Springs’ technical team in the USA.
Ultem amorphous PEI resins offer outstanding elevated thermal resistance, high strength and stiffness, and broad chemical resistance. The material is available in transparent and opaque custom colours, as well as glass-filled grades. In addition, Ultem copolymers are available to meet more stringent specifications for heat, chemical and elasticity performance.
LeeP plastic composite springs are available in a variety of standard sizes and six colour-coded strengths: red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet (the strongest). Custom design options to meet precise performance requirements will also be offered.
Plastic composite springs offer many advantages including stability of physical and mechanical properties up to 170oC, high strength-to-weight ratio and excellent corrosion resistance. Additionally, they are non-magnetic, electrically insulating, offer low flammability and are recyclable. Moreover, they are RoHS and REACH compliant.
Thanks to the advanced properties of Ultem PEI, the range of applications for these new springs is particularly wide. Lee expects interest from a variety of quarters, including medical device manufacturers, imaging and X-ray equipment makers, food processors and packaging machinery manufacturers. Other areas that are likely to benefit include the aerospace, marine, electronics, electrical, water purification, chemical, automotive, semiconductor, instrumentation and communications sectors.
Size matters
Size really does matter today. As components get smaller, so do the springs within them. Lee Spring has responded to the challenge of miniaturisation by introducing its Bantam Mini compression springs range, and will shortly announce the availability of smaller sized products from its stock spring catalogue.
Combining strength with corrosion resistance, the smallest Bantam Mini spring features a wire diameter size of just 0.102mm - slightly thicker than a human hair. The range extends up to 0.140mm in standard outside diameters of 0.635mm, 1.016mm and 1.448mm.
In order to meet the performance needs of a potentially diverse range of applications the springs are manufactured in Elgiloy, a cobalt-chromium-nickel alloy known for its high strength. It is 10% stronger than Type 316 stainless steel and offers superior corrosion resistance. Elgiloy is non-magnetic and continues to perform to specification at temperatures of up to 454°C.
Applications areas envisaged for this new product include medical devices and pharmaceutical delivery devices. Lee Spring also expects interest from thes petrochemical processing sector, aerospace and marine industries. As with the new plastic compression spring range, custom designs will also be offered in Elgiloy as well as other alloys.