Flat Springs

Flat springs are flat strips from a material which can be used to store and at the same time release energy when an external load is used to deflect. Such kinds of springs are small and metal-stamped constituents that work as a spring by regulating the deflection that takes place in small or restricted areas.

A flat spring is manufactured from a combination of nickel-silver, carbon spring steel, stainless steel, beryllium copper, phosphor-bronze, and high-nickel alloy. As a result, it can be used as a ground or a spacer.

Application of Flat Springs

Flat springs have a wide range of shapes and sizes, therefore, they are suitable for numerous applications. Due to this, they can be used for different purposes in different industries such as motors, generators, office equipment, counterbalances, and electrical switchgears.

Flat springs come in different kinds such as leaf springs and flat coil springs. Here are the types:

Leaf Springs

This kind is among the oldest forms since it was used in medieval times but is still of fundamental use especially in suspension of vehicles and cars. This is because it gives enough support and stability. More so, it has minimal wear and tear.

They are made of individual layers of metal leaves which are mostly used for automotive designing and repairing of steer axles or drive.

This kind of springs come in three types especially since they can be manufactured using high-alloy steel or light-weight materials:

Mono-leaf spring – It has a single plate of springs whose centre is thick and tapers out to its ends. The taper’s length and amount are of importance as far as the safety and durability of the spring are concerned. Mono-leaf spring offers less spring rates that hold up the vehicle and more so, its stiffness is less when it comes to bending and controlling the axle.

Multi-leaf spring – This kind of spring is an engineered system that is created to give support, safety, and stability to a car or vehicle. The leaf is made to carry a balanced amount of stress and load, therefore, the length and makeup of the spring are crucial. It is created in such a way that each leaf gives support to the leaf that is below and above it. As a result, the vehicle gets sufficient support due to this feature.

Parabolic spring – This is a leaf that is, instead of linear form, its tapering is in a parabolic one. The tapered single leaf manages the distribution of force from the car to the axle and as a result, it functions just like a complete multi-leaf spring.

The design of this kind of spring is characterised by very few leaves. More so, its thickness varies since the centre is thicker than its ends because of its parabolic shape. Due to this, unwanted inter-leaf friction is prevented. These kind of flat springs are more flexible therefore they can be used on busses.

Flat Coil Springs

These type of springs are used with a counterweight so that the action of the valves are well controlled. Such valves can be those in the exhaust system of a vehicle. They are twisted into a specific configuration so that it is able to absorb shocks as well as provide tension. They are used in seating so as to give enough support and it is used in automotive applications too.

Flat springs come in different sizes, shapes, and materials. This makes them perfect for any purpose. More so, they can be used either as electrical conductors or leaf springs. However, their common function is to hold other assembly parts in a firm position.

This component can also be used together with smaller punch presses so as to lower the amount of tooling that is commonly needed for other production methods. In most cases, these flat springs are bent, formed, shaped or even manufactured so that they meet a specified application requirement. Therefore, they are not tightly coiled wires as most people think.

Due to the variation of its shape and size, a flat spring has the ability to pack sufficient force and flexibility even if space is small. So when picking or ordering a flat spring this December, ensure that it fits your requirement and the purpose so that you do not regret using it.