Advances in springs

Paul Boughton

The latest edition of the Lee Spring UK catalogue features new products, including high-pressure springs, metric Bantam mini-compression springs and the latest in heavy duty die springs. The new catalogue includes almost 20,000 spring products.

“We have added some exciting new products to our range of stock springs, offering customers an even greater variety of springs to meet their specific needs,” said Chris Petts, managing director of Lee Spring UK.

New LHP, high-pressure compression springs

Previously when customers required high spring rates, springs that are stiffer and harder to compress, they could only have been found in the largest stock compression spring sizes or in custom spring designs. However, the new high-pressure compression springs offer very high spring rates in a more slender spring design. The Lee Spring engineering team has designed an offering of 144 slender parts packed with high load capacities, rated to pressures of 300, 400, and 500 psi. High-pressure series compression springs in 17-7PH stainless steel are passivated, shot peened and preset, to provide a balance of corrosion resistance, high strength and toughness. This new line of high-pressure compression springs is suitable for applications with small spaces requiring firm but not rigid, slender springs. They are used in a variety of applications including switches, ball plungers, safety relief valves, quick change tools and vice clamps.

Heavy duty die springs

The latest heavy duty die springs also feature in the new Lee Spring catalogue. A die spring is a type of heavy duty compression spring manufactured using round wire specifically designed to be used in ‘dies’ or as heavy duty coil springs in any heavy stress, heavy load application. Lee Spring offers five different heavy duty die spring configurations, ranging from Medium, Medium Plus, Medium Heavy, and Heavy to Extra Heavy load. These heavy duty springs can be found in brakes, clutches, aircraft mechanisms and farm machinery.

New metric Bantam mini compression springs

The new metric Bantam mini compression springs from Lee Spring are powerful springs designed to operate in small spaces and are used in various applications, including in medical instruments and surgical tools, firearms, communication devices and hardware, as well as in the aerospace, automotive and marine sectors.

“Manufacturing springs using metric-wire helps us to offer more accurate spring measurement to customers working in metric units” explained Petts. “It helps our customers to achieve precision and accuracy as well as speed up the specification process.”

The new metric range of Bantam compression springs starts at .010mm, which is just a little thicker than a human hair, with outside diameters from .81 to 1.65 mm and free lengths from 1 mm to 14 mm. The existing imperial (inches) range of Bantam springs ranges from a .004” to .0055” wire diameter, with outside diameters of.025 to .057”. 

Made using Elgiloy, a high-temperature resistant, non-magnetic nickel alloy that is 10% stronger than Type 316 stainless steel, these miniature stock springs offer a combination of strength and corrosion resistance. 

To supplement its extensive range of stock springs, Lee Spring offers a custom spring design service for the provision of bespoke designed and manufactured springs.

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