Welcome back to Smalley Talk, where Applications Engineer Justin Lawrence concludes his mini-series of typical questions he is frequently asked about wave springs.

What happens to a wave spring when compressed to solid?

In general, we do not recommend compressing a wave spring below the specified work height. As a wave spring travels closer to its solid height, the loads increase exponentially, and the loading can then become unpredictable. This increased deflection can also overstress the material causing the spring to relax and take a set. The amount of relaxation will be different for each design, so if your application requires the spring to be compressed below the working height, either during operation or perhaps as part of the assembly process then we need to know. This requirement can then be factored into the design and we can pre-set the springs as part of our manufacturing process to stabilize the part and ensure a consistent operational performance.

I am considering using the YSSB-0205 wave spring to preload a 52mm bearing. Your website states the calculated spring rate is linear through the first 80% of available deflection Is the available deflection (free height – work height) in this case (3.26mm 2.36mm =0.90mm)?

No – the available deflection refers to the range between free height and the solid height. The free height is approximate and can be adjusted for each batch to ensure load requirements are met, therefore the spring rate and available deflection are only ever for reference. In many cases the wave springs will work at other heights, however we recommend contacting one of the TFC technical team to discuss the application. We can then evaluate with you the theoretical spring characteristics and thus the suitability for your application.

That™s all for now, next time we will look at the installation of spirolox rings and laminar sealing rings.You can see more blog entries and other application examples on our technical articles page.

Do you have your own question? Send it to Justin and his colleagues here.

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