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Types of Springs are classified into three types based on the load applied, displacement due to the force and the construction. A spring is a device that stores elastic potential energy. Springs are usually made of spring steel. When a spring is stretched or compressed from its rest position, an opposing force is exerted that is approximately equal to its change in length. Springs are used for a wide variety of domestic and industrial applications.
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Key Terms: Spring, Force, Elasticity, Potential Energy, Displacement, Load, Torsion, Compression, Extension, Coil, Mold, Machine, Flat
What is Spring?
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Spring is an elastic component that carries mechanical energy and can also divert the discharge of load. The spring comes back into its original form when the load is removed from it. In simple words, spring is a mechanical machine piece that is formed of an object with high yield capacity to restore elasticity. It has wide applications like being used in machines to absorb shocks.
Types of Springs
Springs are specifically made up of spring steel which consist of steel designs. (Note: In daily usage, sometimes we call it a coil spring). When a regular spring gets compressed or stretched from its rest position with missing stiffness variability attribute, It will have tendency to exert opposing force almost equal to the change in it’s length.
Rate of Spring: The change in force which the spring exerts is divided by the change in deflection. This is the gradient of force compared to deflection curves.
Read More: Work Energy and Power: Important Questions
Material Used in Springs
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The substances used to make springs are known as spring steels. Mostly, Spring steels are low-alloy manganese, low carbon steel or sometimes high carbon steel with quite high yield power. Below are few examples of spring materials:
- Stainless Steel
- Carbon Value
- Oil Tempered Steel
- Elgiloy
- Inconel
- Monel
- Titanium
- Chrome Silicon
Also Check:
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| Types of Energy | Energy and its Classification | Conservation of Energy Formula |
Classification of Springs
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On the basis of the spring shapes, springs can be widely classified into following types:
- On the basis of load applied
- On the basis of displacement due to force applied
- On the basis of construction
Let us look at each of these in detail.
On the Basis of Load Applied
On the basis of the load applied, springs can be classified as:
- Torsion
- Compression
- Extension
Let us look at each of these in detail.
Torsion Spring
This spring reacts due to the twisting force or the torque enforced in the spring. The examples of such types are mousetrap and clothes-pin.
Torsion Springs
Compression Spring
This spring reacts due to the exertion of force by the compression of load. These are utilized in shock absorbers, retractable pens, and spring mattresses.
Compression Springs
Extension Spring
It functions with tensile load and is in general used in garage door mechanisms.
Extension Springs
On the Basis of Displacement Due to Force Applied
On the basis of displacement caused by the force applied, springs can be classified as:
- Constant force
- Variable rate
- Linear
Let us discuss in detail as below.
Constant Force Spring
In this case the spring gets extended when applying a constant force. It is also called clock springs. It is mostly utilized in clocks and monitor screen adjustment
Constant Springs
Variable Rate Spring
It does not carry within the similar spring rate all over the axial length. Depending on the rate of the spring, it can be divided into three types:
- Linear Rate Spring carries a constant rate of spring throughout
- Progressive Rate Spring containing variable spring rate
- Dual Spring rate consisting of form rate and soft spring rate
Types of Variable Rate Springs
Linear Spring
These are called helical springs having linear pattern constant force.
Types of Linear Spring
On the Basis of Construction
On the basis of construction of the spring, they are classified as:
- Coil
- Flat
- Molded
- Machine
Let us look at the classification in detail.
Coil Spring
Such types of springs are light in weight and are formed of metal wires made with the support of a CNC coiling machine. The springs which pop out of this machine need to be heated in order to get springy qualities and create shapes memorization.
Coil Spring
Flat Spring
Such types are made by imprinting metal pieces onto a sheet. They are also needed to get heated & create shape memorization. These are available in all types of sizes and shapes and are coiled flat spring as well. Its application is mostly in spring washers, retainer clips, clock springs, and volute springs.
Types of Flat Springs
Molded Spring
These springs are formed of plastic or corrosive objects. These have creep and in general are used in intermittent cycles. Its usage is mostly in food production, marine application, and medical.
Molded Spring
Machine Spring
Such springs are used in a heavy-duty application where high power or strength, resilience and precision are needed. It is used in mills and lathe machines.
Machine Spring
Applications of Steel Springs
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The spring permits the material formed by steel to regain its original shapes. Few applications of Spring steel are:
- Music wires or Piano wires like ASTM A228, antennas, Vehicle coil spring, Leaf spring, S-tines.
- Springs are also used for manufacturing swords made of metal for stage combat because of the spring’s resistance to bending & breaking.
- These Spring Steels are widely popular for Fabrication usage and also for lockpicks, as spring steels are quite resilient & pliable.
- Tubular Springs are mostly used for gear landing in some aircrafts.
- They are also used for making knives, Nepali kukri.
Read More: Coefficient of Static Friction
Mechanical Springs
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As discussed above, springs are quite an essential machine constituent. There are certain purposes for which they are used, few are:
- To absorb shock load
- To measure force
- To control of vibrations
- To retaining of rings
- To store energy
- To motive power
- To return motion
Things to Remember
- Springs are mechanical devices that store elastic potential energy.
- The spring diverts the load and comes back into its original form when the load is removed from it.
- Spring steels are usually composed of low-alloy manganese, low carbon steel or sometimes high carbon steel with quite high yield power.
- Springs are of different types based on three classifications:
- On the basis of load applied
- On the basis of displacement due to force applied
- On the basis of construction
- Springs have multiple uses such as absorbing shock load, measuring force, controlling vibrations, etc.
Also Check:
| Important Topics From Work, Energy and Power | ||
|---|---|---|
| Kinetic Energy | Heat | Pulley |
| Energy Types | Kinetic Energy Derivation | Work Energy Theorem |
| Linear Momentum Formula | Force Vs Power | Power Vs Energy |
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Sample Questions
Ques. What is the usage of springs in day-to-day life? (2 marks)
Ans. Springs are often used in day-to-day electronic toys and in the batteries, it is used to make them come to action. Springs have been quite essential to the toy making industry way before electronic toys. From the Jack-in-the-box to wind-up toys, many toys that consist of springs have become iconic classics and are still quite known presently.
Ques. What is known as spring tension? (2 marks)
Ans. Tension springs, tensional springs or extension springs, are tightly wound coils designed to function with the exerted force termed as 'tension'. Tension springs are specifically wounded rather too tightly and are closely coiled together during the rest.
Ques. What is a realistic life example of spring force? (2 marks)
Ans. Examples of springs can be found in a number of objects that are used in everyday life such as rubber bands, bungee cords, the keys and buttons found on computers, elevators, appliances, toys and the list goes on.
Ques. What is the spring force formula? (2 marks)
Ans. The spring force formula is defined through the equation: F = – kx. As a formula, it reworks Hooke's Law and is expressed through the equation: k = – F/x. Here, k is the spring constant, F is the force applied over x, and x is the displacement by the spring expressed in N/m.
Ques. What is K in spring force? Explain. (2 marks)
Ans. The letter k represents the “spring constant,” a number which importantly shows the range of “stiffness” of a spring. If the value of k is larger, this will mean that more force is needed to stretch it a certain length than you would need to stretch the spring with less stiffness the similar length.
Ques. What is the stiffness of spring formula? (2 marks)
Ans. F = -kx. The proportional constant k is called the spring constant. It is a measurement of the stiffness of spring. When a spring gets stretched or compressed, to change it’s actual length to amount x from its equilibrium length, Afterwards it exerts a force F = -kx in the direction towards its equilibrium position.
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