Both springs and wire forms find application in a wide range of industrial and commercial products, from automobiles and electronics to hardware and fasteners to power tools and equipment. While standard parts are readily available in the market, some manufacturers offer custom capabilities for customers with highly specific or unique requirements.
At Southern Spring & Stamping, we offer custom spring and wire form manufacturing capabilities. Equipped with over six decades of industry experience and a more than 100,000 square foot modern manufacturing facility, our team has the knowledge, skills, and tools to produce quality springs and wire forms that meet some of the most complex and unusual design specifications.
An Overview of Springs and Wire Forms
As indicated above, springs and wire forms are available in many variations to suit different applications. Some of the industries that regularly make use of them include:
- Aerospace
- Agriculture
- Construction
- Electrical and electronics
- HVAC
- Injection molding
- Medical
- Petroleum
- Pharmaceutical
- Valves
- Hydraulic
Below we outline some of the design options available for both products.
Design Considerations for Springs
Springs are devices designed to store mechanical energy for use in applications that require compressive, tensile, or torsion force. While they are often thought of in their cylindrical coiled form, they come in numerous other shapes, such as barrel (wider in the middle than at both ends), conical (wide at one end and narrow at the other), and hourglass (narrower in the middle than at both ends). Variable pitch designs—springs with variable wire thickness—are also available.
Some of the most popular spring styles are:
- Belleville springs: disc-shaped springs—also known as coned disc springs and conical spring washers—designed to apply tension and flatten under a set load
- Compression springs: springs designed to shorten as load is applied
- Extension springs: springs—also referred to as tension springs—designed to stretch as load is applied
- Torsion and double torsion springs: springs designs to twist when load is applied
In addition to these standard designs, specialty and custom springs can be manufactured for more demanding applications.
Design Considerations for Wire Forms
Wire form is an umbrella term that encompasses a wide range of parts and products—including springs—formed and shaped from wire into specific designs. Wire formed springs feature custom ends that facilitate assembly into the intended device to ensure energy is transferred and stored properly.
The Spring and Wire Form Manufacturing Process
Springs and other wire forms are manufactured using wire forming equipment. These machines progressively shape and form wire into the desired designs by bending it around mechanical tooling. Wire forming operations can be controlled manually or by computer numerical control (CNC) equipment, depending on the degree of precision and accuracy required. In addition to forming, other manufacturing processes may be employed in the production of springs and wire forms—such as cold heading, 3D bending, spot welding, stamping, and finishing—to ensure the finished parts meet requirements.
Some of the metals most commonly used in the making of spring and wire forms are:
- Aluminum
- Brass
- Copper
- Hastelloy
- Inconel
- Steel and steel alloys
Springs Manufacturing by Southern Spring & Stamping
At Southern Spring & Stamping, Inc., we have extensive experience in the design and manufacture of springs and wire forms. In addition to compression, extension, torsion/double torsion, Belleville, and clock springs, we manufacture custom-shaped wire forms. Our capabilities include:
- Wire size: .004 to .472 inches
- Helix direction: left and right
- In-house finishing: powder coating, color coding, ground square, shot peening, stress relieving, and tumbling
- Outsourced finishing: anodizing, electropolishing, enameling, galvanizing, heat treating, painting, passivating, and electroplating
- Value-added services: assembly, deburring, plating, and trimming
For additional information about our spring and wire form manufacturing services, view our infographic to the right or contact us today.