Coil spring

Coil Spring

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Coil spring

A Coil spring, also known as a helical spring, is a mechanical device, which is typically used to store energy and subsequently release it, to absorb shock, or to maintain a force between contacting surfaces.

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Encyclopedia

Elasticity (physics)

In physics, elasticity is the physical property of a material when it deforms under stress , but returns to its original shape when the stress is removed....
material formed into the shape of a helix

Helix

A helix is a special kind of space curve, i.e. a Differentiable manifold curve in three-space. As a mental image of a helix one may take the spring ....
which returns to its natural length when unloaded.

Coil springs are a special type of torsion spring

Torsion spring

A torsion spring is a spring that works by Torsion or twisting; that is, a flexible Elasticity object that stores mechanical energy when it is twisted....
, the material of the spring

Spring (device)

A spring is an Elasticity object used to store mechanical energy. Springs are usually made out of hardened steel. Small springs can be wound from pre-hardened stock, while larger ones are made from annealing steel and hardened after fabrication....
acts in torsion when the spring is compressed or extended.

The two usual types of coil spring are:

Tension coil springs which are designed to resist stretching. They usually have a hook or eye form at each end for attachment.

Compression coil springs are designed to resist being compressed. A typical use for compression coil springs is in car suspension systems
Suspension (vehicle)

Suspension is the term given to the system of spring , shock absorbers and Linkage that connects a vehicle to its wheels. Suspension systems serve a dual purpose ? contributing to the car's car handling and brake for good active safety and driving pleasure, and keeping vehicle occupants comfortable and reasonably well isolated from road no...
.

Metal coil springs are made by winding a wire around a shaped former - a cylinder is used to form cylindrical coil springs.

Many types of coil spring are wound in an annealed

Annealing (metallurgy)

Annealing, in metallurgy and materials science, is a heat treatment wherein a material is altered, causing changes in its properties such as strength and hardness....
(soft) condition and then tempered

Tempering

Tempering is a heat treatment technique for metals, alloys and Toughened glass. In steels, tempering is done to "toughen" the metal by transforming brittle martensite into bainite or a combination of ferrite and cementite....
to achieve their strength as a spring. Over time, this tempering can be lost and the spring will sag because it can no longer withstand the loads applied. Such springs can be re-set by annealing, returning to their original length (or deliberately setting them to a different length) and then re-tempering. Damage to springs, such as using oxy-acetylene

Oxy-fuel welding and cutting

Oxy-fuel welding and oxy-fuel cutting are processes that use fuel gases and oxygen to weld and cut metals, respectively. French engineers Edmond Fouche and Charles Picard were the first to develop a oxygen-acetylene welding machine in 1903....
to cut the end off a car suspension spring to lower a vehicle's ride height

Ride height

Ride height is the amount of space between the base of an automobile tire and the underside of the chassis; or, more properly, to the shortest distance between a flat, level surface, and any part of a vehicle other than those parts designed to contact the ground ....
, can destroy the tempering in localised areas of the spring.

External links

by Sándor Kabai, The Wolfram Demonstrations Project.