EoW November 2008

feature Springs & spring making E mbedded as it is in the broader context of wire- making, spring-making

takes

for

granted command

the

operator’s of a staggering number of basic procedures including feeding, forming, coiling, cooling, air cleaning, edge conditioning, slitting, winding, straightening, and paying off. The spring-maker also needs a sure understanding of material properties, and a grasp of the subtly different behaviours exhibited in the course of a given procedure by, for example, brass strip, phosphor bronze strip, beryllium copper strip or low-carbon steel strip. Again, where the list stops is arbitrary. The spring-maker may not be a graduate in metallurgy, but he is still a metallurgist. He also has to be a master of finishes. In addition to all of which, parts collection, parts storage and spring quality control are all essential and challenging to manufacturers who produce springs so tiny that 100,000 will fit into a square inch, or springs so large they will withstand pressures in the tons. The vital suppliers to this sector are the companies represented in this section of EuroWire.

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EuroWire – November 2008

Photo courtesy of Kinefac Corporation