Stainless steel spring wire
The corrosion resistance of stainless steels removes the requirement for any additional protective coatings making them the ideal material for springs operating in a range of corrosive conditions, high temperatures and in locations where maintenance and replacement are difficult.
All BS Stainless spring wires are manufactured to a high and consistent quality including;
- Tensile strength – offering consistent spring forming capabilities.
- Surface finish and soap coating – to lubricate and aid the forming of the springs when running at high speeds through spring forming machines providing good spring coiling characteristics.
- Cast & helix – offering maximum product performance.
The spring properties of stainless spring wires from BS Stainless are obtained by precision cold drawing meaning the tensile strength of the spring wires are maintained at operating temperatures up to 250°C with stainless steel springs able to be used in reduced stress levels up to 450°C.
The most common grades of stainless spring wires
302 stainless
Grade 302 stainless is a general purpose stainless which is typically made up of 18% Chromium and 8% Nickel. 302 is the most commonly used stainless wire for springs due to the high corrosion resistance and good tensile properties it offers.
316 stainless
Grade 316 stainless is comparable to 302 in composition with a slightly higher Nickel content with an added 2-2.50% of Molybdenum offering a greater corrosion resistance over 302. The slight differences in chemistry mean that the tensile strength of 316 spring wires are approx. 15% lower than that of 302.
17/7 stainless
Grade 17/7 stainless contains 17% Chromium and 7% Nickel giving a corrosion resistance similar to that of 302 with added strength and heat resistance. Once the springs have been formed from the wire they are generally heat treated which has the effect of hardening the material giving the maximum tensile properties to the spring.
Most common types of coiled springs
A spring is a mechanism that changes shape when an external force is applied to it. When this force is removed the spring will return to its original shape. Generally the degree of shape change is directly associated to the size of the applied force.
Extension Springs
An extension spring is a coiled spring that usually has the coils touching each other. A force is applied to the spring to stretch the spring separating the coils.
Compression Spring
A compression spring is a coiled spring that must have space between the coils. A force is applied to the spring to compress the coils closer together shortening the spring.
Torsion Spring
A torsion spring is designed in such a way that the applied force twists the coils into a tighter spiral.
Watch Spring
The watch spring is a coiled flat spiral of spring strip. One end of the coil is the centre of the spring coil, the other end of the spring coil is on the outer edge.
Types of non-coiled springs
Disc Springs
Disc springs are usually similar to washers that are formed into a conical shape. When a force is applied this compresses the conical disc.
Leaf Spring
Some springs are made without coils such as the leaf spring. The leaf spring is a strip of spring material formed into an arch shape used mainly in automobile suspension systems.
BS Stainless currently offer an ever increasing stock range of 1.4310 302 from 0.300mm to 4.06mm all to EN10270-3 specification. The wires are usually stocked in catch weight coils but other forms of packaging can be offered upon request. For orders taken from our extensive stock range next day delivery can be arranged upon request.
For additional information or a quotation on any of the spring wires please contact our offices +44 (0) 1772 33755 or email sales@bsstainless.com, in addition we have a full range of stainless steel wire from stock.