Handout

Design of Compression Spring Against Static and Fatigue Failures

FIMCP, ESPOL [Link]

Have you ever wonder why compressive springs often do not seem to fail? It turns out that compressive
springs, by proper design to prevent static or fatigue failure, will not fail except for material and/or manu-
facturing defects and abuse in usage. The secret is in the realization that a compression spring can have
maximum depression, ys , from the free length to the solid length when all coils of the compression spring
are touching one another. A typical compression spring is illustrated in Figure 1.

This total depression, ys , multiplied by the spring constant gives rise to the maximum force which
can be applied. When a safety factor in design for the solid-safe property is considered, the design of the
compression spring can be completed.

An example of the design of a compression spring is illustrated in the following.

Example: As shown in Figure 1, a compres-

sion spring has total number of coil Nt = 12
turns, the outside diameter of the spring is free length
24 mm, with a wire diameter of d = 2 mm ys solid length when
fully compressed
made of hard-drawn steel wire. The compres-
sion spring, with plain and ground ends, is to
be used in static service. If the solid-safe de-
sign factor of safety is n = 1.3 (that is, the 24
force required to compress the spring to its
solid length is multiplied by 1.3 times as the
load for design), design a compressive spring
for such static service.
2 mm
Solution: Static service compression spring Figure 1: A compression spring showing the free and solid
is to be made of hard-drawn steel wire of di- lengths for design, as well as the maximum allowable
ameter d = 2 mm with an outside diame- compression, ys .
ter of 24 mm, and Nt = 12 turns. We can
find the following basic parameters needed
for the analysis and design.

First, from Table 10-4, A = 1783 M P a·mmm , and m = 0.190. Thus, from equation (10-14), the strength
is
1783
Sut = = 1563 M P a (1)
(2)0.190
From Table 10-6, we find
Ssy = 0.45(1563) = 703.4 M P a (2)
The following parameters can be calculated
D = 24 − 2 = 22 mm (3)

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 D 22
C = = = 11 (4)
d 2
4C + 2 4(11) + 2
KB = = = 1.122 (5)
4C − 3 4(11) − 3
Na = 12 − 1 = 11 turns (6)
Ls = 2(12) = 24 mm (7)

Using n = 1.3 for the solid-safe property in design, we have

( )
1 πd3 Ssy 1 π(2 × 10−3 )3 (703.4 × 106 )
Fs = = = 68.86 N (8)
n 8KB D 1.3 8(1.122)(22 × 10−3 )

For the given diameter, d = 2 mm, the Young’s modulus and the shear modulus are E = 197.2 GP a and
G = 79.3 GP a, respectively, obtained from Table 10-5. Thus, the spring constant can be obtained using
the following equation

d4 G (2 × 10−3 )4 (79.3 × 109 )

k= = = 1354 N /m (9)
8D3 Na 8(22 × 10−3 )3 (11)
Therefore, the depression length is
Fs 68.86
ys = = = 50.9 mm (10)
k 1354

The following table lists the parameters with equations and values.

Discussions: The preceding design considers static failure. The maximum force that the spring can take
occurs when all the spring coils are pressed to touching one another; that is, when it reaches the solid
length. This guarantees that the total allowable force cannot exceed

Fmax = k ys = k (L0 − Ls ) (11)

Design a static load within this Fmax with a solid-safe factor of safety will ensure that this compression
spring will not fail.

Stability: Let’s check for buckling stability. In order to prevent buckling from happening, the free length
must not exceed √
πD 2(E − G)
L0 < (12)
α 2G + E
where α depends on end conditions, as listed in Table 10-2 of the textbook. For example, α = 0.5 for flat
surface supports.

In this problem, the moduli are E = 197.2 GP a and G = 79.3 GP a, obtained from Table 10-5. Thus,
equation (12) renders
√ √
πD 2(E − G) π(22 × 10−3 ) 2(197.2 − 79.3)
= = 0.1125 m = 112.5 mm > L0 (13)
α 2G + E 0.5 2(79.3) + 197.2

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 Table 1: Table of parameters for the design of compression spring

parameter equation value Misc.

d (given) 2 mm wire diameter
D (obtained) 22 mm
C D/d 11
4C+2
KB 4C−3 1.122 Bergsträsser constant
Nt (given) 12 total number of coils
Na equation (6) 11 number of active coils
Sut Sut = A/dm 1563 M P a Table 10-4; ultimate tensile strength
Ssu Ssu = 0.67 Sut 1047 M P a ultimate strength in shear
Ssy Ssy = 0.45 Sut 703 M P a yield strength in shear
E 197.2 GP a Table 10-5; Young’s modulus
G 79.3 GP a Table 10-5; modulus in shear
k equation (9) 1354 N/m spring constant
ys equation (10) 50.9 mm
L0 ys + Ls 74.9 mm Table 10-1; free length
p L0 /Nt 6.24 mm Table 10-1; pitch of spring
Fs equation (8) 68.86 N

Therefore, the spring design is free from buckling instability.

Resonate frequency: Next, we consider the resonant frequency of the spring. The natural frequency of
the spring with both ends supported is given by
√ √
1 kg 1 k
f= = (14)
2 W 2 m

If the specific weight of the spring material is ρ = 7.86 × 103 kg/m3 , we can find the mass of the active
coils of the spring

π 2 d2 DNa ρ π 2 (2 × 10−3 )2 (22 × 10−3 )(11)(7.86 × 103 )

m = Alρ = = = 0.01877 kg (15)
4 4
Thus, equation (14) becomes √
1 1354
f= = 134 Hz (16)
2 0.01877
It is prudent to use the spring at an operating frequency of fop = f /2 = 67 Hz (the Nyquist frequency)
or lower to avoid resonance.

Consideration of fatigue failure in design: If this spring is to be used in fluctuating loading condition with
consideration of fatigue failure, we can calculate the factor of safety guarding against the fatigue failure
by using the torsional Gerber criterion with Zimmerli data for unpeened springs.

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 Let’s assume that the spring is unpeened and the maximum and minimum forces are 60 N and 20 N ,
respectively. Thus, we have
60 − 20
Fa = = 20 N (17)
2
60 + 20
Fm = = 40 N (18)
2
resulting in shear stresses of

8Fa D 8(20)(22 × 10−3

τa = KB = (1.122) = 157 M P a (19)
πd 3 π(2 × 10−3 )2 )
8Fm D
τm = KB = 314 M P a (20)
πd3
The ultimate strength in shear is listed in Table 1 with Ssu = 0.67 Sut = 0.67(1563) = 1047 M P a. The
load slope is
τa
r= = 0.5 (21)
τm
The Gerber ordinate intercept with the Zimmerli data in equation (10-28) in the textbook for unpeened
compression spring is
Ssa = 241 M P a Ssm = 379 M P a (22)
Therefore, we obtain the endurance strength in shear as follows
Ssa 241
Sse = = = 277 M P a (23)
1 − (Ssm /Ssu ) 2 1 − (379/1047)2

The amplitude component of strength Ssa from Table 6-7 (Shigley), expressed in shear or torsional form,
is
 √ 
( )2
r2 Ssu
2
−1 +
2Sse 
Ssa = 1+
2Sse rSsu
 √ 
( )2
(0.5)2 (1047)2  2(277)  = 226 M P a
= −1 + 1+ (24)
2(277) (0.5)(1047)

The factor of safety guarding against the fatigue failure due to the force range of (50, 10)N is

Ssa 226
nf = = = 1.44 (25)
τa 157

Remarks:
(i) Note equation (10) has already accounted for the safety factor n = 1.3 from equation (8). Therefore,
when the compression spring is pressed down to its solid length, the total force will be n1 times the
force which results in the yield strength in shear, Ssy .

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(ii) One can also use the stability criterion against buckling to determine the critical length of the
spring. In this case, however, the spring may be long; therefore, the stress failure criteria need
to be checked against the static and/or fatigue failure.

(iii) The value of the spring constant, k, does not play a role in the calculation for fatigue failure using
the torsional Gerber criterion with Zimmerli data.

(iv) It is noted in equation (25) that τa has direct implication in the calculation of the fatigue safety
factor, nf . For example, if the range of force is (70, 10) N , then τm = 314 M P a (the same) but
τa = 234 M P a (increased). The load slope becomes r = 0.75 with Ssa = 249 M P a. Thus, nf =
249/234 = 1.06 —making it very close to the safety margin due to larger alternating components
in fatigue loading.