Different applications call for different types of springs depending on the required force and their unique operating conditions. The two main types of springs are coil springs and gas springs.
Coil Springs
These are conventional metal coil springs that contain energy under compression. To impose pressure on a coil spring, it is compressed to a shorter height and stores energy. When pressure is removed, the coil spring releases the stored energy and returns to its initial height. Coil springs have elastic limits that dictate the amount of pressure the spring can handle before breaking.
Gas Springs
These springs use nitrogen gas within a cylinder to operate a rod or piston. This gas’s neutrality means it does not exhibit adverse reactions under compression. Each spring’s seal prevents gas loss for total self-containment.
With patented, integrated safety features, gas springs can prevent contamination, loss of speed control, over stroking, and over pressure. Many manufacturing applications use gas springs, such as furniture, aerospace, automotive, and press tooling. In the automotive industry, they are used primarily to raise and lower hatches or hoods.
ADVANTAGES OF USING GAS SPRINGS
Gas springs exert force using nitrogen gas in a sealed cylinder. They can be customized for applications with specific requirements for stroke length, tonnage, and mounting options.
Other key benefits of using gas springs include:
- The ability to generate greater force in tighter spaces
- Immediate contact force
- Greater range of force and stroke options
- Force is easily adjustable through the increase or decrease of pressure
ADVANTAGES OF USING COIL SPRINGS
Coil springs offer numerous benefits for a wide variety of applications, including but not limited to furniture manufacturing. When choosing between coil springs and other spring types, consider the advantages of using coil springs:
- Lightweight construction: Coil springs are lightweight but powerful. The coiled shape adds strength to the spring that the steel material wouldn’t otherwise have in its original shape. The coiling and heating process further increases the strength of the material, enabling it to bear heavier weights with less metal.
- Maintenance-free design: The simple design of coil springs and their basic mechanism eliminate the need for frequent maintenance. They can resist compression and stretching depending on the materials and tightness with which they are wound. Coil springs don’t require any lubrication or cleaning, and they can last longer with the addition of special rust-resistant coatings.
- Versatility: The majority of compression springs feature uniform spacing between coils, but you can customize the spring’s shape, size, and strength to meet your application’s unique needs. It’s possible to manufacture springs to extremely tight tolerances to allow them to fit precisely around shafts or in holes.
Read more: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GAS SPRINGS AND COIL SPRINGS?
