aluminum spring
aluminum spring
(OP)
Hello, I am trying to find some aluminum spring material. The shape of the spring needs to be rectangular (1 ½”L x 3/8” W x 1/16” D). I don’t know the spring constant at this point but it has to be higher than what you get from typical material machined out of stock from the hardware store.
The spring will be held at one end and the other end will be moving in an arc. I don’t know the spring constant but I know what displacement I need from the high tension position to the low tension position and that’s about 5/8”.
My question is: does anyone know where I could purchase such a material even if it was not that exact profile that I need I could machine it.
Thanks,
Jacques
The spring will be held at one end and the other end will be moving in an arc. I don’t know the spring constant but I know what displacement I need from the high tension position to the low tension position and that’s about 5/8”.
My question is: does anyone know where I could purchase such a material even if it was not that exact profile that I need I could machine it.
Thanks,
Jacques





RE: aluminum spring
RE: aluminum spring
Also in my case I am not worried about a fatigue limit, the spring only needs to work once.
Cheers,
Jacques
RE: aluminum spring
You start with the force and displacement, and then design the spring, not the other way around.
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P.E. Metallurgy, Plymouth Tube
RE: aluminum spring
RE: aluminum spring
RE: aluminum spring
RE: aluminum spring
Want less side-swiping? Put up a picture of the item you are designing and the calculations that led you to believe that it can work.
RE: aluminum spring
RE: aluminum spring
RE: aluminum spring
2. Have you bothered to calculate the stress involved for flexing this piece 5/8"? Just as a guess it sounds very high.
3. 61ksi is very weak for spring material, since you need to work at about 20% of yield to get good life. Think spring steels with 200ksi strengths.
4. All Al alloys have poor fatigue resistance. If you are looking at more than a few thousand cycles you need to start looking at other alloys.
5. Why not steel (or a stainless)? You could make it a lot thinner and lighter, and get more force and longer life.
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P.E. Metallurgy, Plymouth Tube
RE: aluminum spring
2. Not yet, will do shortly. I am going to start with a much thinner plate 0.030", stress will be lower;
3. Good point I am going to look for a stronger aluminum alloy;
4. I only require 1 cycle;
5. It needs to be aluminum, the higher concentration of aluminum the better, it is part of something that needs to be 100% recyclable.
RE: aluminum spring
One cycle you might get.
If the stress is too high consider stacking multiple thin leaves, they would need a film or lubricant between them but that is minor.
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P.E. Metallurgy, Plymouth Tube
RE: aluminum spring
So, what spring constant do you need? Once you've figured that out, you can then use existing formulas to figure out what material properties are required.
TTFN (ta ta for now)
I can do absolutely anything. I'm an expert! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKorP55Aqvg
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RE: aluminum spring
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P.E. Metallurgy, Plymouth Tube
RE: aluminum spring
TTFN (ta ta for now)
I can do absolutely anything. I'm an expert! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKorP55Aqvg
FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies forum1529: Translation Assistance for Engineers Entire Forum list http://www.eng-tips.com/forumlist.cfm
RE: aluminum spring
A first principles calculation would have calculated the strain required to get the desired deflection. Since that is geometry driven and no geometry is given, we are left in the dark as to what the OP had in mind. I would have started with the desired deflection and the allowable strain to determine the material thickness and then look at the width limit to set the required modulus of elasticity to get the desired force; possibly with the use of multiple leaves if the combinations are unsuitable.
RE: aluminum spring
RE: aluminum spring
I was trying to steer the OP a bit, and possibly inject some realism into his problem definition.
TTFN (ta ta for now)
I can do absolutely anything. I'm an expert! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKorP55Aqvg
FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies forum1529: Translation Assistance for Engineers Entire Forum list http://www.eng-tips.com/forumlist.cfm
RE: aluminum spring
RE: aluminum spring
RE: aluminum spring
RE: aluminum spring
RE: aluminum spring
These could be from punched/formed from thin aluminum high strength aluminum sheet blanks assuming a suitable corrosion protective mechanism.
Regards, Wil Taylor
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