PRSRT STD
US POSTAGE
PAID
ROCHELLE, IL 61068
PERMIT NO. 40
High-Performance Stainless and Specialty Wire
7
Reducing final part variation starts with the wiremaking process
What’s in a Specification?
13
wire 2006 preview
34
Grinding Tight-Tolerance Springs 36
How to improve your chances of success
Quick and Easy Material Review 47
Coping with RoHS
CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
2001 MIDWEST ROAD
SUITE 106
OAK BROOK, IL 60523-1335
302).' -!4%2)!,3
28
From Dave Weber
It’s Show Time in the Spring Industry
Lynne Carr, Advertising Sales
info@smihq.org
Sandie Green, Assistant Editor
Ken Boyce CAE, Publisher
Springs Magazine Committee
I
t is springtime in Germany, which means the start of “show
season” for the spring industry. It starts with the wire show
in Düsseldorf, which will feature one of the widest available
showcases for wiremaking and forming machinery, including
springmaking equipment, in the world. Later this year, we will
see the Spring World show in Chicago, which is renowned as the
best show of springmaking equipment in the world. To celebrate
the start of this year, this issue of Springs magazine is featuring
the technology of wire.
The history of wire goes back over a thousand years and is
inalterably linked to the spring industry. Not long after the first wire was made, the early
wiremakers discovered that if you wound wire up, you could use it to store energy, and
the spring industry was born. Wiremaking technology has changed a lot in the last few
years, creating opportunities for springmakers to change the way we meet the needs of
our customers.
Some of the changes we have seen are:
• Surface preparation of the wire surface to improve the life of springs.
• The development of continuous-cast material to improve quality and reduce cost.
• Development of high-strength steels to allow more efficient designs that reduce
weight and cost.
• The development of “ovate” shapes of wire that permit the equal distribution of
stresses, which can reduce weight and create an opportunity to increase reliability.
• The development of new high-alloy materials to increase strength and increase the
material’s ability to resist corrosion and effects of heat on springs.
• The introduction of new alloys of titanium to reduce weight and improve life of
critical springs.
The changes in wiremaking technology have been complemented by changes in wireforming machines like:
• The use of servomotors and steeper motors to control the feed of wire.
• The use of precision-controlled hydraulic valves.
• The use of sensors to control position and feed.
• The integration of computer controls.
The makers of wire and wireforming machinery, when linked to the creativity of
springmakers, have reduced cost and improved quality, ultimately helping our customers to be more competitive. In addition to equipment and wiremakers, springmakers
from around the world will meet in Düsseldorf to determine ways to work together to
strengthen our industry.
I hope many of you will join me in Germany and Chicago to see in person the latest
industry developments that are featured year-round in Springs magazine. For those of you
who cannot attend, Springs will do its best to keep you informed.
Dan Sebastian, MW Industries
dsebastian@mw-ind.com
2 SPRINGS April 2006
Springs Magazine Staff
Rita Schauer Kaufman CAE, Editor
editor@smihq.org
Chair, Bob Herrmann, Newcomb
Spring of Colorado
Götz Arndt, Wafios Machinery
Terry Bartel, Elgiloy Specialty Metals
Carol Caldwell, Century Spring
Randy DeFord, Mid-West Spring &
Stamping
Ritchy Froehlich, Ace Wire Spring
LuAnn Lanke, Wisconsin Coil Spring
John Schneider, O’Hare Spring
Europe liaison, Richard Schuitema,
Dutch Spring Association
Technical Advisors
Luke Zubek PE, SMI Technical Director
Loren Godfrey, Colonial Spring
Advertising sales - Japan
Ken Myohdai
Sakura International Inc.
22-11 Harimacho
1-Chome, Abeno-ku
Osaka 545-0022 Japan.
Phone: +81-6-6624-3601
Fax: +81-6-6624-3602
E-mail: info@sakurain.co.jp
Advertising sales - Europe
Jennie Franks
Franks & Co.
P.O. Box 33 Moulton
Newmarket, Suffolk,
England CB88SH
Phone: +44-1638-751132
Fax: +44-1638-750933
E-mail: franksco@BTopenworld.com
Advertising sales - Taiwan
Robert Yu
Worldwide Services Co. Ltd.
11F-B, No 540, Sec. 1, Wen Hsin Rd.
Taichung, Taiwan
Phone: +886-4-2325-1784
Fax: +886-4-2325-2967
E-mail: stuart@wwstaiwan.com
Springs (ISSN 0584-9667) is published quarterly
by SMI Business Corp., a subsidiary of the Spring
Manufacturers Institute:2001 Midwest Road, Suite
106, Oak Brook, IL 60523; Phone: (630) 495-8588;
Fax: (630) 495-8595; Web site www.smihq.org.
Address all correspondence and editorial materials
to this address.
The editors and publishers of Springs disclaim all
warranties, express or implied, with respect to
advertising and editorial content, and with respect
to all manufacturing errors, defects or omissions
made in connection with advertising or editorial
material submitted for publication.
The editors and publishers of Springs disclaim
all liability for special or consequential damages
resulting from errors, defects or omissions in the
manufacturing of this publication, any submission
of advertising, editorial or other material for
publication in Springs shall constitute an agreement
with and acceptance of such limited liability.
The editors and publishers of Springs assume no
responsibility for the opinions or facts in signed
articles, except to the extent of expressing the view,
by the fact of publication, that the subject treated is
one which merits attention.
Do not reproduce without
written permission.
FEATURES
7 High-Performance Stainless Steel and Specialty Wire
How spring wire is made and process-controlled to reduce final
part variation
By R. Perlick and S. Lee, Central Wire Group
13 What’s in a Spec?
What springmakers need to know about material specifications
and how to modify them to meet customer requirements
By Terry Bartel Ph.D., Elgiloy Specialty Metals
7
19 Glossary of Wire Terms
Though not exhaustive, this listing includes many useful
definitions of wire terminology that springmakers may encounter
By David Merrills, Industrial Steel and Wire
28 2006: the Year of RoHS
How this new environmental law is affecting manufacturers
By Chris Watts of behalf of TUV Rheinland
29 Cutting Through the RoHS Confusion
By Rita S. Kaufman, editor
34 Wire 2006 Preview of Exhibits
April 24-28, 2006, Düsseldorf, Germany
13
36 Grinding Tight-Tolerance Springs
How to improve your chances of success
By Rick Schultz, Anchor Abrasives Co., and John Moyer, Moyer Manufacturing Co.
COLUMNS
33 Be Aware: Safety Tips From Jim Wood
What is Your Safety Program Costing You?
47 Spotlight on the Shop Floor
Spring Essentials (for the rest of us) Part VII
The Quick and Easy Material Review
By Randy DeFord, Mid-West Spring & Stamping
51 IST Spring Technology
Cautionary Tales Part XXX
Spring Material Selection
By Mark Hayes
19
DEPARTMENTS
2 President’s Message: “It’s Show Time in the Spring Industry”
25 Global Highlights
49 Inside SMI: Regional Meetings, New Member, Staff Doings
53 New Products: Diamond tooling facilitates small-diamter spring coiling
59 Advertisers’ Index
59 Sprung
60 Snapshot: Bob Herrmann, Newcomb Spring of Colorado
36
4 SPRINGS April 2006
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Look to ISW for round
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High-Performance Stainless Steel and Specialty Wire
How spring wire is made and process-controlled to reduce final part variation
By R. Perlick and S. Lee
Central Wire Group
Melting Process
The involved process of manufacturing precision stainless steel wire begins at the melt shop.
The initial melt is composed of controlled scrap,
processed ores and virgin pure metallic elements.
When charged into
a furnace, melting
is accomplished by
high-power electric
arcs transferred
from graphite
electrodes. Once
molten, the entire
batch or heat is
given a unique
Figure 1: Stainless steel controlled scrap.
alphanumeric
identity and tapped into a
waiting preheated ladle for
transfer to a secondary refining operation.
Various gases, such as
oxygen, may be injected into
the molten pool of mixed
metallic ingredients for the
purpose of refining and
adjusting to the final grade
Figure 2: Metallic element
chemistry. In this process,
additions.
calculated chemical reactions within the molten
bath, now approximately
3,000° F, help to further improve the steel’s
cleanliness by reducing
impurities. Final small
additions may be required
to balance the final melt
composition.
Figure 3: Electric arc furnace
being tapped.
Billet Production
On its path to becoming a wire product, the
refined molten metal must be cooled and allowed
to set or crystallize, much like how water is chilled
into an ice cube mold. In one technique, the entire
batch of liquid metal is lifted onto a prepared tundish
casting station where the liquid metal is carefully
allowed to drain out of the ladle through a ceramic
pouring tube into protective water-cooled molds.
These continuous-casting molds vary in shape
section from rectangular to square or round, and
approximately measure 5″ to 6″ across. As the liquid
metal slides along and passes slowly through the
cooled mold, a thin solid skin forms as a precursor to forming a billet. As the
chilled skin passes downward through the mold due
to gravitational pull, more
liquid in the core continues
to solidify, and eventually the
entire cross section is chilled
solid. Plasma torches automatically cut the continuously
moving billet into pre-calculated lengths. The lengths
are governed by the density Figure 4: Continuousof each different grade in cast billet example.
order to match customerspecified coil weights
of wire rod. The billet
now has a defined grain
pattern, which must
be hot-worked to refine
the microstructure and
improve quality.
Once cooled into a Figure 5: Cooled billet with
straight billet, each length end identity.
of the billet is identified to maintain
necessary traceability from melt all
the way through to
finished wire. Each
billet is oftentimes
visually inspected
for surface consistency to ensure
that no abnormal Figure 6: Rod rolling mill – roughing
surface irregulari- stands.
ties were formed
during the continuous-casting process. Depending
on the condition found, billets may be spot surface
ground to blend or remove irregularities that could
otherwise contribute to rolling defects.
Each rolling mill is designed to produce certain
coil weights and diameters ranging from 5.5mm
SPRINGS April 2006 7
to 25mm (0.218″ to 1.00″)
or more in increments of
0.5mm to 1mm ( 1/32″ to
1/16″). Prior to rolling, billets are checked for proper
grade and heat lot identification, and are then
re-heated to a prescribed
rolling temperature, which
is unique to each grade.
Figure 7: As rolled hot coil.
Billets are reheated
using in-line induction
or gas-fired pusher-type
reheat furnaces to reach
the specified rolling
temperature, which is
typically in the range of
Figure 8: Wire rod – direct
1,800° to 2,300°F. Once
quenched.
the billets reach thermal
equilibrium, they are
extracted from the furnace and directed to the entry
roll on the rolling mill. A remarkable transformation
takes place where the billet undergoes pinching and
squeezing the stiff, putty-like hot metal into sequentially smaller section sizes. These reductions may
include various deformations into rounds, squares,
rectangles and ovals to provide the most efficient way
to reduce the cross section and elongate the wire rod.
The entire hot-rolling sequence may require passing
through 30 or more rolls to convert the original billet
that has a cross section of 30 sq. in. or more, reduced
down to a wire rod of only 0.04 sq. in. or more. This
represents a 750× reduction in area.
As the total volume from billet to rolled wire
rod does not change, the now 0.218″ diameter rod,
which is several miles
long, is coiled into a hot
bundle approximately 4′
in diameter and 3′-4′ high.
Common coil weights are
between one and two tons.
Depending on end user Figure 9: Wire rod – cooled
requirements of finished off rolling mill.
wire product, the
grain structure can
be altered by cooling methods. Rapid
quenching from
the rolling stands
will result in a finegrained product.
If the rolled rod is
allowed to equalize
in temperature and Figure 10: Hot rolled, annealed and
control-cooled, other- white pickled rod.
wise known as “direct
solution treating,” a medium/fine grain structure is
produced. Finally, if the rod is allowed to cool by itself
and then off-line solution heat treated, a medium
grain structure is produced.
Production of Spring Wire
A majority of spring wire products begins with
hot-rolled and solution-annealed wire rod that has
been de-scaled and acid cleaned. The resultant
consistent white pickled finish is now ready for
conversion into high-quality drawn wire.
The wiremaking process, designed by wire specialists, incorporates the latest technical advances in
wire manufacturing. A number of important specified
process controls are used in the
production of specialty wire.
They are necessary to ensure
that the substantial process
Since 1981
Quality - Integrity
variables are kept in control
and not allowed to vary ranPremium & Precision Grade Wire Straighteners
domly. Producing stainless steel
and specialty alloy spring wire
requires many steps in process
control.
Spring wire manufacturing
begins with the inspection of
the wire rod to verify that the
material is the correct grade,
heat and diameter, and the rod
surface is checked to ensure
0.006” to 0.312” Round & Shaped
that it meets the stringent quality requirements. The full heat
chemistry is verified against
wirestraighteners.com
TAK Enterprises Bristol, CT 860-583-0517
prescribed grade specifications;
there are checks of mechanical
The best is not
expensive, but the
cost of not using
a TAK is!
8 SPRINGS April 2006
properties, grain size, micro-cleanliness and ferrite
number; and stress rupture properties may be verified or tested.
The process for making spring wire is outlined in
a manufacturing instruction sheet that moves with
the material. This document provides clear stepby-step instructions for the wire mill department
operators to follow, with a complete reference to raw
material traceability and identification, and any special instructions. Each coil is individually tagged to
Operation
Purpose of
Operation
ensure material identity and traceability throughout
the manufacturing process. To meet the demanding requirements specified by the springmaker, not
only is the correct rod chemistry important, but also
factors such as surface smoothness, and any white
pickle color variations may have to be taken into
consideration.
The typical manufacturing route from rod to finished wire might be as shown in the table below:
Operation
Purpose of
Operation
4. Anneal
1. Pre-coat
To soften the
material so that
the final draw will
obtain the required
mechanical
properties.
Provides a suitable
carrier coating
for wiredrawing
lubricant, thereby
reducing friction
and surface
damage.
5. Final draw to size
2. Cold draw to intermediate size
Due to customer
requirements,
smaller sizes of
wire, if drawn from
rod, may exceed
specifications for
tensile.
3. Clean
To remove all
surface lubricants
and ensure that
no contamination
occurs during
annealing.
Specifies lubricant,
finishandpackaging
required by the
customer.
6. Final inspection and
traceability verification.
To confirm
qualitative grade
checking by
wire production,
complete with
a written and
signed certification
that all customer
requirements set
out by the order
have been satisfied.
SPRINGS April 2006 9
Operation
Pre-coat
Cold draw to
intermediate size
Clean
Anneal
Final draw to size
Final inspection
and traceability
verification
10 SPRINGS April 2006
The art and science of making
spring
wire in specialty steels is
• Tank temperature and concentration.
an
involved
process. Simply cold
• Drying time and temperature to ensure proper predrawing
into
an intermediate size
coat formation.
and softening it by annealing and
• Tight diameter tolerances.
then cold drawing to final size
• Block cooling.
seems straightforward at first.
• Drawing speeds.
However, when done properly,
• Pass reduction schedule.
there are arrays of process con• Breakdown surface characteristics.
trols that must be checked and
verified to ensure the process
• Inspection of cleanliness.
remains in control from start to
• Tank temperature and concentration.
finish.
• Temperature control to ensure consistent properties
The multitude of process conthrough length of wire.
trols that are incorporated from
• Anneal line speed.
rod to drawing of the final spring
• Tight diameter and ovality tolerances.
wire size all help to control the
• Proper residual coating, wax, nickel coat, oil, copper
hardness and tensile strength.
and/or stearate soap coat.
(See process controls table, left.)
• Cast and Helix consistency.
Spring manufacturing is also
• Die pass schedule.
a demanding process. It requires
• Block cooling.
a wire starting stock that is
• Mechanical properties.
manufactured with the utmost
consistency in size, and mechani• Diameter and ovality.
cal and physical properties, as
• Mechanical properties.
specified as part of an order or
• Physical properties.
specification.
• Packaging.
By keeping variations to a
minimum, the springmaker can
realize a much greater degree of consistency in the
coil winding operation, where free length and coil
OD are held in close control.
Spring load variations can be mainly affected
by the cross-sectional integrity of the spring wire.
A good commercial-quality spring wire, in specialty
alloys, maintains this high degree of integrity by
reducing the slight surface irregularities to approximately 1% or less of the diameter. This low level
assures that the designed load-carrying capability
of each spring remains consistent.
Another key factor is the consistent level of
residual lubricant film on the wire that allows the
springmaker to form and flow the wire evenly from
spring to spring. The technologically advanced precoats and drawing lubricants of today, coupled with
the many controls on the wiredrawing process help
ensure that there is a steady level of residual lubricant on the wire for the springmaker to use during
wire forming.
Spring wire can be produced in a wide variety of
specialty alloys. Applications for these special grades
may include springs for high heat resistance, corrosion resistance and other high-performance
attributes needed in the automotive, aerospace,
chemical and process industries.
In addition to common stainless steel types 302/
304, 316 and 17-7PH, other exotic stainless grades
Process controls
can bring added benefits. Duplex stainless steel UNS
S32205 or 2205 alloy is a grade that combines the
properties of austenitic and ferritic stainless steels.
The ferrite portion imparts superior strength compared to austenitic grades; conversely the austenite
portion provides superior corrosion resistance to
standard ferritic grades. Alloy A-286 can be formed
into springs and age hardened by heat treatment,
further increasing strength. This alloy can be used
at high temperatures up to about
1200°F. Other stainless grades can
be reviewed with the wire mill for
availability.
An alternative to stainless
steels are high-performance
springs made from super alloys.
These include nickel-based alloys,
such as 718, X-750 and 600, as
well as nickel-copper alloys. Even
more exotic materials for extreme
corrosion resistance and strength
are available. Alloys such as MP35N, MP-159 and Alloy 25 can
provide a high level of resistance
to a multitude of corrosive environments for applications ranging
from petrochemicals to biomedical
implants.
products. Readers may contact him by phone at (815)
923-2131 or e-mail at rperlick@techalloy.com.
Shui L. Lee is the quality and technical development manager for Central Wire Industries. Lee has a
Ph.D. in metallurgy and engineering materials, with
13 years of experience in manufacturing and processing stainless steel, nickel alloy and carbon steel wire.
Readers may contact him by phone at (613) 267-3752
or e-mail at slee@centralwire.com.
v
Conclusion
By incorporating continuous improvement and stringent
process controls during wire
manufacturing, the specialty
spring industry is provided with a
reliable feedstock. In minimizing
levels of variation in wire diameter, residual lubricant coating
and tensile strength, along with
consistent cast and helix of each
loop of wire, springmakers can be
confident of the dimensional consistency and repeatability of their
formed parts.
Richard Perlick is vice president
of metallurgy, processing and quality for Techalloy Co.’s heavy wire
plant located in Union, IL, a division of the Central Wire Group of
Canada. Perlick is a degreed metallurgist from Michigan Technological
University with nearly 37 years’
experience in all facets of the manufacture and metallurgy of stainless
and high-alloy wire, rod and bar
SPRINGS April 2006 11
What’s in a
Spec?
What springmakers need to know about
material specifications and how to modify
them to meet customer requirements
By Terry Bartel Ph.D.
Elgiloy Specialty Metals
pecifications are an integral part of our lives.
Whether or not we realize it, every one of us uses
or is affected by specifications in many ways every
day. Nearly everything we use, touch, eat, wear or
look at was produced using directions that can be
loosely construed as a specification. In the most
general sense, a specification is merely a grouping
of information that defines the basic parameters
required to produce the desired end product.
As springmakers or material suppliers, when we
think of specifications we will most often think of
a drawing with dimensions, spring loads or rates,
and associated tolerances, material names, a list
of properties, elemental contents, reference documents, testing methods and other such items. Many
of us have dealt with these items so long that when
we look at a specification, we can automatically visualize the spring and what it does, or the material
type and its performance characteristics.
But what really should be in a specification and
how should it be constructed to make certain that
the desired end product meets its intended use? If
you think about this, you quickly realize that this
simple thought is the basis for success, frustration
or, at the worst, failure. A way of driving this point
home is to think about the last time you purchased
something that stated on the box “some assembly
required” and the success that you had in following
those instructions. A specification is like that set
of instructions. If all of the information (both written and drawn) that you needed was included and
clearly presented, you were successful in assembling
the toy, barbecue grill or whatever. If, however, those
instructions were not complete, clear and concisely
presented, you were either frustrated or failed in the
assembly process.
What follows is aimed at giving you an idea of the
information to be included in a material specification so that you receive a product that allows you
to manufacture a spring to meet your customer’s
needs and expectations. We will start with a brief
discussion of the specification formats used by
S
international organizations, and then we’ll talk
about specification content. Finally, we’ll proceed
on to the reasoning behind the inclusion of specific
information in a specification. Although we will be
discussing material specifications, much of the same
reasoning can be applied to specifications for almost
any end product.
National Specification Formats
In the United States, the most commonly
encountered specifications are SAE AMS (Society of
Automotive Engineers Aerospace Materials Specifications) and ASTM (American Society of Testing and
Materials). Elsewhere, DIN (Deutsches Institut für
Normung), EN (European Norm) and ISO (International Standards Organization) are more common.
Each of these organizations is an independent
standard/specification generator, and all are very
powerful and highly recognized around the world.
Although there has been much discussion regarding
the desirability of harmonizing these independent
specifications, there is little hope at this time of any
of these organizations relinquishing any of their
power. For our purposes here, all of these organizations do have one thing in common: They have
very structured formats for their specifications and
standards. With this uniformity of format, the user
always knows where to find specific information.
If these specifications provide you with the material you need, use them. If you discover that your
needs are not met, then you should build on them
(and their general format) to create a material specification that meets your needs.
The basic formats are somewhat along the following lines and in the order presented:
• Scope: The Scope is an overview. It tells the
user what to expect and clarifies use. It can be very
useful for defining limits of use.
• Referenced (Applicable) Documents: This
section lists all documents that are referenced
throughout the body of the specification or standard.
Generally, the following three pieces of information
SPRINGS April 2006 13
are provided for each document as a minimum:
document author (source), identifying number and
title. Occasionally, the contact information for the
source document is included. One rule to follow:
Don’t include a document in this section if it is not
referenced, as this adds confusion to interpretation
of needs.
• Introductory Material: Not all specifications
contain this section. It generally includes such items
as ordering information, general requirements and
manufacturing information. In addition, material
condition may be included here, or it may be under
Technical Requirements if very specific needs are
stated.
• Technical Requirements: This is the real
meat of any specification, as it defines the specific
requirements for a material. These will include:
condition if more specific in nature, material chemistry, melting practice, mechanical properties (tensile
and yield strengths, elongation, reduction of area,
hardness, creep, and stress-rupture – both before
and after any aging heat treatments), required heat
treatments and applicable atmospheres, any special
metallurgical requirements (grain size, microstructural uniformity, phase percentage and so forth),
and finish. Depending upon how the specification
is structured, this section may also contain mate-
14 SPRINGS April 2006
rial sizes and tolerances. This is a very good place to
include any specific word or process definitions that
are important to the understanding of the specification. It is this section that truly defines the needs
of the product.
• Quality: This section has quite often been
written with just a “general workmanship or quality” attitude. This is beginning to change, however,
and a lot more requirements are being added to this
section. It should include any specific testing and
reporting needs that must be addressed. Among
them would be responsibility for inspection, any
additional testing (including sampling) or inspection
that is desired, and what is to be reported on the raw
material certification. Resampling, retesting or rejection are also usually addressed in this section.
• Delivery: Such items as packaging, shipping
preparation and labeling are included in this section. Many times this information is included on
the Purchase Order and not in the body of the
specification.
Although you will find other headings, those
listed above provide the basis for most of the specifications created by the internationally recognized
organizations. Again, if these meet your needs, use
them. Why create additional work and system maintenance problems for your organization? Time and
resources are becoming more and more scarce as
international competition increases.
Your Own Specification
If existing specifications do not meet your needs,
then you must create at least some form of your
own specification. Internationally recognized specifications may not contain all of the requirements
that you need to produce your product. You may
have additional technical requirements that are not
included in these specifications, you may want to
clarify specific points, or you may
wish to stipulate sampling and
testing methods.
Second, an internationally
recognized specification may not
exist for your needs or the material in question. The latter is quite
prevalent as related to spring wire.
The general attitude of several of
these organizations seems to be
that the spring industry is just
too small to warrant the time
and effort required to prepare a
specification, get it to the proper
committee and follow it for the 18
to 24 months required to bring
it to fruition. This is the reason
there are so many private industry
spring wire or strip specifications.
They far outnumber those that
have been prepared by the international organizations.
When preparing your own
specification, what should you
do to make certain that you
include those specific requirements to ensure that you receive
the material you need to produce your product? This can be
summed up in one word: knowledge. You must have knowledge
of the function of the product that
you are fabricating, its expected
performance and its operating
environment. You must also have
knowledge of the material to be
used, and what it can and cannot
be expected to do.
Many times the material type
will be stipulated by your customer, so this decision is removed
from your responsibility. However,
when material type is not stipulated or your customer expects
your help, knowledge of materials
can become very important in your overall success
in satisfying your customer.
Stating the above is easy; applying it can be difficult at times. However, there are a few simple rules
that I tell people to follow when they have to create
their own material specification.
Rule 1: Keep it simple (KISS principle). This
rule can do more to keep you out of trouble than any
other. The more complex you make a specification,
the more difficult it will be to obtain what you really
need. Complexity often leads to misunderstandings
SPRINGS April 2006 15
and mistakes. However, in some cases a complex
specification cannot be avoided. Just keep in mind
that you should strive to minimize it. Be careful
to not simplify too much; the result can be just as
disastrous as over-complexity if you do not receive
what you need.
Rule 2: Build upon other specifications. If you
have the luxury of needing only slight or moderate
changes or additions to one of the international
specifications, use it. Keeping Rule 1 in mind, make
your specification as simple as possible by referencing the already established specification, and create
16 SPRINGS April 2006
your document in such a manner that it includes
only those items requiring modification. Why recreate an entire document that already exists? Keep
this rule in mind even if you require a high degree of
complexity. If you are only adding to and not highly
modifying the existing specification, use it and just
do your additions.
Rule 3: Work with others. This rule really goes
hand-in-hand with the next and final rule. Don’t go
it alone! Use your resources and contacts to help you
prepare a good specification that will provide you
with the material having the appropriate properties
that will allow you to fabricate the
end product with the desired performance characteristics. One of your
best resources will be your material
suppliers. Most have the expertise to
help you formulate your needs into
definable properties. If they don’t,
most of them have developed their
own resources over the years whom
they can call upon to get the job
done. Again, keep the KISS principle
in mind, and do not try to create a
specification “by committee.” Having
others review for completeness and
clarity is good; just don’t include
too many people in the creation
process.
The first three rules are really
quite simple. They mostly involve
common sense, and all of us usually
follow them every day to get our work
completed. The real problem comes
with the fourth rule – knowledge of
what we really need in a material
and how to define these needs in a
manner that can be concisely stated
in our specification.
Rule 4: Technical requirements (knowledge): As previously
stated, the technical requirements
are the real meat of a specification.
They are those items that we need
to define so that our suppliers can
provide us with a material having
the desired properties to allow us to
produce a product with the required
performance characteristics. Sometimes, we have a very difficult time
in defining the exact characteristics
needed. Maybe we really do not have
a good grasp of material properties
and what they actually mean in
terms of product performance. Possibly we do not know what is even
available to meet specific needs. This
is where Rule 3, working with others, comes into
play. Draw upon the working knowledge of those who
have it. Their best interests are also served if they
help you create a specification to meet your needs.
But what are these needs? In general terms,
they fall into spring performance characteristics and
the material properties required, yielding a product
meeting these desired characteristics. The key point
is that you need to define the performance requirements for the given spring (or have them defined for
you by your customer). These will then define the
properties needed in the material used to produce
the spring. Normally, we work with only the basic
mechanical strength of a material along with either
the elastic or torsion moduli for this material. However, in many cases, we need more information, such
as: anticipated fatigue or cycle life, operating temperature, operating environment (such as wet or dry,
and any corrosive media) or possible stress-relaxation concerns, to mention only a few requirements.
The more information you know and can provide to
your suppliers, the better able they will be to meet
your needs. Remember, you need to concisely define
as many performance details as you can. Very rarely
will you provide too much information.
Following are some of the properties that may
have to be considered for your application (don’t
forget to determine if you need these properties
before or after any aging or specialized heat treatments):
• Chemical composition.
• Corrosion resistance.
• Tensile strength.
• 0.2% yield strength.
• Elongation.
• Reduction of area.
• Hardness.
• Grain size.
• Microstructural requirements.
• Surface defect requirements.
• Surface finish (typically for strip applications).
The following properties should be considered
for inclusion in a specification only when absolutely
necessary (they play more of a role in the spring
design requirements):
• Fatigue performance.
• Stress relaxation characteristics.
• Stress-rupture.
• Creep life.
Notice that all of these items are mechanical
properties, not physical properties. They do not
include such physical properties as density, electrical conductivity (plated material for conductive
springs aside), coefficient of thermal expansion or
SPRINGS April 2006 17
percentage increases dramatically as the testing gage length
decreases. If you do not indicate
14
testing parameters, you may find
12
yourself at odds with your supplier
should you decide to perform any
10
verification testing (not always a
bad idea).
8
Not all material properties
6
are affected as dramatically by
testing conditions as elongation
4
is. However, virtually all material
properties are affected in some
2
manner by testing techniques
0
or parameters. You should be
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
aware of these possibilities and
Gage Length - inches
act accordingly.
Many times you can invoke
Figure 1: Relationship between percent elongation and testing gage length.
standard practices, such as
0.054" Elgiloy – as-drawn, spring temper condition.
defined by the widely accepted
magnetic permeability. Physical properties are inher- ASTM standards. However, even with the ASTM
ent in the material and its condition, and cannot be standards, you may need to define specific testing
controlled by the raw material manufacturer with parameters. Also, be aware if your end user has
very few exceptions. Do not include physical proper- any specific testing requirements. If they exist and
ties in your specification unless they are there for you must prepare your own specification, include
reference only, and even then do not include them them.
unless you have an unbelievably good reason for
doing so; they will only add complexity and confu- Summary
sion to the specification.
Specifications govern our everyday lives whether
Work with your team to determine which param- we like it or not. We need to be knowledgeable in
eters you feel must be included in your specification, what they mean and what they can do for us. They
then define them as concisely as possible and begin can hinder us or they can aid us in attaining sucputting your specification together.
cess, as measured by customer satisfaction.
This is when your knowledge sources, such as
Whenever possible, we should utilize specificasuppliers, can help you not only include the appro- tions and standards that have been prepared by
priate properties and values, but also make certain internationally recognized organizations. However,
that they are compatible. By example, I mean that when these documents do not give us what we need
high tensile or yields strengths do not go along with or they do not exist, we need to create our own
high elongation or other ductility values. These specifications, incorporating those items required
people can also help you determine any specialized to make a high-quality product to meet our customtesting techniques that may be required. Do not er’s expectations. We can do this by following the
forget to reference these special techniques within basic four-rule concept as outlined in this article to
your specification. You need to make certain that develop our specifications.
everyone performs any testing in basically the same
manner to ensure reproducibility in data values. You
Terry Bartel earned his Ph.D. in metallurgical
also need to be aware of any special testing param- engineering from Michigan Technological University.
eter definitions or reporting specifics, and include Following graduate school, he spent four years as
this information accordingly.
a materials scientist for the materials laboratory in
An example that I always like to use to demon- the United States Air Force and Wright Patterson Air
strate this last point is the reported elongation values Force Base. He then joined National-Standard Co.,
that always appear on material certifications. So where he worked as the manager of new product
many times you find a percentage number reported development for 20 years. In 1998, he joined Elgiloy
for the elongation but without the testing gage length Specialty Metals in Elgin, IL, where he is general
indicated anywhere on the document. See Figure manager of wire.
1, above, which is a plot of actual data for a spring
Bartel has written numerous technical articles on
material in the as-drawn condition. This figure phase transformations and materials applications,
plainly demonstrates that the reported elongation and is active in several metallurgical societies. ReadElongation - %
16
18 SPRINGS April 2006
Glossary of Wire Terms
Though not exhaustive, this listing includes many useful definitions
of wire terminology that springmakers may encounter
By David Merrills, Industrial Steel and Wire
Air Patenting – The cooling of the rod or wire is
accomplished in air as apposed to lead. (See Lead
Patenting.)
Alloy – A mixture or combination of metals forming
an apparently homogeneous mass.
Annealed – For the purposes of this glossary, I
will restrict the comments to stainless steel wire.
Annealed stainless has been heat treated at high
temperatures (about 1950°F) and then cooled
quickly in order to soften the wire. The typical tensile
of annealed stainless steel wire is about 90,000 PSI
(pounds per square inch). There would not be any
surface coating on the wire, and it certainly would
not be used for making springs.
Bright Drawn – Broadly accepted to
mean a wire with no metallic surface
coating such as zinc (galvanized).
Bull Block – Typically a large-diameter drawing block for producing
large-diameter wires. See Figure 1.
Cable – A term loosely applied to
wire ropes and wire strands.
Coils - Referred to as “mill coils” or in England as
“catch weight coils.” This is an inexact weight of wire
as opposed to exact weight coils. Typically, coils and
carriers are mill coils, i.e. not exact.
Cold Drawing – Pulling wire at normal (room)
temperature through a die in order to reduce the
cross-sectional area; that is to say, make the wire
smaller in diameter. Shaped wire is usually produced
by cold rolling. This process increases the tensile
and yield strength of the wire while decreasing the
ductility. (See Shaped Wire.)
bull
block
Association for Iron and Steel Technology
Block – A steel drum-shaped part of a wiredrawing
machine. The finishing “block size” will determine
the inside diameter (ID) and outside diameter (OD)
of a coil. See Figure 1, below.
Cast – The cast is the shape or configuration of one
or two turns, or convolutions, of wire taken from
a coil. “Bad cast” probably means that the wire is
wild or has a bad helix (spiral), or the diameter of
the cast is too small or, in some cases, too large.
However, bad cast does not necessarily mean bad
helix and visa versa. The terms are often confused
(see Helix).
Cold Heading (Wire) - This is a
specialized type of wire that is
used mainly for screws, rivets
and nuts, broadly described as
“fasteners.” Cold heading quality wire has a premium surface
and is generally supplied in the
annealed or slightly cold-drawn
condition.
Cotter Pin Wire – Usually halfround wire.
Cadmium – Cadmium-coated wire Figure 1: Wiredrawing machine using
is sold in much the same way as horizontal bull blocks for ½" - 1" wire.
Diameter Tolerance – Most all
tinned wire. Cadmium is a bluishwhite metal. It is important to note that cadmium wires have a permitted diameter tolerance variation
is considered a hazardous material and is not RoHS on the nominal wire size. This is usually expressed
as a plus or minus variance that is given in the stancompliant.
dard wire specifications. The wire is also permitted
Carrier - Sometimes called, a “rack,” “stem,” “spider” to have an ovality tolerance, as it is extremely difor “former.” This is a tubular metal form that stands ficult to produce a perfectly round wire throughout
vertically. The wire is either gravity-fed onto it or a batch of wire. Some springmakers may request a
individual coils are stacked onto it. It is an effective “tighter” tolerance than the specification allows, so
way of producing large continuous coils or stacking this has to be discussed and agreed upon with the
steel supplier.
mill coils for storage and transportation.
Photos in this Glossary reprinted, with permission, from “Making, Shaping and Treating of Steel,” 10th edition, Association for Iron and Steel Technology.
SPRINGS April 2006 19
Inconel, Incoloy – These are nickel-chrome alloys with
very good resistance to corrosion and for working
in high temperatures, or both. These alloys have a
very low magnetic permeability of about 1.0 (almost
non-magnetic).
casing
Electro-Polishing – A process based
on chemical/electrical surface
treatment that produces a shiny
surface. This process removes
metal from the surface and consequently reduces the wire diameter
very slightly.
nib
wire
rod
Association for Iron and Steel Technology
Die – Wiredrawing die. A specially shaped hole
through which the wire is pulled in order to reduce
the diameter. Dies may be made from tungsten
carbide, ceramics, diamonds or synthetic industrial
diamonds. See Figure 2, below.
Lead patenting – of rod or wire
is a process whereby the material is heated in a patenting
furnace and then quenched
(cooled) almost immediately
in a bath of molten lead. The
temperature of the furnace is
about 1600-2000°F. The lead
temperature is in the range of
840-1000°F.
Elongation – The extension of a
tensile test piece when stressed.
The elongation at fracture is usuMusic Wire – This is a fairly
ally expressed as a percentage of
high-grade, high-carbon steel
the original gauge length. In broad Figure 2: Wiredrawing die.
terms, it is how far the wire will
wire. It is a “cleaner” steel than
stretch before breaking. The amount of plastic or hard drawn and exhibits a better fatigue life. Today,
permanent elongation is measured from a tensile test music wire is made by either direct drawing from rod
specimen before fracture. Typically, as hardness or or lead patenting. As a guide, most stocked music
strength increases, elongation decreases.
wire thicker than 0.0625" is more likely to have been
direct drawn; whereas wire smaller than 0.0625" will
Galvanized Wire – Wire to which a coating of zinc has have been made from lead-patented rod or wire. Wire
been applied to the surface as a protection against made by the patenting method has a higher cost.
corrosion. Galvanized wire is often produced by hot
dipping the wire into molten zinc. This is called “hot- Nickel Coated – Stainless steel tends to be sticky
dipped galvanized.” Electro-galvanized is a method during cold drawing, and coating these grades
of applying zinc electrolytically.
with nickel can enhance the surface quality. Typically some stainless wire has a surface coating or
Grease Drawn – Usually gives a fairly bright shiny lubricant, which is nickel (metallic). Nickel is a soft,
finish. The electropolishing quality type is typical metallic material that is an excellent lubricant for
of this. Grease drawn is usually only applicable to spring coiling. Special music wires may also be supstainless steel wire.
plied with a nickel coating. Suzuki has the trade
name of “Preco-N” for this product.
Hard Drawn - Most of the time when springmakers
specify “hard drawn,” they mean bright hard-drawn, Nickel Plating – This is usually carried out after the
usually to ASTM A-227. Galvanized hard-drawn is spring or wireform has been made. The nickel plating
usually to ASTM A-764.
is usually for cosmetic purposes, as it is typically
bright and shiny. Do not confuse nickel plating with
Heat Number – A number given to a ladle (cast or heat) nickel-coated wire.
of molten steel as part of the steel mill’s traceability. If
a springmaker has a wire problem, he may often ask Passivation – According to ASTM A380, passivation is
for a different heat number. There is a good chance “the removal of exogenous iron or iron compounds
that a different heat number was made at a different from the surface of stainless steel by means of a
chemical dissolution, most typically by a treatment
time and the wire characteristics may differ.
with an acid solution that will remove the surface
Helix - Often checked by laying a couple of convo- contamination, but will not significantly affect the
lutions on the ground and measured by the “lift.” stainless steel itself.” In addition, it also describes
Helix is a measurement of how high the end of the passivation as “the chemical treatment of stainless
wire lifts off the ground or flat surface. Another steel with a mild oxidant, such as nitric acid soluway to measure this is to suspend a couple of coil tion, for the purpose of enhancing the spontanous
convolutions from your finger. If the wire spirals formation of the protective passive film.”
or corkscrews from side to side, this is sometimes
called “separation.”
20 SPRINGS April 2006
Reels, Spools, Bobbins – Typically, if the wire is not
supplied in coils or on carriers, it can be wound onto
a reel. Depending upon wire size, the large diameter wires are supplied on reels and the small sizes
on spools. These can be made from steel, wood or
plastic. The three critical dimensions of a reel are:
flange diameter, arbor or center spindle hole, and
traverse width.
Reeless Core – Sometimes called a “core.” Basically,
it is a coil that has been drawn onto a collapsible
reel. The reel is collapsed and taken away, leaving
a reeless core.
Reverse Bend Test – Commonly referred to as a “bend
test.” This is a test used to determine the ductility of
the wire. The wire is typically bent backwards and
forwards through 180° over a specified bend radius
until it breaks. The number of times it could be bent
before fracture is recorded on the test certificate.
Rockwell Hardness – Rockwell hardness is determined
by pressing either a steel ball or diamond indenter into
the surface of the test piece then measuring the depth
of the impression. It is not usual to test wire this way.
Wire “hardness” is usually expressed by its tensile
strength, with the result expressed as PSI (pounds
per square inch). Hardness tests relate more to flat
products, i.e. strip and sometimes shaped wire.
Rod – Also called “wire rod” or “hot-rolled rod.” Wire
rod is the raw material from which wire is drawn.
Rod is produced from a heated billet of steel. This
is passed through a series of rolls by which it is
reduced in cross-sectional area. This process is
called “hot rolling.”
Rust – Corrosion results from the action of moisture
and air at normal temperatures on iron and steel
products. This is sometimes called “oxidation.” This
can happen to bright carbon steel wires, such as
hard-drawn, music or basic, and sometimes oil-tempered. “White rust” is specific to galvanized wires and
is a film of zinc oxide caused by moisture.
Seam – A seam or longitudinal crack in the wire that
is usually the result of a seam being present on the
rolled rod. This typically happens during
the steelmaking process (see Figure 3,
right). Seams can be
superficial and not
impair the fatigue
performance of the Figure 3: Deep seam on surface
material, or they can of semifinished rolled product,
be more severe and ini- originating with an ingot crack.
tiate fatigue cracks.
Shaped Wire – This is the term generally used to
describe wire with a cross-sectional shape other
than round. Shaped wire is usually produced by
cold rolling.
There are potentially an infinite number of shapes
possible, but generally they fall into the following
broad categories: square, flat, oval, half round, rectangular or wedge shaped.
Shell - This is a rare problem these days, but it refers
to the presence of residual scale on the wire surface
as a result of insufficient descaling of the wire rod
prior to the drawing stage.
System Solutions
Straighteners ER PO
Rolls
Guides
Drives
Preformers
Defined and
reproducible
roll adjustment
for straighteners.
Do you waste time and material
on setting up your straighteners
while producing bad quality?
Simple methods to preset defined straightener
roll positions result in large advantages in the
routine of wire processing.
WITELS-ALBERT USA Ltd.
Phone: 410 228 8383, FAX: 410 228 1813
info@witels-albert-usa.com, www.witels-albert-usa.com
SPRINGS April 2006 21
Association for Iron and Steel Technology
Phosphate – Also called “phos-coated.” Unless we
are discussing galvanized music wire, the surface
coating on music wire is usually phos-coated. The
wire, or rod, is coated with zinc phosphate prior to
wiredrawing. Added to the phosphate coating may
be lime or a borax coating, plus the die-box drawing
soap. This coating achieves several things: It permits the high-speed drawing of the wire because of
its lubrication properties, it is a good spring coiling
lubricant, and it offers a limited protection against
rusting. The appearance of the wire is almost black,
with a light oil on the surface.
Soap-Coated Wire – Stainless wire can be soap-coated
non-metallic, or nickel-coated metallic. “Soap coated”
broadly defines the surface coating or lubricant on
the wire. The coating is indeed a soap derivative.
Spheroidizing – A heat-treatment process carried out
at a uniform temperature followed by a slow cooling
in order to obtain a suitable microstructure for cold
working (spring coiling). This results in the carbides
being agglomerated into a spheroid form, which will
eliminate hardness or brittleness of high-carbon wire
while maintaining most of its strength.
Spheroid annealing results in a very ductile structure
often necessary to form parts on a fourslide or in a
press. Parts are subsequently heat treated to the
desired hardness.
Splitting or Split Coils – Term used to describe coils
that have been made smaller (lighter in weight) by
separating one part of the coil from the other, cutting
it apart and tying up separate “split” coils.
Springs (Wire) – These fall mainly into three broad
categories: compression springs, which in service
are compressed; extension springs, which are pulled
apart or extended; and torsion springs, which are
twisted. Torsion springs are designed to operate by
relative angular displacement of their ends, sometimes called “legs.”
Stainless Steel – A high-chromium steel, often
including nickel, which is resistant to corrosive and
oxidizing attack. The most well-known type is 18/8,
an austenitic steel containing about 18% nickel. The
carbon is typically kept low. This is often referred
to as “Type 302” or “Type 304.” The main difference
between the two grades is that Type 302 has a maximum permitted carbon content of 0.12%, whereas
Type 304 has a maximum permitted carbon content
of 0.08%. As a rule, 304 will almost always meet the
302 analysis but not the other way around. The term
“stainless steel” is, to some extent, incorrect; there
are no steels that are wholly immune, in all circumstances, to corrosive attack by all the substances
with which they can come into contact.
Stress Relieving – Heat treating the formed spring to,
and if necessary holding at, a specific temperature.
This is usually followed by a slow cool for the sole
purpose of relieving the internal stresses created as
a result of spring coiling. It is performed on springs
to reduce the high local tensile stresses that occur
as a result of coiling or bending. The inner radius
of compression springs and the bends in the arms
of torsion springs are examples. These areas of
high stress concentration can be deleterious to the
spring’s fatigue performance.
Tensile Test – This is used to measure tensile strength,
often expressed as UTS (ultimate tensile strength).
In the U.S. almost all tensiles are expressed as PSI
(pounds per square inch). The wire is actually tested
by pulling or loading the wire in a tensile machine
until it breaks (actual breaking load). This load figure
is then divided by the original cross-sectional area
of the wire in order to calculate tensile strength,
which is expressed in PSI.
Tin – This is a soft white metal, very malleable and
ductile, but of low tensile strength. Both bright harddrawn and music wire tin-coated material is supplied
with no appreciable change in tensile strength. Both
comply to their respective spring wire specifications.
After plating, the wire looks like silver.
Tolerance – Diameter tolerance is the amount by
which the diameter of the wire is permitted to vary
above and below the specified size.
Torsion Test – Sometimes called a “twist test.” This
is a test whereby the ends of a measured test length
are secured and the wire is twisted in a torsion testing machine, usually until it breaks. The number of
twists is recorded as part of the mechanical testing
procedure. This test can also reveal seams in the
surface of the wire.
22 SPRINGS April 2006
Valve Spring Wire – Often oil-tempered chrome silicon
wire per ASTM A877. Usually this wire is subject to
very special processing and inspection, in terms of
surface, to prevent complete decarburization and
severe surface defects. “Regular” chrome silicon
(ASTM A401) is not valve quality.
Wet Drawn Wire – Wet drawing is a process in
which the wire is drawn while submerged in an oilor grease-type lubricant. This usually results in a
bright shiny finish. This bright finish is not particularly good for spring coiling, as there is no real
lubricant on the wire surface to facilitate automatic
spring coiling.
Wire Gauge – Wire gauge sizes vary in interpretation, not only from country to country but also by
wire type. It is better to refer to wire size by actual
wire diameter.
Wrap Test – This is a test of the wire’s ductility.
Typically, the wire is wound onto a mandrel of the
same size as the wire diameter to be tested. An
acceptable result would be that the wire is wound
seven or eight turns in such a way without splitting
or breaking. This test can also be used to test the
adhesion of plating on the surface of the wire such
as zinc (galvanized).
Yield or Yield Point – This can be part of a tensile test.
The yield point is where there is a sudden increase
in elongation (stretch) without any corresponding
increase in load as the wire is being pulled (see Tensile). The point at which this occurs is called the
“yield point.” The yield point is always lower than
the UTS (ultimate tensile strength).
The yield point is also the point at which the material begins to plastically deform or yield. Beyond the
yield point, a material will not return to its original
shape; that is a spring that takes “set” has been
loaded beyond the yield point of the material.
Zinc – Zinc plated or galvanized wire. Zinc is a
bluish white metal that melts at a relatively low
temperature – about 780°F. The zinc is used to
plate wire (galvanizing) in order to protect against
rusting. Larger sizes are typically made by dipping
the wire in molten zinc (final hot dip). Smaller sizes
are galvanized and then drawn to the finished size
(drawn after galvanizing – DAG.) Zinc can also be
applied by electro-galvanizing; that is to say the zinc
is applied electrolytically.
David Merrills is vice president of Industrial Steel
& Wire in Bristol, CT. Readers may contact him
by e-mail at dmerrills@industeel.com or phone at
(860) 589-7755. v
SPRINGS April 2006 23
Whatever the conditions — extreme heat, stress, frigid
cold — our spring wire keeps coming back for more. If
you need spring wire that pushes the limits, call your
Haldex Garphyttan Corporation representative today.
Because when it comes down to the wire, Haldex quality
performs at a higher level.
© 2006 hALDEX/gARPHYTTAN wIRE company
www.haldex.com
Overseas
Wafios AG in Reutlingen, Germany, has
announced a management succession. Dr. Horst
Birkmann has left the board of directors after 40
years of service; Hanns-Gerhard Rösch, CEO, is now
chairman of the board; Thomas Hösle, CFO, is the
new CEO; and Egon Reich is a new member of the
board and responsible for sales worldwide. Wafios AG
is the parent company of Wafios Machinery Corp. in
Branford, CT. Wafios manufactures over 200 machine
models used worldwide for producing wire and tube
forms, wire springs, straighten and cut rods, nails
and fasteners, fencing and welded chain.
The Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry
(TAMI) has recently celebrated its 60th anniversary.
In 1945, TAMI
was originally
named the Taiwan Association
of Iron-Related
Industries and
was renamed
in 1948. It
was the first
industrial association in Taiwan and gave rise to
29 other associations. With 2,300 members, TAMI
offers many services. “In the past decade or so, the
emphasis has been on manufacturing; whereas the
future will see that R&D and international marketing will become more important,” says Fred Huang,
chairman. “TAMI will work with professional training
centers, schools and universities to cultivate the next
generation of professionals.” The 60th anniversary
was celebrated with a golf tournament consisting
of 64 players.
The board of directors of NV Bekaert
SA, based in Brussels, Belgium, has
appointed Bert De Graeve, chief financial and administration officer, to succeed
Julien De Wilde as chief executive officer
in May, and has recommended De Graeve
for executive director. He has been associated with
Bekaert since 2002 as corporate secretary, CFO and
group executive vice president. He received his law
degree from the University of Gent, studied financial
management in Antwerp and became a master in
tax management at Vlekho in Brussels.
Siemens VDO Automotive AG of Regensburg,
Germany, has recognized Buhrke Industries, a
metal stamping company in Arlington Heights, IL,
with its Performance Award for 2005. Buhrke was
one of 10 vendors out of 1,500 total suppliers worldwide to receive the award.
Tim Weber (right), president
of Forming Systems Inc., in
Schoolcraft, MI, recently met with
the prime minister of Ireland, Bertie Ahern (left), during a visit to T.
Butler Engineering, Ltd. (TBE) of
Piltown, County of Kilkenny, Ireland. As the exclusive distributor for TBE, Weber was
invited to represent the North American wireforming
and spring industry during meetings to discuss the
importance of continued and increased R&D support
provided by the government of Ireland to growing
manufacturing companies located there. TBE manufactures automated wireforming and springmaking
machinery. “TBE continues to increase its R&D
funding each year to improve designs, techniques
and software,” says Weber.
Overseas Events
April 24-28, 2006: wire 2006, Düsseldorf,
Germany, Messe Düsseldorf, +49 (0) 211 45 60 01,
www.wire.de.
June 15-18, 2006: 7th International Metal
& Metallurgy Exhibition, Guangzhou, China,
Julang Exhibition Co. Ltd., 86-20-38620782,
www.julang.com.cn.
Sept. 25-28, 2006: wire China, Shanghai,
China, Messe Düsseldorf, (86 21) 6279 7338,
www.wirechina.net.
Sept. 25-28, 2006: Machine Components 2006,
Shanghai, China, Business & Industrial Trade Fairs,
(852) 2865 2633, www.macomponents.com.
Oct. 5-8, 2006: ITC India, New Delhi, India, WAI,
(203) 453-2777, www.wirenet.org.
Oct. 24-28, 2006: EuroBLECH, Hanover,
Germany, Mack Brooks, +44 (0) 1727 814400,
www.euroblech.com.
North America
William J. (Willy) Geary of Renton, WA has been
elected president of the Society of Manufacturing
Engineers (SME) for 2006. He is chief engineer,
aircraft interiors, 737 program, at the Boeing Co.
in Seattle, WA. Geary has served on the SME board
of directors since 2001 and most recently as SME’s
president-elect. Joining him on the executive committee are: president-elect F. Brian Holmes, Colombia
Plastics Ltd., Surrey BC, Canada; vice president Neil
A. Duffie, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI; and
secretary/treasurer Richard W. Shoemaker, Kohler
Engines, Sheboygan, WI, retired.
SPRINGS April 2006 25
TAK Enterprises Inc., Bristol,
CT has added Sherwood (Woody)
Griffing to its sales and marketing
staff. He fills the newly created position of new product manager. He has
over 23 years of machine product and
market experience that will allow TAK
Enterprises to offer new equipment
and contract production solutions to the wire and
narrow strip processing industries.
The Muskegon, MI, manufacturing facility of NV
Bekaert, Brussels, Belgium, has been phased out.
The Muskegon facility produced high-carbon specialty steel wires mainly used in various applications
for the automotive industry. The softening of the
domestic automotive market, increasing competition of low-cost offshore importers, along with the
regulatory and environmental costs of operations
at the Muskegon plant became burdensome. The
production at the plant has been integrated in other
Bekaert facilities, and other
products with less-added
value have been dropped
from the portfolio.
Perfection Spring &
Stamping Corp. in Mt. Prospect, IL has achieved 16494:
2002 Quality Management
Certification.
FOR THE
LATEST IN
SPRING
GRINDING
TECHNOLOGY
CONTACT
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Simco Spring Machinery Co. Ltd., Japan, has
appointed Gibraltar Corp. as
its exclusive U.S. agent. Mike
Shapiro, president of Gibraltar Corp., Buffalo Grove, IL,
has returned to selling the
Simco line of spring and wire
forming machinery.
Wafios Machinery Corp.,
Branford, CT, has appointed
Michael Rief sales manager
for Canada. He apprenticed
and worked as a toolmaker
at Plansee AG, and was
manager of North American
sales and service for Burger.
He is responsible for sales in
Canada of Wafios wire and
tube bending machines,
spring machinery, and other
wire-working equipment.
Wafios Machinery Corp. is
a subsidiary of Wafios AG,
Reutlingen, Germany.
ANCHOR
A B R A S I V E S
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7651 West 185th Street, Tinley Park, IL 60477 U.S.A. Phone: 708/444-4300 Fax: 708/444-1300
Toll Free: 877/596-3100 E-Mail: info@anchorabrasives.com http://www.anchorabrasives.com
ISO 9001 CERTIFIED
Ad# AA-03-2
26 SPRINGS April 2006
Scott Robertson of
American Metal Market
(AIM) reported that the International Trade Commission
(ITC) voted unanimously
that the U.S. carbon and
alloy steel wire rod industry is not being harmed by
imports from China, Ger-
many and Turkey. In a 6-0 vote, the ITC issued a
negative preliminary determination in a case filed by
Connecticut Steel Corp., Gerdau Ameristeel Corp.,
Keystone Consolidated Industries Inc., Mittal Steel
USA-Georgetown and Rocky Mountain Steel Mills.
The U.S. wire rod industry currently is operating
at high levels, sources said. One market source said
rod producers had planned to raise prices following the filing of the trade action. “The trade actions
and posturing of the domestic mills have firmed the
market up and there is absolutely no down pressure
[on prices],” said Paul Rosenthal, lead trade counsel
for the U.S. producers. In late 2004 and early 2005,
wire rod customers, fearing price hikes, bought more
rod than they could consume. Those inventories
were worked off through much of 2005, leading to
strengthening of demand from several market sectors
in recent months, reports Robertson.
Brian A. Bouvier, co-founder of Lloyd & Bouvier
Inc., will serve as Wire Association International
(WAI) president for 2006. He succeeds Anand Bhagwat, Seneca Wire & Manufacturing Co. Other officers
for 2006 include first vice president Tom Moran,
National Standard Co. and second vice president
Ron Reed, Horizon Wire & Cable. Steven Fetteroll
serves as executive director/secretary and David
LaValley is the treasurer.
North American Events
May 20-24, 2006: Wire Expo, Boston, MA, WAI,
(203) 453-2777, www.wirenet.org.
May 24-25, 2006: CAD Data Exchange Conference, St.Charles, IL, SME, (800) 733-4763,
www.sme.org/de.
June 22-23, 2006: Basic Spring Design
seminar, Naperville, IL, SMI, (630) 495-8588,
www.smihq.org.
Oct. 18-20, 2006: Spring World 2006, Rosemont,
IL, CASMI, (847) 433-1335, www.springworld.org.
It is with deep regret that Springs magazine
announces the passing of Theodore Prociuk Sr.
and Edward J. Hittleman.
Theodore Prociuk Sr., founder of Micromatic
Spring & Stamping in Franklin Park, IL, died on Nov.
28, 2005. He was an army veteran and the father of
Walter, Theresa, Ted and Dennis (Susan) Prociuk, and
Linda (Ron) Dopke; grandfather of 11; great grandfather of two; and brother of Marisa (Mitchell) Dzik.
Edward J. Hittleman died on Jan. 20, 2006 in
New Haven, CT. He was the husband of Deirdre “Dee”
(Brown) Hittleman; father of Marcie and Mandie;
and brother of Randie Hittleman, Bonnie Lewis and
Sandy Myerson. He was president of Bristol Spring
Manufacturing, Plainville, CT.
v
Tension
Compression
Special
Applications
Industrial Products Group
900 Liberty Street
Grove City, PA 16127
Tel: +1 800 726 8378
Fax: +1 724 458 9614
go.instron.com/springtesters
springtesters@instron.com
SPRINGS April 2006 27
2006: the Year of RoHS
How this new environmental law is affecting manufacturers
By Chris Watts
on behalf of TUV Rheinland
I
n 2005, the word was “WEEE” (Waste Electrical paperwork to document each individual component
and Electronic Equipment). Companies struggled in their product, their product will not comply with
to wade their way through the recycling mandate the RoHS directive,” says Bock. “This is why we are
from the European Union and found themselves seeing component manufacturers scrambling to try
thankful when many of the largest countries pushed and convert their products over to RoHS compatibilback their deadlines until 2006. This year, RoHS ity. Those that have are able to have a competitive
(Restriction of Hazardous Substances) is the big advantage. But the EU knows there are problems
target on the radar, requiring companies to restrict and this is why I think we’ll see some sort of change
the amount of six types of contaminates in their in the deadline. However, I think that companies
products. The big question is will this be a WEEE that have not taken significant steps toward meeting
redux, with implementation extensions after the RoHS will still be in trouble, because I’d be willing
July 1 deadline?
to bet that the deadline change will be contingent
“I would be willing to bet that there will indeed upon a company showing due diligence.”
be some changes in the implementation deadline for
So why is RoHS compatibility so hard to achieve?
RoHS because, quite honestly, industry is having a Bock says the two biggest challenges are being posed
very difficult time meeting the letter of the law and by the restriction of lead and cadmium. Because
many companies are simply falling behind,” says non-lead solder has such different characteristics
Geoffrey Bock, an engineer with TUV Rheinland compared to lead solder, companies have been
of North America and
having difficulty creating
program manager for the
electronic parts with solPrettysoonproductswithcadmium,lead,
company’s full service line
ders that can withstand
chromium and other contaminants will
of WEEE/RoHS services.
extreme temperatures or
“However, just because
vibrations. Additionally,
be restricted in more countries than not.
there is the possibility of a
there is a whiskering
Recycling initiatives like WEEE will also
deadline extension doesn’t
problem with some of the
becomecommonplaceinmanycountries.
mean that companies can
non-lead solders, which is
relax. I am telling all of our
causing some manufacturcustomers that they need
ers to have to figure out
to focus on that July 1 deadline and keep working new ways to carry out their soldering processes.
to get their products RoHS compatible, otherwise
“The cadmium problem is showing up in prodthey are taking a big risk.”
ucts where it was used to increase the reliability or
RoHS requires companies to restrict lead, speed of an electronic part. Now that RoHS bans
mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, ploy- cadmium, companies are trying to figure out new
brominated biphenyl (PBB), and polybrominated alternatives,” says Bock. “This all adds up to what
diphenyl ether (PBDE) in their electronic products I think will be some reliability problems with elecby July 1, 2006. If a company has not filed paper- tronic parts and components over the next couple
work with the European Union disclosing their years as we experience R&D teething problems in a
compliance, their products will be locked out of the post-RoHS era. Many companies have not only had
European market. Bock says while he does expect problems finding ways to duplicate prior practices
to see an extension, he’s not quite sure what form with RoHS-compatible products, but so many waited
that extension will take.
too long to start the switch that they are playing a
“If you look at the industry now, the big challenge massive game of catch up.”
facing manufacturers is they are having a difficult
In some of the companies that have started to
time getting RoHS-compliant components from their create RoHS-compatible products, Bock says there
suppliers. If a manufacturer cannot have the correct
Continued on page 32.
28 SPRINGS April 2006
Cutting Through the RoHS Confusion
By Rita Schauer Kaufman, editor
T
he RoHS directive and how to comply with it has been a
concern for many OEMs and their suppliers.
Exactly how much of the restricted substances are
allowed under RoHS left many manufacturers scratching their
heads until the European Commission issued an amendment (2005/618/EC) in August 2005 stating that, “a maximum
concentration value of 0.1% by weight [1,000 ppm] in
homogenous materials for lead, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) and polybrominated
diphenyl ethers (PBDE) and of 0.01% by weight [100 ppm] in
homogenous materials for cadmium shall be tolerated.”
Of the six restricted substances, cadmium, lead and
hexavalent chromium are of primary interest to the spring
industry. Cadmium plating is restricted by the directive, as is
tin-lead plating. However, the biggest source of confusion for
many people, says one metal finisher, is hexavalent chromium.
Hexavalent chromium and the chromate conversion coating on
top of zinc, zinc alloy and aluminum have been restricted under
RoHS. To comply with the directive, manufacturers are using
trivalent coating film, which is a chromate conversion coating
that doesn’t contain hexavalent chromium. Zinc and hexavalent
clear chromate meet the RoHS concentration limits.
One of the major contributors to the confusion, explains
the metal finisher, is that trivalent chromium is clear, not
yellow like hexavalent chromium. He says some people still
want yellow parts because that’s what they’re used to seeing,
but the only way to do that is to add yellow dye to the
trivalent chromium coating film. This does not add to the corrosion resistance, just to the cost.
For those who insist on yellow-dyed coating, he offers
a word of caution: The dye would likely create a problem for
those responsible for the eventual disassembly and disposal
of the parts, as there wouldn’t be any way to tell the difference between parts coated with hexavalent chromium and
those coated with yellow-dyed trivalent chromium.
Another more basic source of confusion for some
people, says the metal finisher, is the difference between chromium and chromate. Chromium, such as what used to be used
for car bumpers, is fine; it’s not covered in the RoHS directive.
It is chromate coating that the standard refers to, he explains.
From a manufacturing point of view, RoHS can pose
another complication: part number. If manufacturers had
parts that included hexavalent chromium and now make
them with trivalent chromium, they would have to change
those part numbers or put suffixes on them. As the metal finisher points out, many manufacturers aren’t set up to do that
easily. On the other hand, if they simply used the same part
number for parts containing trivalent chromium as they did
for those containing hexavalent chromium, it would create
confusion in the warehouse. When workers went to put the
parts in assemblies, how would they be able to determine
which parts were RoHS compliant and which parts were not
if both types carried the same part number?
So how can a springmaker avoid confusion and help customers comply with RoHS? Helene Hermann of Lee Spring,
based in Brooklyn, NY, offers the following tips:
1. Do your homework. Lee Spring assigned the task
of researching and verifying RoHS compliance to a staff
technical and regulatory expert. The company offers a vast
catalog of stock springs, so each part’s compliance with RoHS
needed to be verified internally, and with the company’s
material suppliers and metal finishers.
2. Seek help from related industries. “We in the
spring industry don’t have to reinvent the wheel. There
are other industries that use metal, and they’re also trying
to comply with RoHS,” says Hermann. “They often have
resources that springmakers can tap into.”
3. Educate customers. “Customer education was
key. Many customers didn’t know much about the standard.
All they knew was that they needed to comply, and would
give us a list of products and want paperwork for each one,”
remembers Herrman. “Some people were even resistant to
the directive at first. They mistakenly thought that RoHS was
simply a way to keep U.S. products from going into Europe.
We researched the directive so that we could help customers understand it and comply with it.”
“For custom spring customers who specify a material
that isn’t RoHS-compliant,” continues Herrmann, “we try to
steer them to a material that is. Again, it’s all about educating
the customer and making it easier for them. We wouldn’t
want a customer to come back to us and ask why we didn’t
tell them that the part they specified was not compliant
with the directive.”
4. Keep it simple. “Make a statement for customers
that is as simple and all-encompassing as possible,” recommends Herrmann. “Once we determined that none of our
stock springs contain any of the materials banned by RoHS,
we prepared a statement to that effect, sent it to customers
and published it on our Web site. It helped assure customers and helped us, as well. Frankly, if we had to answer
customers’ RoHS inquiries individually, we’d need a whole
department dedicated to doing that.”
“Embracing the RoHS standard up front has not only
taken the burden off of us but also our customers,” says Hermann. “Say a customer is making a product like a stapler that
gets shipped all over the world, you have to make sure you’re
covered and your customer is covered no matter where that
product may end up.”
Recommended reading: “A Rose is a Ross is a
RoHS,” by David Kluk and Adrian de Krom of NSL Analytical
Laboratories, Advanced Materials & Processes, January 2006. v
SPRINGS April 2006 29
If You’re in the Spring Industry
You Should Be at
SPRING WORLD 2006
®
October 18-20, 2006 • Donald E. Stephens Convention Center • Rosemont, Illinois
What SPRING WORLD Can Do For You We all recognize the fiercely
competitive environment facing the spring manufacturing and wire forming industry.
Attending SPRING WORLD 2006 offers an opportunity to see the newest technology
available in machinery, materials, quality control, grinding, heating and other processes
and services you depend on.
CASMI makes it easy to attend with the most convenient location – the Donald E.
Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois – just five-minutes from O’Hare
International Airport. Not to be ignored is the FREE REGISTRATION (prior to September
25th), and the option of registering online, by mail or fax.
This is the One Show Sponsored by Spring Manufacturers
for Spring Manufacturers Launched by CASMI (Chicago Association of Spring
Manufacturer, Inc.) in 1959, the show has become renowned for bringing more people
together than any other industry event. It has been called the World’s Best Spring Show!
We understand that it’s difficult to “get away” from your day-to-day responsibilities, but if
you are forward looking, you will not want to miss any opportunity to learn how to make
your business grow.
Attend SPRING WORLD!
Attending SPRING WORLD provides a unique
opportunity to network with other spring manufacturers and wire formers in an informal
situation. One on one with others who share your problems and concerns can be
invaluable in gaining new insight to your business. That may be a bonus on top of seeing
the newest technology available to improve your productivity, quality, and service. You
have the further opportunity to speak directly with exhibitors who can answer questions.
Sign-Up Today!
Mail or fax the registration form provided, or register online at
www.springworld.org. Note the convenient hotel list all within walking distance of the
convention center. Get a FREE shuttle to any of the hotels and you won’t need a rental car
while you are here. If you are driving, we have included a hotel with free parking and a
shuttle to the convention center. Parking is available at all the hotels. Check with them for
current rates. Convention center parking is available on a daily basis for $13 per day, no
overnight privileges.
All CASMI Members Look Forward to Seeing You in
Rosemont at SPRING WORLD 2006 • October 18-20!
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 18
Exhibits Open – 10:00a.m. until 6:00p.m.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19
Exhibits Open – 9:00a.m. until 6:00p.m.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20
Exhibits Open – 10:00a.m. until 4:00p.m.
®
Registration Form for SPRING WORLD 2006
Attendance Limited to Jobshop Spring, Four-slide, Multi-slide, Stamping, and Wire Form Manufacturers.
Children under 14 years of age will not be admitted. Those under 16 must be accompanied by a responsible adult.
__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I___I__I___I___I
___I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I
I
I
NAME (PLEASE PRINT)
TITLE
__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I___I__I__I___I___I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I
I
COMPANY
I
__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I___I___I___I___I___I
I
I
__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I___I___I___I___I___I
I
__I__I___I___I
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__I___I___I___I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I___I___I___I___I
I_
E-MAIL
WEBSITE
ADDRESS
COUNTRY
Please Check One Category:
(A-1)
■ Spring Manufacturer
(A-2)
■ Exhibitor
(A-3)
___I___I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I__I___I___I___I___I___I
CITY
STATE
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PHONE
■ CASMI Member
(A-4)
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ZIP
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■ Other (explain) ____________________________
Answer the Following Questions:
Is the company a “job shop” spring manufacturer? Yes ______ No ______ If the answer is “No” what does the company do?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Check all product categories your company makes:
(B-1)
(B-6)
(B-11)
(B-2) ■ Four Slide
(B-3) ■ Power Springs
(B-4) ■ Compression Springs
(B-5) ■ Flat Springs
■ Extension Springs
(B-7) ■ Torsion Springs (B-8) ■ Wire Forms
(B-9) ■ Spring Washers
(B-10) ■ Hot Wound Springs
■ Stampings
■ Other Products (describe) _______________________________________________________________________________________________
Indicate if you are a member of any of the following spring/metalforming organizations (Check all that apply)
(C-1)
■ CASMI
(C-2)
■ NESMA
(C-3)
■ PMA
(C-4)
■ SMI
(C-5)
■ TMA
(C-6)
■ WAI
(C-7)
■ WCSMA
(C-8)
■ WFA
Advance registration (received prior to September 25, 2006) is FREE! Registration received at CASMI office after September 25, 2006 will be assessed the onsite
registration fee, and must be picked up and paid for at the show registration desk. Onsite registration fees are: CASMI members & exhibitors $15, non-members $25.
MAIL TO: CASMI, P.O. Box 1144, Highland Park, IL 60035, Phone (847)433-1335, Fax (847)433-3769 or Register Online: www.springworld.org
Hotel Rooms for SPRING WORLD 2006 and Wire Forming
CASMI has arranged for special show rates at the following hotels; single or double occupancy (unless otherwise noted). All provide
FREE shuttle from O’Hare Airport. Subject to the current Rosemont room tax of 12.5%. Call for reservations. Ask for Spring World rates.
DOUBLETREE HOTEL O’HARE-ROSEMONT RATE: $179
Phone: (800)222-TREE • (847)292-9100 • Fax: (847)292-9259
TO
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Phone: (888)642-7344 • (847)671-6350 • Fax: (847)671-5406
HYATT REGENCY O’HARE RATE: $159
Phone: (800)233-1234 • (847)696-1234 • Fax: (847)698-0139
SKYBRIDGE
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N
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and Buffet Breakfast are Included
GENCY
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ASSY
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G
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EMBASSY SUITES HOTEL O’HARE RATE:
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Includes full breakfast and cocktails 5:30-7:30pm
Phone: (847)678-4000 • Fax: (847)928-7659
UNITED AIRLINES IS THE OFFICIAL AIRLINE FOR SPRING WORLD 2006
United is offering a 10% discount off the unrestricted, fully refundable coach fare or 2% discount off the lowest applicable fares, to all attendees of SPRING WORLD 2006. An additional 5% discount will apply when tickets are purchased at least 30 days in advance of the attendees
travel. This special offer applies to travel on domestic segments of all United Airlines and United Express flights (UAL/UAX/UA). Convenient
schedule and discounted fares are available through United’s Meeting Desk or your travel agent. Call 1-800-521-4041 and reference Meeting
ID Number 539TP. Dedicated reservationists are on duty Monday thru Friday 8:00am–10:00pm and Saturday & Sunday 8:00am – 8:00pm EST.
is a curious trend: dual assembly lines. But he
says this is a temporary situation because it isn’t
economically feasible to have dual production lines
for the long term.
“The fiscal impact of RoHS is adding, on average,
three to five percent onto the price of a final product,
but this price should drop as companies figure out
new ways to create RoHS-compatible products,” says
Bock. “However, if a company chooses to have two
lines and carry twice as much stock to have RoHScompliant and non-RoHS-compliant products, costs
will stay inflated. I already know of a few clients that
are using the same part number for RoHS-compliant
and non-RoHS-compliant components because they
anticipate being fully RoHS compliant in the near
term and don’t want to double up on their materials
lists. Plus, the demand for RoHS-compliant or environmentally responsible products will only increase
in the near future.”
That is the point that we must pay attention
to, according to Bock. While RoHS may or may not
be fully implemented in 2006, the writing is on the
global wall, and companies that are not taking environmental initiatives like WEEE and RoHS seriously
will soon find themselves out of business.
röslau
spring steel wire
keeps you
moving
Stahl- und Drahtwerk
Röslau GmbH
Hofer Straße 16–17
D-95195 Röslau
Fon +49 (0) 92 38 / 809-0
sdw@roeslau-draht.com
www.roeslau-draht.com
32 SPRINGS April 2006
“The fact that Europe is the second largest
economy in the world means that it has the power
to change the global marketplace. It just doesn’t
become economically viable for a company to create
one product for Europe and another product for
another market,” says Bock. “This is why we are
seeing other, similar environmental legislation cropping up from China to Japan to California. Once
the EU breaks down the walls, others will follow.
Pretty soon products with cadmium, lead, chromium and other contaminants will be restricted
in more countries than not. Recycling initiatives
like WEEE will also become commonplace in many
countries. The market for non-compliant products
will become narrower and narrower, so companies
will have to reform or risk running out of markets
for their products.”
Bock says that many years from now, 2005-2006
will be seen as a watershed for the way we treat
the environmental impact of the products that we
buy and sell. It will mark the turning point for how
governments assign environmental responsibility.
Starting now, the corporations themselves will be
ultimately responsible. Bock says while it may currently present a challenge, the long-term effects are
worth it.
“Even though Europe may be the only one seen
pushing this legislation, environmental product compliance is here to stay and is catching on globally,”
Bock says. “Don’t blame the EU for the legislation.
If not Europe, China or another major market would
have been the starting point. The public is demanding products that are more environmentally friendly,
and the markets are expanding for ‘green’ products.
If your company has not started to think this way
and adjust its product lines accordingly, best do it
now; otherwise it will soon be too late.”
Chris Watts is a freelance writer from Bloomfield,
CT. He is a former editor for the Associated Press in
Washington, DC, and bureau chief for MetroNetworks
in Hartford, CT.
TUV Rheinland of North America Inc., based in
Newtown, CT, is a subsidiary of TÜV Rheinland
Group, Germany, a worldwide company offering
compliance testing and certification, management
system auditing and certification, field evaluation services, and consumer product services. This
includes a RoHS compliance and labeling service
to help component manufacturers prove that their
products meet the RoHS restrictions. TUV Rheinland
of North America has offices in 11 cities across the
U.S., Canada and Mexico. Readers may contact TUV
Rheinland by phone at (888) 743-4652 or Web site
at www.us.tuv.com. v
Be
Aware
What is Your Safety
Program Costing You?
T
hat a good workplace safety program is expensive is a big misconception. The fact is that,
if planned properly with a good safety committee,
employee training and commitment, your safety
program can be a profit center.
Lost workday accidents can be very costly. In
addition, workers’ compensation insurance has
become a major operating expense, and that is just
the tip of the iceberg when analyzing the cost of an
accident. Hidden costs, such as lost production, late
deliveries, spoiled product, schedule adjustments
and lower work force morale can cost far more than
the obvious fixed costs. Studies have shown that the
total cost of an accident can be more than double
the obvious fixed costs. For example, did you know
that a typical carpal tunnel illness costs an employer
approximately $25,000?
Safety programs can vary from company to company, but they all have the same goal: to eliminate
accidents. The most successful programs are built
around employee training.
Why do you Train?
The real goal of training is not training; the
real goal is learning. Unfortunately, this is what
frequently happens: Trainers tell stories of training that didn’t work, production workers make the
same mistakes, workers refuse to wear the proper
personal protective equipment, and supervisors
over-appraise and under-counsel the workers. To
prevent this, make sure you train to the need.
Beyond OSHA-mandated topics, training is needed
when there is a lack of appropriate knowledge, skills
and/or attitudes. Once it’s determined a potential problem exists, training must be directed to the need.
Jim Wood is an independent regulations
compliance consultant to SMI. A certified
instructor of the OSHA Out-Reach Program, Wood conducts seminars, plant Safety
Audits and In-House Safety Training. These
programs help companies create safer work
environments, limit OSHA/Canadian Ministry of Labor violations and insurance costs,
and prepare for VPP or SHARP certification.
He also offers safety advice and information by phone at (630) 495-8597 or e-mail at regs@smihq.org.
Safety Tips
from Jim Wood
Motivation/Incentive
Many companies tie an incentive program in
with a good safety program. There can be bonuses
or contest prizes. Award programs are a way for
management to tell employees that they are pleased
with their performance. It also shows management
support and involvement with safe work behavior.
Following are four simple rules for creating an
incentive program:
1. Keep it simple. Reward employees based on
injury-free days. Do not include minor first aid where
a doctor’s services are not required.
2. Make the reward desirable. Get some input
on this from your employees. Remember, it is better
if many people get a modest prize than one getting
a super prize.
3. Make the reward attainable. A large reward
at the end of an accident-free year is nice, but without incremental rewards along the way, the reward
seems so distant that day-to-day awareness is
limited.
4. Tie the reward to something over which
employees have control. If you neglect to do this,
workers will become frustrated when they feel the
incentive is not really a measure of their performance.
An incentive program can actually save money.
The plan does not have to be expensive. Most wellthought-out plans more than pay for themselves
after just a few months. Even a minor lost workday
accident can cost thousands of dollars.
Remember, an incentive program alone does
not make a good safety program; it is simply an
aid. A good safety program needs all of the following elements: management commitment, employee
involvement, work site analysis, hazard prevention
and control, and safety and health training.
Jim’s Regulatory Tip
Take advantage of SMI’s In-House Employee
Safety Training program. We will tailor a program
around your schedule for minimum production
downtime. A typical training session would take
approximately three hours. Your work force could
be split into two or three groups, completing all
required training in a single day. v
SPRINGS April 2006 33
wire 2006
International Wire and Cable Trade Fair
Preview of Exhibits
April 24-28, 2006, Düsseldorf, Germany
Alloy Wire
Staff of Alloy Wire will assist visitors with
a range of cold-drawn round wire, flat wire
and shaped wire. Alloy Wire International
Ltd. is a UK wire manufacturer specializing
in the production of high-performance alloys,
mainly nickel alloys, but also including cobalt
and titanium alloys.
Hall 11, Stand E26
CNC Precision High-Speed Spring Coilers.
These coilers are now available with up to
six servo axes, including torsion and lateral
coiling point with upper arbor slide.
Hall 9, Stand F05
HSI
The Institute of Spring Technology (IST)
will exhibit load testers, torque testers,
design software, the new Finite Element
Analysis Software, and the recently developed Spring Material Selector CD-ROM.
Hall 17, Stand A24
Bennett Mahler
Bennett Mahler will exhibit a Downfeed
Spring End Grinding Machine with new Color
Touch Screen Control, as well as a Single End
Grinding Machine for grinding medium and
large wire diameters.
A servo-controlled Bennett Maxicoil
Spring Coiling Lathe will be demonstrated,
complete with automatic feed-and-cut facility.
A fully reconditioned Spring Coiling Machine
will also be exhibited.
Hall 17, Stand C22
IST
Huei Shang Industrial Co. (HSI), represented by Forming Systems Inc. in North
America, will exhibit the latest developments
for stress relieving ovens, electro-static air
filters, part collectors, wire payoff systems
and spring gaging systems.
Hall 17, Stand B22
Kiswire
Kiswire Group Ltd. will assist springmakers with their spring wire needs, including
piano wire, music wire, shaped wire, highcarbon spring wire and oil-tempered wire. In
addition,thecompanyfocusesonhigh-quality
product development through joint ventures
with automobile, machinery and construction
companies. Kiswire also manufactures bead
wire, steel cord and hose wire, galvanized
steel wire and strand, wire rope, and PC
wire and strand.
Hall 9, Stand C25
SAS Inc.
Fenn Technologies
Fenn Technologies has over 100 years’
experience in the design and manufacture
of machinery for the metalforming industry.
Information will be available on Torin Z-Series
34 SPRINGS April 2006
HTC
Hsin Tong Chen Machinery (HTC),
represented in North America by Forming
Systems Inc., will exhibit the latest innovations for spring coiling and wireforming. HTC
will introduce the new HTC 120CU 12 mm,
nine-axis spring coiling machine and the new
HTC 80CX 8 mm, seven-axis spring coiling
machine. Also on display will be the HTC
20XR eight-axis spring former and a variety
of four-axis coiling machines.
Hall 17, Stand B22
Spring Analysis Systems Inc. (SAS),
represented in North America by Forming Systems Inc., will exhibit spring testing
equipment, including high-speed fatigue
testing, programmable torsion testing, and
vision systems for dimensional measurement
of springs and wire forms. SAS will be showing the following products:
• CT1000, a 1,000 kg /1,000 mm stroke
compression spring tester controlled by
servomotors and the latest version of the
SAStesters PC software.
• PC-controlled and servomotor-driven
torsion spring tester with interchangeable
load cells.
• LST 1,200 spring cycle tester. This
programmable tester records the spring’s
loads independently, and can identify and
document the onset of failure of each spring
separately.
• CTV-1600 dimensional measuring
system (pictured) for measuring spring geometry using vision technology. It is designed to
measure intricate wireform shapes and spring
types at very small resolutions. It is ideally
suited for pitch traces, spring eccentricity,
parallelism and various measurements on
complex wireforms.
Hall 17, Stand B01
Stahl- und Drahtwerk Röslau
Stahl- und Drahtwerk Röslau GmbH will
assist visitors with its full line of materials,
including: patented drawn spring wire; oiltempered spring steel wire; special products,
such as high-quality spring steel wires, hightensile-strength spring steel wires, gold-plated
steel wire and mechanically polished highstrength spring steel wires; and steel wire
for musical instruments.
Hall 10, Stand G55
Shinko
Shinko Machinery Co. Ltd. will show its
machinery for compression springs, extension springs, torsion springs, wireforming,
retaining springs, oval springs and wire alignment control. These include the UF Series
(pictured) with universal spindles, and the
SE series of harmonic control coilers, in
addition to the VF-800 series of extension
spring coilers.
Hall 17, Stand D02
TC-HP 2
TC - H P 2 w i l l e x h i b i t i t s l i n e o f
springmaking equipment, including CNC
and PC-controlled machines for compression
and extension springs, casing/sheath coilers,
wireformers, ring coilers, and machines for
custom applications. The company will also
demonstrate its new transfer system for
extension springmakers, the CT 201 PC.
Hall 17, Stand B18
Whitelegg Machines
Witels-Albert
Witels-Albert GmbH will present both
new and field-proven solutions from its
range of straightener, roll, guide, feed and
pre-former products. Straighteners are
designed to give users automatic straightening of process materials using defined
settings. New products include NA S and
NAD S series feeding units, NAR series
multifunctional units, ABR Easy and ABR
Easy POS series transport and straightening
machines, ZR PG series guiding units, and
CS Easy series semiautomatic straighteners.
The machines and systems in the new Easy
product range feature simple construction,
low component count and a user-friendly
human-machine interface.
Hall 9, Stand E39
Also exhibiting at wire 2006 are the following SMI members:
• Asahi-Seiki Manufacturing Co. Ltd.
(17/B55)
• Haldex Garphyttan AB (17/C27)
• Itaya Engineering Co. (17/C42)
• Sandvik Materials Technology (11/G27)
• Wafios Aktiengesellschaft (10/F20,
16/B18).
In addition, the European Spring Federation will be in Hall 17, Stand C28.
Simplex-Rapid, Secem
Simplex-Rapid, Italy, will exhibit its line of
springmaking equipment. This includes multiaxis CNC coilers, mechanical coilers with
rotating cutoff and cog-segment coilers for
compression springs; the MT-X CNC multiaxis torsion spring machines; CNC coilers
and automatic joiners for oil seal ring springs;
payoffs; grinders; and wire straighteners.
Hall 17, Stand D18
Whitelegg Machines Ltd., represented
in North America by Forming Systems, will
exhibit the new CFM series 2D wireforming
machines with automatic integration for butt
welding (pictured). CFM machines are available for wire ranging from 3 mm to 10 mm.
Whitelegg will also display the CFR series
ring forming machines with automatic butt
welding for stainless steel with 2 mm to 5
mm diameters.
Hall 11, Stand D21
Show organizer Messe Düsseldorf
reported in January that exhibitor participation already exceeded that of 2004. The 2006
wire show will include 959 exhibitors from
48 countries, and the exhibit space registration exceeds the total space sold for wire
2004 by almost 27,000 square feet.
For information and registration, visit the
Messe Düsseldorf Web site, www.wire.de
or phone +49 (0) 211/4560-01. In North
America, contact Messe Düsseldorf North
America by phone at (312) 781-5185 or Web
site at www.mdna.com. v
SPRINGS April 2006 35
Grinding Tight-Tolerance Springs
How to improve your chances of success
By Rick Schultz, Anchor Abrasives Co.
and John Moyer, Moyer Manufacturing Co.
hrough the years, we have all dealt with the continual pressure to produce springs of reduced
end tolerances. In many cases, those springs also
demand the use of more exotic materials. When
trying to meet these requests, a better understanding of the direct and outside influences affecting the
grinding process can greatly improve your chances
of success.
One common bit of advice you may hear more
than once is, “The tighter the grind tolerance, the
tighter the tolerances need to be held in every step of
the manufacturing process.” An analogy I like to use
with golfers is to ask if they would rather be shooting
for a hole-in-one from six inches or from a tee box 300
yards away. The answer is obvious! If tight controls
are not kept throughout the entire process, they are
standing on that tee box 300 yards away rather than
having a six-inch putt for a hole-in-one.
T
Raw Materials
“What is wrong with purchasing?” I’ve often
heard from the shop floor “I can’t make this wire
work,” they say, “Junk in, junk out.”
The wire vendor may say, “I don’t understand;
XYZ Co. is not having a problem with this material.”
This is usually a correct statement. However, XYZ
Co. has a free-length tolerance of ±0.020" while you
have a tolerance of ±0.003".
I am not going to get into procedures for inspection of incoming materials, as this is a topic for
another article. Nevertheless, there are a couple of
things I need to mention. Cast and helix are obvious problems and should be checked by incoming
inspection. Out-of-round wire and coatings are two
of the main factors affecting coiling close-tolerance
springs. Consequently, roundness of wire should be
checked by incoming inspection. The big problem,
however, is how to check for coating.
As there is no easy way to check the coating,
it is important to work with your wire vendor on
obtaining coatings that will assist in running closetolerance jobs. How do you do this? Keep statistical
data for diameter and lengths on close-tolerance
jobs, and provide this information with samples to
your vendor and let them work with you to obtain
the necessary quality to meet your needs.
36 SPRINGS April 2006
One thing I have observed over the years is that
a lot of coiling problems are caused by too much
pressure on the feed rolls, which flattens the wire
and increases variation.
Establishing Grind-Length Tolerances
Assuming the wire problem is fixed, how does
the coiling department sell good parts to the grinding
department? First, determine what tolerances need to
be held at the coiler. As the O.D. of the spring affects
the rate to the third power, you must hold the O.D.
as close as possible. O.D. variation is usually linked
to the machine condition, quality of wire and tooling.
This is where some of the “black magic” comes into
play in springmaking. I have seen dramatic changes
in holding the O.D. with how the arbor is ground.
Spring length is a dimension that springmakers can
control using length gages. To use length gages, the
correct sort tolerances must be established. The following is a guideline for determining the amount of
equalization obtained by grinding:
Crunch Grinding Equalization
Rate
Approximate % of F.L.
lb./in.
Variation Equalized By Grinding
2-15 lb.
0% - 20%
16-25 lb.
21% - 30%
26-40 lb.
31% - 40%
41 lb. & up 41% - 60%
As the rate of the spring has such an effect
on the ground-length tolerance, the coiled length
of springs must be sorted so that the remaining
variation can be equalized during grinding. For
the following example, the spring rate variation
is set at 2%. If you have a spring with a rate of
100 lb./in. and a load of 1 lb., the coiled-length tolerance is calculated as follows:
• 100 lb. × 0.02 = 102 lb. rate to 98 lb. rate. Using
a rate of 100 lb./in., you would have a theoretical
ground length tolerance of ±0.010" (1 lb. ÷ 100 lb./in.
= 0.010").
• If the spring travels down 0.200" from the
free length to the load-check height, and if the 2%
rate variation is factored into the equation, then
the coiled length tolerance must be reduced from
±0.010" to ±0.006".
• If a spring having a rate of 100 lb. is compressed
0.200" from its free length, the load will be 20 lb.
• If the spring has a 102 lb. rate or a 98 lb. rate,
the loads will be 20.4 lb. or 19.6 lb. instead of 20 lb.
• Consequently, the tolerance is now ±0.6 lb.
instead of ±1 lb., and the coiled length tolerance
should be ±0.006" instead of ±0.010" (0.6 lb. ÷ 100 lb.
rate = 0.006")
• In addition, the load usually has to be within
75% of the tolerance to meet a CPK of 1.33. Consequently, the 0.006" must be reduced to 0.004".
• If you get 50% equalization, the springs coming
to the grinder must be held to ±0.008" If the equalization is less than 50%, the sort tolerance must be
reduced.
Gaging Coiled Length
Now that the length tolerance is established, the
gage can be set to sort the springs ±0.008" If you are
running 17-7 PH wire at four dollars a pound, you
don’t want to throw wire out and sell it for scrap.
Consequently, you can segregate the parts into three
good groups using five-way sorting. If the solid height
allows, you can sell the grinding department three
groups of parts sorted at ±0.008". This technique has
saved a tremendous amount of material and time.
Setting the Spring for Minimal Material Removal
As grinding is the most expensive operation in
the plant, you want to maximize the utilization of
this operation. One important factor is to reduce the
amount of material removed. If you have to grind
more than half a wire size, grinding time is increased.
To assist the coiler operator in laying down the ends
for grinding, this sketch in Figure 1, below, using a
pin through the I.D. of the spring, is a good tool. The
pin position in comparison to the laydown gives the
operator a good idea as to where, on the ends, the
most material will have to be removed to obtain a 270°
grind. The laydown is then adjusted as necessary.
Figuring how Fast the Springs can be Ground
Production speed calculations. A baseline production speed is established by averaging the speed of
a number of runs of a particular job on a particular
machine. A spring is ground at a rate of 3,200 parts
per hour on an 18" grinder. The spring is made out of
0.080" music wire having a 0.470" O.D. and ground
Figure 1: Laying down the ends for grinding.
in a dial that has 120 holes. This data can be used
as a standard when setting a production speed for
other jobs as follows:
Stock removal
• Wire diameter2 × Mean Diameter: 0.080" ×
0.080" × 0.390" = 0.002496".
New job 0.060" music wire, 0.700" O.D. How
fast can we grind?
• 0.060" × 0.060" × 0.640" = 0.002304"
• 0.002496 ÷ 0.002304 = 1.08"
• 1.08 × 3,200 = 3,456 parts per hour, based
upon stock removal only
Number of holes in carrier
•
•
•
•
•
Bolt circle of the carrier is 25.8"
25.8" × 3.1416 = 81.05"
O.D. of spring 0.700" + 0.012" = 0.712"
Hole Clearance + 0.100" for Web = 0.812"
81.05" ÷ 0. 812" = 99 Holes
Adjustment of production for number of holes
• 99 ÷ 120 = 0.82
• 3,466 × 0.82 = 2,842 parts per hour
These figures are based upon removing onehalf a wire from each end. If more stock is removed
than one-half a wire, the production speed must be
adjusted. For 302 SS, reduce production by 30%.
For 17-7 PH SS, reduce production by 50%.
Reducing Grinding Cost Through Automation
This topic also requires another article. One
factor that needs to be mentioned is O.D. tolerance.
For automation to work properly, the O.D. of the
springs must be held within ±0.002" from run to run
and within a run. You should typically set the I.D. of
the insertion nozzle at 0.005" larger than the O.D.
of the spring. Consequently, the ends of the springs
must also be held within 0.002" of the body of the
spring. If the I.D. of the nozzle is opened to accommodate the ends, the springs dropping out of the
nozzle will not be guided by the body of the springs
into the holes in the spring-carrier plate.
Grinder Condition
As a reminder, and because I said you would
hear it more than once, “The tighter the grind tolerance, the tighter the tolerances need to be held in
every step of the manufacturing process.” Let’s suppose that, to this point, you have done everything
possible to assure your success. The raw materials
have passed your incoming inspections. Coiling personnel have done their job and held the necessary
tolerances. The springs have been gaged and sorted
so they can be ground in appropriate batches. What
next? Look out – here comes the grinder!
The grinder condition is very important to your
finished product. Inherent problems in the grinder
can destroy everything that has been accomplished
to this point.
SPRINGS April 2006 37
Carrier Dia. (in.)
24"
30"
36"
48"
60"
Figure 2: Fixture hub run-out must be held to 0.015".
Figure 3: Dresser alignment.
Figure 4: Entrance and exit guides.
Some key factors to consider in selecting the
right grinder for your tight-tolerance springs are:
bearing condition and quality, fixture-hub run-out,
spindle speeds, dresser alignment and condition,
infeed accuracy, proper entrance and exit guides,
and tabletop condition.
Low-quality bearings, or bearings that are worn,
loose or have lost their pre-load will cause excessive
run-out on the grinding wheel and create vibration.
This leads to shorter wheel life, additional dressing
and springs whose free-length and squareness tolerance will be difficult to hold.
Fixture-hub run-out needs to be held to 0.0015"
(Figure 2, top) to guarantee that springs are being
presented squarely to the grinding wheels. Even
if the spring fixtures or carrier have been made
38 SPRINGS April 2006
properly, excessive run-out
of the fixture hub will create
too much tilt, and springs will
not be ground square.
Spindles of both heads of
a double-disc grinder should
be running at the same speed
to prevent the spring from
bowing while being ground.
If spindle motors, sheaves or
pulleys have been changed,
spindle speeds should be
checked to ensure that both spindles are operating
at the same speed.
One area typically ignored when setting up or resetting a grinder is dresser alignment and condition
(Figure 3, left). A dresser not set parallel with the
bottom wheel plate on a vertical-spindle machine or
the left wheel plate on a horizontal-spindle machine
will dress an angle into the grinding wheel. A weak or
worn dresser arm with too much end play will follow
the contour of the disc face. Although it may clean
up the disc face and get rid of a loading condition,
it will not be able to dress the wheel flat.
Every day it seems that free-length tolerances
get tighter and tighter in order to control criticalload tolerances. This demands that the grinder is
capable of highly accurate infeed capability and
repeatability. Any grinder
being considered for grinding
these tight-tolerance springs
should be checked to ensure
that the infeed of the spindle
is accurate and repeatable to
guarantee a consistent freelength tolerance. Worn feed
screws are the main culprits
of inaccurate infeed of the
grinder head.
Entrance and exit guides may also be a contributing factor to your inability to finish tight-tolerance
springs (Figure 4, above). When springs are not
making a smooth transition from the tabletop to
the grinding wheels or from the wheels back to the
tabletop because of worn and uneven surfaces, the
springs could be cocked enough to damage or mar
the spring and put it out of tolerance.
Est. Runout at O.D.
0.009"
0.011"
0.014"
0.018"
0.022"
Fixturing
It is important to make the carrier or fixturing
block thickness as close to the finished ground
spring as possible to ensure squareness. Some
simple guidelines to use in designing the proper
fixture thickness would be:
• 2-15 lb. rate lb./in. ........1½ wire diameter
above/below the carrier
• 16- 25 lb. rate lb./in. .....1 wire diameter
above/below the carrier
• 26-40 lb. rate lb./in. ......¾ wire diameter
above/below the carrier
• 41 lb. & up rate lb./in. ...½ wire diameter
above/below the carrier
Exceptions, such as seal springs, need to be
considered as well. These low-active-coil springs
demand that fixturing be as close to the finished
dimension of the ground spring as possible. This
helps hold critical squareness tolerances and
ensures that the springs will not ride up on the fixture body, and get caught between the fixture and
the grinding wheel.
Solid carriers that utilize holes rather than fixture pockets should have relief areas cut out to aid
in heat dissipation. This will allow the carrier to run
truer with less distortion (Figure 5, right).
When using carriers with windows or pockets cut
out for fixture blocks, the carrier should be cut into
segments. This will allow the carrier to stay flat, and
not twist or flex like an empty cookie sheet in an oven
when it heats up. This practice also allows for shimming of each segment to ensure proper alignment.
The fixture-hole diameter must be held as close
to the body diameter of the spring as possible, but
allowing for compression while in the grinding zone
Figure 5: Relief areas aid heat dissipation.
to cut at sufficient rates. As a guideline, clearance
between the springs and holes should be:
• 0.003" clearance on springs to ½° square
• 0.006" clearance on springs ½° to 1° square
• 0.009" clearance on springs 1° to 1½° square
• 0.012" clearance on springs 1½° to 2° square
The above table is a guide only. There is an
adjustment that can be made to determine hole
size. Using CAD, determine how much the spring
will lean in the suggested hole size. Based upon the
Whatever the environment you operate in — Call Elgiloy.
Alloy 20Cb -3 (1);
A-286, AL6XN (2);
Elgiloy (3);
Haynes (4) 25,
188, 214,
230, 242;
Hastelloy (4) B3,
C22, C276,
C2000;
Inconel (5) 600,
625, 718, X-750;
Monel Alloys (5);
MP-35N (6);
Nimonic 90 (5);
Nitronic Alloys (7);
Ni Span C (5);
Nickel 200, 201(5);
Rene 41;
Waspaloy (8);
Titanium Alloys
Registered Trademarks:
(1) Carpenter Technology
(2) Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp.
(3) Elgiloy Specialty Metals
(4) Haynes International, Inc.
(5) Special Metals Corp.
(6) SPS Technologies
(7) Armco Inc.
(8) United Technologies, Inc.
We have your answers, we have your alloys.
Elgiloy Specialty Metals
A division of Combined Metals of Chicago LLC
1565 Fleetwood Drive, Elgin, IL 60028
www.elgiloy.com
No matter the
environment,
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or
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SPRINGS April 2006 39
Figure 6: Proper grinder head alignment.
Figure 8: Surface footage of the grinding disc is at its highest
speed at the OD of the wheel.
Grinder Setup
Head Alignment. In grinding springs, the abra-
Figure 7: Grinding springs with a progressive grind.
calculated amount of lean, adjust the hole size to
obtain the necessary squareness.
For every 0.250 increment below and above the
ratio of 2:1, the following adjustments are made:
• Instead of grinding a 1" spring, a spring having
a length of 0.700" is ground.
• Length reduction 1" spring, a spring having a
length of 0.700" is ground.
• Length reduction 1" minus 0.300" = 0.700 ÷
0.500 = 1.4:1 ratio.
• 2.0 minus 1.4 = 0.600 ÷ 0.250 = (2.4) or 2.4
(0.250 increments).
For each 0.250 increment below the 2:1 ratio,
the hole should be reduced by 0.0005" or, as in
the example, the hole size listed in the table will be
reduced by 0.0012" (2.4 × 0.005"). The maximum
reduction is 50%.
For each 0.250 increment above the 2:1 ratio,
the hole can be increased by 0.001". The maximum
increase is 150%.
40 SPRINGS April 2006
sive discs are asked to snag grind the sharp tang,
rough grind to approximate size, and finish grind
to proper size, angularity and degree of grind. All of
these operations are performed on the same disc,
unless a tandem machine is being used. Proper head
alignment is imperative in grinding tight-tolerance
springs. For most springs being ground on a singlepass conventional grinder, the heads should be set
as follows:
1. The bottom head on a vertical machine or left
head on a horizontal machine should be set square
with the rotary carrier hub.
2. The top head on a vertical machine or right
head on a horizontal machine should be open at
entrance ½ the wire diameter of the spring wire being
ground (Figure 6, top left).
By setting the grinder up in this fashion, it allows
the springs to be ground with a progressive grind.
As the springs get shorter, the grinding wheels get
closer together and distribute the pressure against
the spring equally across the entire disc face. This
allows for maximum stock removal and maximum
production rates (Figure 7, bottom left). By tilting
the heads in this fashion, the grinder quickly shears
the springs tang to half of the finished size. Although
much of the overall spring length has been removed,
there has only been a small portion of the total metal
removed and a minimum degree of grind achieved. As
the springs travel through the grinding zone, they are
progressively ground to finished size with less heat
being generated. Remember, abrasive wear is directly
proportional to the amount of metal it removes. If all
of the metal is removed by the periphery
of the disc, all the wear will be on the
periphery of the disc. After relatively few
springs have been ground, the effective
diameter of the abrasive will be smaller.
Proper head settings promote more uniform abrasive wear with a minimum of
dressing.
Keep in mind that the surface footage of the grinding disc is at its highest
speed at the O.D. of the wheel, and
practically 0 sfpm at the very center
of a no-hole disc (Figure 8, page 40).
If the heads are too open or too closed
at entrance, the outer portion of the Figure 9: If heads are too open or too closed, the outer portion of the grinding
grinding wheel is not being utilized wheel is under-utilized.
enough and could lead to multiple
passes (Figure 9, above). Too much pressure is also semi-rigid body to precise tolerances. The grindapplied where the spring enters or exits the grinding ability of the body as well as the ease with which
zone. This can create excessive heat and, possibly, tolerances can be achieved are closely related to the
rigidity of the body – in this case, it is the spring
smearing or pulling the spring ends.
The above guidelines should be used for most rate. The higher the rate, the more the spring acts
compression springs, but some exceptions must be like a solid body and, consequently, the easier it
noted. The compression rate of a spring is a definite is to grind to proper tolerances. As the rate of the
factor that needs to be considered in determining spring decreases, the more it has to be compressed
proper head settings. It is very difficult to grind a to provide enough grinding pressure on the abrasive
Recent upgrades in our rolling mills, our new
multi-head oscillate winder and improved strip
edging capabilities give Ulbrich Stainless Steels a
leg up in meeting spring makers most stringent
strip specifications.
We offer stainless steel and precipitation
hardening alloys with gauge tolerances and
precision tempers that compare with the best in
the industry.
• Excellent fatigue
characteristics
• Wide to very narrow
precision widths
• Uniform, high
quality edges
• Pancake & oscillate
wound coils
• Several locations
• Help with metallurgy
No job too tough, no order too small.
Uniform spring properties, coil to coil, order to
order, on a consistent basis, is a standard we’re
committed to. In addition, we offer:
• Three grades of T301; T302; 15-7, 17-4 &
17-7 PH alloys; 718, X750 and others.
57 Dodge Avenue, North Haven CT, 06473
(800) 243-1676 • Fax: (203) 239-7479
www.ulbrich.com • e-mail: info@ulbrich.com
We Deliver Precision
SPRINGS April 2006 41
Figure 10: Setting the entry and exit guides for various types of springs.
for efficient grinding to occur. A perfect example of
this is seal springs. Grinding heads must be set
much closer to parallel than with normal compression springs because of the low rate of the springs
and the inherent fixture problems of low-active-coil
springs. Because of their low rate, a much longer
time is required to remove a given weight of metal
than would be required on normal compression
springs. A pound of metal removed from seal springs
could cost 10 times more than a pound of metal
removed from automotive valve springs.
Another exception is when grinding solid-coil
springs or springs with exceptionally high rates.
These springs would require that the head setting
be open at entrance equal to, or slightly less than,
the amount of stock being removed.
The last exception discussed will be that of downfeed grinders. When downfeed grinding, the grinder
heads are gradually traveling from coiled free length
to finished free length with multiple passes of the
springs between the grinding wheels. With this type
of machine, grinding heads should be commonly set
parallel to 0.006 open at entrance.
Entry and Exit Guides. Most compression springs
should have the entrance and exit guides, and tabletop set even with the leading edge and face of the
grinding wheels to ensure a proper transition onto
42 SPRINGS April 2006
and off of the abrasive (Figure10, above). This setup
will not adversely affect squareness tolerance.
There are exceptions to this, just as there are
exceptions to head settings. Springs with low rates
should be set up with the tabletop set even with
the disc face on the bottom wheel, and the upper
entrance guide set to compress the spring upon
entrance to the grinding zone, to help maximize
grinding pressure, as previously discussed. Exit
guides and tabletop should, once again, be set
even with the grinding disc face to ensure the
proper transition from the abrasives. Solid coil or
extremely high-rate springs should be set with the
upper entrance guide slightly above the top wheel
face and the tabletop slightly below the face of the
bottom wheel to shear the tang of the spring and
increase the amount of stock removed. Once again,
the exit guide and top exit guide should be set even
with the disc face.
It is also very important that there is minimal
space between the tabletop and upper guides from
the O.D. of the grinding wheel. More than half the
wire diameter can lead to bowing of the springs and
adversely affect squareness.
Grinder Styles and Their Limitations
There are two types of grinding typically used in
a spring plant – crush or crash, and downfeed.
Crush/Crash – Opposing grinding wheels, set a average surface footage of 2,500 surface feet per
distance apart, close to the desired grind length. minute (sfpm). Depending upon the size of the center
Springs are loaded into a carrier and moved between hole, the average surface footage can be as high
the opposing grinding wheels at a slow speed. The as 3,200 sfpm. As surface feet per minute is the
springs exit the grinder at the proper ground length, determining factor in removing stock, production
having been crushed between the stones.
increases of up to 30% can be achieved for springs
Downfeed – Opposing grinding wheels, set a dis- having a rate above 20 lb. per in. Higher average
tance apart, close to the unground free length. After wheel speed not only increases production rates but
loading the springs into the carrier, a cycle is started also provides better squareness. If the springs enter
that infeeds the top stone down into the springs at the slower wheel speed before most of the material
some increment as set by the operator. The carrier is removed from the tangs, the end coils 180° from
rotates between the stones at a high rate of speed until the tangs are tilted up, and excessive material is
the springs are ground very close
to the proper length. After reaching
this stage in the downfeed cycle, a
spark-out cycle is started whereby
the top head quits infeeding but
the carrier continues to take the
springs between the stones until
the final ground length is achieved.
• AISI-SAE 4130 Heat-Treatable
At PSW, it’s all the strip spring
The spark-out cycle cleans up the
Strip
steels you need – all the time. We
spring ends.
At PSW It’s Springtime
365 Days A Year.
Advantages of Each Type of
Grinding
Crush Grinding Advantages:
• Faster than downfeed.
• Certain types of springs can
be ground with better squareness
if the tooling and setup is correct,
and if the grinder is sized large
enough to remove the material
as fast as it is going through the
grinding path.
• Easier to automate.
stock only premium spring steels
made to our exacting standards.
We have the edge, the width, the
quality and the experience that
make your products even better.
• 50, 75 & 95 Carbon
• Blue Tempered & Polished Strip
• Tempered (Scaleless) Strip
• Bainite Hardened
• MartINsite® Low Carbon C.R.
Sheet
• Special Temper High Carbon
Strip
Slit, edge rolled, blanked, skived
leveled, edge filed and oscillated
coils
• Wide range of wire sizes.
• Improved parallelism.
Squareness is still affected by hole
size in carrier and setup.
• Better equalization if rate of
spring is above 15 lb./in.
• Better finish if spark-out
time is sufficient.
Both types of grinding have
their place in the spring plant. The
selection criteria are dependent
upon the type of spring, quality
requirements and volume.
Wheel, Speed, Front-of-Center
and Behind-Center Grinding
Advantagesofringgrindingwheels
(center hole in grinding stone):
1. Higher wheel speed – When
springs go through the center of
the grinding stones, they see an
© Precision Steel Warehouse, Inc.
Downfeed Grinding Advantages:
PRECISION STEEL WAREHOUSE
Franklin Park, IL
1-800-323-0740
Fax 847-455-1341
Charlotte, NC
1-800-438-5646
Fax 704-393-3312
®
www.precisionsteel.com
SPRINGS April 2006 43
removed from this area of the end coils. This makes
squareness worse.
2. Lower cost due to less amount of wheel.
Advantages of Solid Wheels
1. Low-rate springs – Low-rate springs need more
wheel time, as the longer springs just compress
more. This means it takes longer to equalize these
springs. However, squareness can be worse.
2. Carrier Design – The position of the holes is
not as critical, since the springs do not have to go
over the edge of the center hole to keep the grinding
wheel from building up.
Advantages of Front-of-Center Grinding
1. Lower cost carriers – The size of the carrier
is smaller. Smaller carriers are less costly to hold
flatness.
2. Grinding wheels can be dressed faster, as the
carrier is not in the way of dressing.
Advantages of Behind-Center Grinding
Production is increased on an 18" grinding
wheel by 19%, as there is more wheel time. As the
size of the grinding stone increases, this advantage
decreases. This production increase can be offset by
the increase in time required for dressing.
Abrasive Selection
World-class Spring Wire…
The Mount Joy Wire Corporation is a
manufacturer of high quality spring
wire used in a variety of applications.
Our proven track record coupled
with expert technical support and
manufacturing versatility continues to
make us invaluable to our customers.
Mount Joy Wire’s capabilities are
unmatched in the industry, so contact
us and see how we can help with your
next spring wire application.
Two triple lead patenting lines.
Products:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Chrome Silicon
Tempered Wire
Music Wire
Shaped Wire
Hard Drawn Wire
Plated Wire
Rocket Wire
Low Carbon Wire
Capabilities:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
100% Chemical Cleaning
Lead Patenting
Spheroidize Annealing
Oil Tempering
Electro Galvanizing
Tinning
Sizes down to .002
Mount Joy, PA 17552 • Tel. 717-653-1461 • Toll Free 800-321-2305 • Fax 717-653-6144
www.mjwire.com
44 SPRINGS April 2006
ISO 9000 registered company
The objective of proper abrasive selection is to select wheels
that grind as fast and cool as
possible, and yet achieve the end
tolerances needed with as little
down time for dressing. There are
many factors that enter into wheel
selection, and an abrasive specialist should assist in choosing the
proper wheel. Wire type, wire size,
spring dimensions, spring rate,
finished tolerances and machine
type all need to be analyzed before
the proper abrasive specification
can be chosen. A grinding wheel
that cuts with the least pressure,
breaks down with consistency
while maintaining its shape, and
does not sacrifice good life will
grind springs with the closest end
tolerances possible.
Once again I would like to
state, “The tighter the grind tolerance, the tighter the tolerances
need to be held in every step of
the manufacturing process.” Just
as a coiler is designed for a specific
range of wire sizes, and a grinder is
designed to handle a specific range
of springs, so is the grinding wheel.
Although very few springmakers
have the luxury of being able to
set up for one job and run it all
the time with dedicated machinery,
tooling and abrasives, it is imperative to limit the range of work a
grinding wheel is expected to run.
Tight-tolerance springs require an
abrasive designed for that purpose
in order to maximize production,
minimize scrap and produce consistent repeatable results.
A general-purpose grinding wheel used on
tight-tolerance work will result in lost efficiency.
An example would be a general-purpose wheel
designed to handle both 300-series stainless steel
and carbon-wire springs. Although this may be fine
for a large percentage of work going through your
shop, it is not the answer for critical work with
tight tolerances. A tough aluminum oxide is generally used for carbon-wire springs, while 300-series
stainless needs a very friable aluminum-oxide-grain
grinding wheel. A general-purpose wheel can handle
this range of work, but sacrifices would need to be
made on both springs. The stainless spring would
need to be run at a slower production rate and would
need to be dressed more frequently because of wheel
loading and the heat generated because of it. The
carbon-wire spring would wear the wheel at a faster
rate and have to be dressed more frequently because
of lost tolerances due to wheel shape. To maximize
your chances of success, minimize the tight-tolerance work you expect any one wheel to grind.
Rick Schultz has been involved in the abrasive
and spring industries for over 22 years and started
his career as a sales engineer for Anchor Abrasives
Co. Through years of training and experience, he has
become an application engineer. Schultz is truly one
of the few specialists in all aspects of double-disc
grinding, including grinder design, abrasive selection
and production refinements. Currently, he is sales
manager, working with Anchor’s network of salesman
and sales engineers around the world.
Readers may contact Rick Schultz by phone at
(708) 444-4300, e-mail at info@anchorabrasives.com
or Web site at www.anchorabrasives.com,
John Moyer and Lee Shank opened a startup
spring company, Shank Spring & Design, in 1969. Ten
years later, John Moyer opened Moyer Manufacturing Co. Inc., designing and building spring grinders,
automation, set machines and powered payoffs. In
the same year, Moyer Spring was started. Due to
tightening tolerances and SPC requirements, John
Moyer participated with Jeff Duguid in developing
the first digital free-length gage for spring coilers.
In 1982, Moyer Process and Control Co. opened for
the purpose of expanding electronics in the spring
industry. Moyer Process and Control designs and
manufactures free-length gages, load testers and
software for use in the spring industry.
Readers may contact John Moyer by phone at
(260) 665-2363, e-mail at info@moyercompanies.com
or Web site at www.moyercompanies.com
This article was originally presented at an SMI
Close the Loop Technical Symposium. ™
SPRINGS April 2006 45
Spring Essentials (for the rest of us) Part VII
The Quick and Easy
Material Review
Spotlight
on the
Shop Floor
By Randy DeFord, Mid-West Spring & Stamping
W
hen I was a coiling operator, I had no clue what
the difference was in the materials I wound …
and nobody told me much unless I asked. Whenever I
needed to replace material, I had to consult engineering. I wish I’d had even a rudimentary understanding
of spring steel in those days. Assuming some operators are in the same boat, let me break down some
of the common materials.
Carbon Steels
These material types are by far the most common.
They include hard drawn, oil tempered and music
wire. They have some common traits:
1. They are the most common and available in
many stock sizes; therefore, economical.
2. They will rust quickly if not protected by a
secondary finish.
3. They are not suitable for any extreme low- or
high-temperature application.
Also, they have some unique properties:
Hard drawn. This material is made for noncritical applications. It is a drawn wire, which
means it gets its tensile strength from being drawn
through dies and reduced in size. The smaller the
wire, the higher the tensile. Drawn wires have what
is called “cast” (see “Glossary of Wire Terms,” page
19.) and may require straightening before coiling
or forming. The material color tends to be dull and
grayish. Being a low-grade steel, it may have surface
marks and defects, which is the best reason for not
using it for high-fatigue designs. Hard drawn does,
however, plate very well and is often zinc plated to
fend off rusting.
Oil Tempered (TMB or OT). Tempered wires are
cold drawn to size and then heated. This heating
Randy DeFord is the engineering manager at Mid-West Spring & Stamping in
Mentone, IN.
He has 30-plus years in the spring
industry, and believes that educating both
customers and associates is the key to great
customer service.
Readers may contact him by e-mail at
rdeford@mwspring.com or by phone at
(574) 353-7611.
gives the material better properties than hard drawn,
although it may still have some surface imperfections. Tempered wires are easily distinguished from
drawn wires, as they are usually dark brown in color
and do not have cast. Tempered wires, therefore,
must be approached carefully when breaking the
bands of a coil of material because the material
wants to straighten out to its natural state and can
be very dangerous if not contained. The advantage of
tempered steel is that it does not need straightening,
which is a time-saver for a springmaker, especially
where torsion spring legs are involved.
Music. Music wire is considered a superior
carbon steel. Although it will rust very quickly, as
will all other carbon steels, it has a very good surface
finish, making it the best choice for springs that
require high life. Since it is a drawn wire, it has cast,
the same as hard drawn, and a grayish-silver color.
Unlike most other types of spring steels, music wire
is not manufactured in large wire sizes.
Stainless Steels
Stainless steels come in many chemical compositions, but the most common types to springmakers
are 302, 304, 316 and 17-7PH. The common traits
are as listed below:
1. Corrosive resistant, with 316 offering better
corrosion resistance than 302, 304 or 17-7PH.
2. Handle much higher temperatures than
carbon steels.
3. Lower magnetism properties than carbon
steels.
4. More costly than carbon steels.
6. Can be “electro-polished,” which produces
an extremely shiny surface and passivates the
surface.
Unique properties include the following:
302,304,316. These types are not high-tensile
materials. This makes them less robust, as far as
stress handling is concerned, than carbon steels.
However, if the application demands corrosive resistance at an economical price, 300 series stainless
may be a good choice, with 316 offering the most
corrosion resistance and consequently the highest
price of the three grades.
SPRINGS April 2006 47
Stainless 17-7 PH. This
stainless steel is a bit different in chemistry than the 300
series. The composition of this
material makes it necessary
to heat treat it after coiling
to obtain its tensile strength.
However, after heat treatment,
the tensile strength of 17-7
PH comes very close to that of
music wire, making it the best
choice for high-life designs.
Chrome Alloys
Two very popular alloys are chrome vanadium
and chrome silicon. Chrome silicon has slightly
better tensile strength than chrome vanadium,
making it the best alloy for high life.
Both of these materials can be purchased in
“valve quality,” which has a higher quality surface
than non-valve-quality material. Automobile valve
and transmission springs are commonly made of
these two alloys to gain the high life and high temperature handling required.
Although not as good as stainless steels for
handling high temperatures, chrome silicon can
handle 475°F without an alteration of its mechani-
48 SPRINGS April 2006
cal properties. This is very close
to stainless 302/304/316, which
can handle 500°F.
Where rust and corrosion is
considered, alloys do not fare any
better than carbon steels; they
will rust without protection.
Chrome vanadium is a popular steel for die springs because
it can be rolled to a rectangular
shape without breakage. Chrome
silicon is often too hard for this
process without special equipment.
Both alloys are tempered and have no cast.
One critical difference between chrome silicon
and the other materials discussed in this article is
its stress relieving. Because of chrome silicon’s high
hardness, it needs to be stress relieved within four
hours of coiling. The stresses induced from coiling can produce stress cracks in the material if it
isn’t stress relieved, preferably with an in-line oven
straight from the coiler.
One critical difference between
chrome silicon and the other
materials discussed in this article
is its stress relieving. Because of
chrome silicon’s high hardness, it
needs to be stress relieved within
four hours of coiling.
Material Selection
Another little-known fact to the operator is that
wire is a market. That means that it is not possible
to define material cost by type or size. For instance,
although 0.130″ hard-drawn wire is inferior to
music wire, it may not be as abundant. Therefore,
the lower quality wire may actually cost more for a
given amount.
In addition, some wire types are not as prevalent
as they once were. Valve-quality carbon steel (a highquality version of oil tempered) was a very popular
steel in past decades. However, alloys have since
replaced a lot of valve wire due to their superior surface finish and high temperature handling. A lot of
blueprints call for valve material, but the cost would
be extreme and alloys are a good, logical replacement. A blueprint produced in 1956, for instance,
might still call out carbon valve. Rather than simply
following the blueprint, a springmaker should realize that it is in everyone’s best interest, especially
the customer’s, to find a more cost-effective material solution that can meet the need and, possibly,
improve part performance at the same time.
One last note: Stainless steels do not have the
same rate-producing elastic properties of carbon or
chrome alloys. Therefore, stainless steels cannot be
used in place of high-tensile steels, such as music or
chrome silicon. They are entirely different materials
and cannot be interchanged. However, chrome-alloy
steels will produce the same spring rates as carbon
steels and, therefore, the same loads at given heights.
Therefore, chrome-alloy steels can serve as an allowable susbtitute for carbon steels.
v
By Ken Boyce
SMI to Sponsor Regional Education, Networking Meetings
Is the sum greater than all its parts? As the regions
Sebastian promised strengthening regional
of the SMI membership get stronger, so does the spring activities as a significant segment of his presidential
industry. To help restore strength and vitality at the platform. SMI expects to step into the void and will
local level, SMI will undertake an evening dinner and help organize and administer these evening programs
speaker program designed to strengthen the relation- thereby eliminating the need for local springmakers to
ship between SMI and the regions.
assume organizational tasks. Since SMI has the means
Starting this year, SMI anticipates annually spon- to create programs and to handle their administration,
soring an event in four different regions. By going on these events will require only a slight assist from the
the road, SMI expects to minimize travel and cost to local board member, who will be asked to suggest a
springmakers while bringing educational and net- mutually convenient location. The SMI staff will plan,
organize, publicize and administer the programs.
working opportunities to regional activities.
SMI, in fact, is comprised
SMI will handle all costs
of nine regions (right). Each
related to the program,
The Nine Regions of SMI
region, in relation to its
including postage, staff,
Canada: Canada
springmaker population, is
speaker travel and speaker
Chicago: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin
entitled to representation
costs. The only cost to parMichigan: Michigan
on the SMI board of directicipating springmakers will
Mid-Atlantic: Maryland, New Jersey, New York,
tors. As a result, regional
be the cost of dinner at a local
East Pennsylvania
concerns and insights play
meeting facility.
Northeast: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode
an important role in the govInitially, program conIsland, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont
ernance of SMI as a whole.
tent will focus on specifically
Pittsburgh-Ohio: Ohio, West Pennsylvania
The well being of the regions
spring industry issues, such
Southeast: Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee
is critically important to SMI
as technology and safety. We
Southwest: Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri,
and its leadership.
will avoid delivering general
Oklahoma, Texas
business topics, which are
Over a two-year period, it
West: Arizona, California, Oregon, Washington
widely discussed through
is hoped that SMI can sponcivic and local organizations.
sor one event in each region.
If response to the program is
One element leading to a
very strong, SMI will attempt to make the programs successful program will be avoiding high-intensity
more frequent in different locations in each region.
business times as well as holiday schedules. SMI
Dan Sebastian, formerly an active member of believes these programs will be scheduled in late
the Michigan region and current SMI president spring and early fall when weather and vacation
says, “Without dedicated staff, regions find it almost schedules are less of an issue.
impossible to handle the administrative tasks of mainThere is always the issue of travel, however.
taining an active regional program. In Michigan, we Large regions mean that someone is close to the site
depended on volunteers who are busy running their and others are not. To make the initial programs
businesses. But our regional meetings allowed us to accessible, the early programs will be set in areas
meet, network and discuss common issues without with the greatest concentration of springmakers. v
the time and financial restraints that come from
attending a national meeting, sometimes many miles Annual Market Summary Offers Vital Data
and time zones away.”
SMI members and non-member springmakers in
North America are invited to participate in the Annual
Market Summary, an all-encompassing survey of
Ken Boyce is the executive vice president of
industry results. Participants also receive an indithe Spring Manufacturers Institute.
He brings more than 20 years of associa- vidualized report comparing their company against
tion management experience to the institute industry standards. There is no cost for participating
and has achieved the Certified Association or for the reports supplied to participants.
Executive (CAE) designation of the American
Non-participating springmakers may obtain the
Society of Association Executives.
Readers may contact him by phone at (630) basic industry report for $100 by contacting the SMI
office at (630) 495-8588.
495-8588 or fax at (630) 495-8595.
SPRINGS April 2006 49
Survey questionnaires will be distributed by
March 31, 2006 both electronically and by mail.
Participants should have their completed returns
submitted to the compiling company no later than
May 1, 2006. The company responses are collected
and compiled by the MacKay Research Group, an
independent statistical company. All responses are
kept confidential with neither staff nor any SMI
member seeing the results or completed surveys.
Each participant will receive a basic report of
industry results, plus a customized Financial Performance Report and a Financial Toolkit computer
software package. The Individualized Financial
Performance Report contains comparisons of the
company’s financial performance to the industry.
Typically, the survey compares the average
springmaking company against the top 10 percent,
or high-profit company. Statistical ratios are developed to offer management the ability to evaluate,
plan and better control their business.
The report is based on each participating company’s income statement, balance sheet and operating
data. It includes an executive summary, plus detailed
results regarding return on investment, productivity
ratios, income and financial statements.
v
SMI Welcomes New Associate Member
Wheelabrator Plus
Location: LaGrange, GA
Primary Contact: Greg Bowers
Phone: (800) 544-4144
Web site: www.wheelabratorgroup.com
“Wheelabrator has developed the latest technology
available to all surface preparation equipment, whether
Wheelabrator blast unit or other OEM equipment. Wheelabrator professionals will
inspect your current blasting or spring peening, and
conduct an assessment
that includes reviewing
modernization options to
determine if any productivity, cost savings, safety
or environmental improvements could be realized.”
Wheelabrator Group
Burlington, Ontario, Canada
Primary Contact: Dan Diverty
Phone: (800) 845-8508
Web site www.wheelabratorgroup.com
“Wheelabrator Group is a global provider of surface
preparation and finishing solutions, committed to offering the broadest array of technologies, products and
services. Wheelabrator works closely with customers
and has developed solutions that range from cleaning
the raw wire to peening coil and leaf springs.” v
50 SPRINGS April 2006
Staff Doings
SMI has lost two important people in Kim Burd,
member services coordinator, and Pashun McNulty,
financial administration coordinator.
Kim Burd (right), SMI meeting planner since
2001, has taken a similar position at the American
Library Association, a
significantly larger organization based in Chicago.
Her position will not be
filled immediately.
Pashun McNulty
(left), a seven-year veteran who managed all
accounting and benchmarking activities for
SMI, will begin work as
chief financial officer of a hospice service company.
Jim Wood, SMI regulations compliance consultant, thoroughly thrashed Ken Boyce in their annual
108-hole golf tournament held on Hilton Head Island
in November 2005. Boyce, the three-time defending champion of the prestigious event, relinquished
his crown reluctantly. The prize won by Wood, also
a three-time winner of the event, was lunch three
consecutive days and a paper certificate suitable
for framing. v
2006 Board of Directors
Officers
President, Dan
Sebastian, MW Industries
Vice President, Maurie
Johnson, Precision Products Group
Secretary Treasurer, Reb
Banas, Stanley Spring &
Stamping
Immediate Past President, David Weber, A.V.
Weber
Executive Vice President, Ken Boyce, SMI
Directors
Tom Armstrong, Duer/
Carolina Coil
Dennis Backhaus, Spiros
Industries
Gerald Baker, Michigan
Spring & Stamping
Ron Banas, Stanley
Spring & Stamping
S.J. Banas, Stanley
Spring & Stamping
Terry Bartel, Elgiloy Specialty Metals
Mike Betts, Betts Spring
Tim Bianco, Iowa Spring
Russ Bryer, Spring Team
Ron Curry, Gifford Spring
Jay Dunwell, Wolverine
Coil Spring
Linda Froehlich, Ace Wire
Spring & Form
Bud Funk Jr., Fourslide
Spring & Stamping
Bert Goering, Precision
Coil Spring
Kevin Grace, SEI MetalTek
Greg Heitz, Exacto Spring
Bob Herrmann, Newcomb
Spring
Greg Milzcik, Associated
Spring
Steve Moreland, Automatic Spring
John Petry, Sandvik Steel
Scott Rankin, Vulcan
Spring & Manufacturing
Rick Richter, R-R Spring
Chris Wharin, Bohne
Spring Industries
Ted White, Hardware
Products
Cautionary Tales XXX
Spring Material Selection
By Mark Hayes
Spring
Technology
I
t is IST’s experience that selection of the material made from 302 stainless steel. Both companies are
from which a spring is to be designed is usually happy that their springs are reliable, and have the
accomplished by the end user of the spring. The philosophy that if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it. Their
selection is usually based
springmaker will take a
upon the designer’s
similar view: Each grade
knowledge of springs that
of spring steel is readily
have worked satisfactoavailable and works well
rily in the past. Hence
for their respective comone end user will have
panies, so why should a
experience of CrV steel
cheaper alternative be
working well and will
offered to either?
tend to design all future
Then company B
springs in this material.
asks for a year-on-year
Another very simiprice reduction
lar end user will
with no loss
have experience
of quality or
of 302 stainless
reliability. The
steel working satspringmaker will
isfactorily, and so
have confidence
will base all their
in offering the
designs on this
cheaper CrV as
material grade.
a substitute for
This then leads
the stainless
to company A, a
steel, and the
manufacturer of
spring should
pneumatic valves,
work OK.
say, having all their
However,
springs made from
company A also
CrV, perhaps with Typical pages from the new Spring Material Selection CD-ROM.
asks for a price reduction.
Dacromet coating
Will drawn carbon steel or
when corrosion protection is required; and their music wire function well enough, and will company A
main competitor, company B, having all their springs accept this new material as a viable means to achieve
its ends? The customer probably won’t pay for the
testing to prove whether or not the new material
Mark Hayes is the Senior Metallurgist
is satisfactory. To provide all the data to persuade
at the Institute of Spring Technology (IST)
company A that the new material will do the job, the
in Sheffield, England. Hayes manages IST’s
spring manufacturer might produce CAD printouts
spring failure analysis service, and all metallurgical aspects of advice given by the
for all of Company A’s springs in the new material.
Institute. He also gives the majority of the
Still, company A will be uncertain about the relative
spring training courses that IST offers globmerits of the reliable material they are used to and
ally. Readers are encouraged to contact
the new material that they are being offered.
him with comments about this Cautionary
To provide a comparison of materials, the EuroTale, and with suggested subjects for future
installments, by phone at (011) 44 114 252 7984 (direct dial), fax at
pean Spring Federation commissioned IST to develop
(011) 44 114 2527997 or e-mail at m.hayes@ist.org.uk.
SPRINGS April 2006 51
a Spring Material Selector CD ROM, and this has
very recently been completed.
The Spring Material Selector CD ROM contains
information about all the international specifications
for spring wire and strip materials from Europe, the
U.S. and Japan, including many obsolete specifications as well as some proprietary grades. It enables
the opportunity to directly compare the chemical
analysis and tensile strength of a particular wire
size. It also has indicative data about the fatigue,
relaxation and corrosion performance of each spring
material. Finally, the CD contains information about
many of the major international suppliers of each
grade of spring material.
The moral of this Cautionary Tale is that spring
materials may not be selected by the most informed
person in the supply chain, and this may lead to
the use of non-optimum materials. Now, for the
first time, there exists an authoritative and independent tool that spring manufacturers may use to
help their customers to select the best material for
their springs.
The Spring Material Selector CD ROM will be
featured on IST’s stand 17A24 at wire 2006 in
Düsseldorf, and can be viewed on IST’s Web site,
www.ist.org.uk
v
We deliver daily to your loading dock.
In New England Call Maynard at 800-822-1278
Or msaucier@northeaststeelco.com
In The Ohio Area Call Diane at 800-862-9002
Or dkudlawiec@northeaststeelco.com
Northeast Steel is more than…
a mill and service center … It’s People …
who take pride in their company.
Service Center Products
x
x
x
x
x
x
Bright Basic
x
x
Tin and CAD/Zinc Coated Basic/HDMB/Music
x
HDMB CL– I, II
Phos Music
Annealed in Process Low/Hi Carbon
Stainless Steel OTMB/OTCS/OTCV
Galvanized Basic/HDMB
In-House Products
N.E.S. Drawn Pat. HDMB & Low Tensile HDMB
ISO– 9001: 2000
Check our inventory stock list on our website. Updated everyday at 4:00 PM
www.northeaststeelco.com
52 SPRINGS April 2006
Transfer System for Extension Springmakers
Nimsco is distributing
the CT 301 PC, a wide
expansion of the transfer systems used on all
extension springmakers’
TDO (bending/forming
mechanism for making
the second loop/hook of
an extension spring). It was launched by TC-HP2
with the idea to replace all existing transfers, mostly
mechanical, by multi-servo driven models. The concept is intended to make the transfer operation faster
and smoother.
In addition, the
operator has the ability
to modify the acceleration and deceleration
curves of the motion.
This new generation
makes it possible to
increase the production rate of extension
springmakers 50% to 100%, from case to case. The
tooling concept to raise loops and hooks has been
simplified to make it easier to set, less costly (tooling
charge), and more accurate. This generation of TDO
now equips all newly made TC-HP2 extension springmakers on all machine sizes. This technology can
also be applied to Herckelbout and TC-HP overhauled
coilers. For information, contact Nimsco by phone at
(563) 386-9590 or e-mail at info@nimsco.com.
Automated Suspension Spring Oven
Pyromaître Inc. has developed a totally automated car suspension spring Pyro oven. Major
features of the
system are: 1,000
springs per hour,
covering all sizes
and shapes; wire
size up to 16 mm;
cycle time of seven
minutes; and integrated upstream
and downstream
loading/unloading
automation.
Pyro is used for heating before shot peening
individual lots of springs. It features fast ramp-up
and cool-down to switch between cold and warm
peening lots. The short cycle time is the main
advantage of the system. For information, contact
Pyromaître Inc. phone at (800) 231-7976 or Web site
at www.pyromaitre.com.
Custom Spring Steel
Custom strip steel processed
by Blue Blade Steel Co. provides
springmakers and their customers with product consistency,
reliability, performance and
production economy. Blue Blade
steel features precision hardness
consistency from coil to coil,
resulting in steel that contains
no soft spots. Adjustments aren’t
needed between coils, and secondary setups aren’t
necessary to sort out-of-tolerance parts, since steel
is made to a consistent, uniform specification.
No soft spots in the coil eliminates a primary
cause of spring failure. Furthermore, production
downtime for trimming away substandard material
and replacing the coil-to-coil setup is eliminated.
With no soft spots to cut away from the continuous
coil, material utilization is maximized, and waste is
reduced. There is a choice of engineered tempering
solutions, finishing options, and value-added services that permit the spring manufacturer to order
custom-enhanced material structures and delivery
setups to meet production needs. Blue Blade spring
steel is packaged in either traditional flat ribbon
coils up to 60 in. OD or in oscillating coil spools up
to 2,000 lbs. that offer longer uninterrupted production runs. For information, contact Blue Blade
Steel Co. by phone at (908) 272-2620 or Web site at
www.bluebladesteel.com
.
Spiral Conveyor Electric Vibration Ovens
Straus-Artys Corp. has introduced a line of
spiral conveyor electric vibration ovens that offer
spring manufacturers advantages including energy
efficiency, small footprint,
high-temperature efficiency,
and optimized cycle and production time. The design
factor of the RFO series, for
example, is up to 13.8 in
reducing the length as compared to a continuous linear
oven. In addition, the RFO
series is mobile in design to
allow quick and easy relocation with the facility. For
information, contact StrausArtys Corp. by phone at (516) 576-1090 or e-mail at
info@straus-artys.com.
SPRINGS April 2006 53
Inconel X750 ●
Inconel 600 ●
Inconel 601 ●
Inconel 625 ●
Inconel 718 ●
Incoloy 800 ●
Incoloy 800HT ●
Incoloy 825 ●
Incoloy A286 ●
Monel 400 ●
Monel K500 ●
Nimonic 90 ●
Nimonic 80A ●
Nimonic 75 ●
Nickel 200 ●
Nickel 201 ●
Nickel 205 ●
Nickel 212 ●
Nickel 270
Nispan / C902 ●
Nilo 36 ●
Nilo 42 ●
Nilo 48 ●
Nilo 52 ●
Nilo ‘K’ ●
Hastelloy B-2 ▲
Hastelloy B-3 ▲
media. The grinding oil can be reused. The machines
can integrate into a production line and occupy a
square meter of surface space. There is no need
for centrifuge or microfiltration units with CF-oil
processing. For information, contact Otec Precision
Finish Inc. by phone at (401) 398-0045 or e-mail at
sales@otecusa.com.
Online Spring Catalog
Lee Spring has expanded its print and online
catalog with an additional product line consisting
of more than 2,500 Type 316 stainless steel stock
compression springs in wire sizes 0.006 in. through
0.072 in. (0.15 mm through 0.33 mm), augmenting its existing range of music wire and Type 302
stainless steel spring designs. Springs manufactured
from this enhanced alloy offer improved corrosion
resistance, cleanliness, product purity and visual
integrity. In addition to passivation, all Type 316
stainless steel stock compression springs are ultrasonically cleaned. Standard Series stainless steel
stock compression springs feature squared and
ground ends. The small Instrument Series compression springs (wire sizes 0.006 in. through 0.013 in.)
feature squared ends. For information, contact Lee
Spring by phone at (888) 777-4647 or Web site at
www.leespring.com.
Hastelloy C-4 ▲
Hastelloy C-22 ▲
Hastelloy C-276 ▲
Hastelloy C-2000 ▲
Hastelloy G-30 ▲
Hastelloy ‘X’ ▲
Haynes 25 ▲
Haynes 214 ▲
Phynox ■
MP35N ✝
RENE 41✝✝
Alloy 20 Cb3
Beryllium Copper
size range .800” - .001”
quantities from 2 lb
Unit 317C, 205 Hallene Rd, Warwick, R.I. 02886
Call Toll Free: 1-866-48-ALLOY
1-866-482-5569
Fax: 401-384-6757
email: sales@alloywire.com
●
Special Metals Group of Companies
▲
Haynes International ■Imphy Ugine Precision ✝SPS Technologies
✝✝
General Electric inc
Finishing Machine
Otec Precision
Finish Inc. has
introduced a centrifugal-disc finishing
machine. It includes
a secondary deburring
process that preserves
the precise measurement tolerances
achieved by final
grinding and honing and offers increased protection
to delicate work parts. The CF-oil system replaces the
traditional water/compound mix technology. Using
commercially available grinding and honing oils in
combination with oil-resistant, low abrasive media,
the Otec CF-Oil machine removes micro-burrs on
work pieces without compromising the dimensional
integrity achieved through final grinding.
The PLC automated process takes just minutes
to generate small edge radii and smooth surfaces
while eliminating the possibility of corrosion. As
work pieces are protected from rusting, they no
longer require three steps: degreasing before processing, drying after processing and subsequent
regreasing, thereby saving production costs. Using
oil means almost no wear and tear on the processing
INTERNATIONAL
Civil Aviation Authority
54 SPRINGS April 2006
ISO 9001:2000
Springs for Horse-Drawn Vehicles Book
“Springs for Horse-Drawn Vehicles,” edited by
Susan Green and Don Peloubet, published by the
Carriage Museum of America is the first comprehensive book on the subject of springs for the gears of
horse-drawn vehicles.
In addition to the common elliptic spring, there
are C-springs, coil springs, torsion springs, sidebar
springs and patented springs. Green and Peloubet
researched old trade journals for carriage builders
and cross-referenced the material with some 2,009spring patents issued by the U.S. patent office. The
book covers other important works published by an
engineer, a builder and a blacksmith, in addition to
some of the historical technology of making the steel,
history of the various designs, some of the machinery
used, and information on spring manufacturers. The
book has a glossary, index, many notes, footnotes,
bibliographies and cross-references throughout,
and includes a reference chart for the major types
of springs.
There are only 250 copies available of this
254-page book featuring 1,000 illustrations. For
information, visit the Carriage Museum of America
Web site, www.carriagemuseumlibrary.org.
—— From Design ——
New version 7 Spring
Design and Validation
to
RoHS Compliance Label
TUV Rheinland of North America Inc. has introduced a compliance label for companies that wish to
certify that their products meet the RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) directive that goes
into effect in Europe in July. The labeling system is
part of TUV Rheinland’s Total WEEE/RoHS Management Solutions (TWRS), a service for companies
looking to ensure compatibility with the WEEE and
RoHS directives. TUV Rheinland’s labeling for RoHS
compliance lets manufacturers prove to the EU that
they are RoHS compliant and using RoHS-compliant components in the manufacture of the product.
For information, contact TUV Rheinland of North
America by phone at (888) 743-4652.
Cleanup/Safety Catalog
New Pig Corp. has published its 2006 Pigalog
Catalog Buying Guide. It contains over 4,500 solutions for a clean and safe workplace. Included in this
catalog are the new Pig Spillblocker Vacuum Dike
for capture and containment of spills and liquids,
the Pig Leak Diverter Bucket Kit, and the portable
Pig Spill Kits in a Tote Bag. For information, contact
New Pig by Web site at www.newpig.com.
—— Final Inspection ——
• Full graphical
interface.
• International
tolerances.
• Fatigue data.
• Relaxation data.
• Spring drawing.
• Full design or
validation.
• Demonstration
disk available.
**New**
LTM2 Manual **New**
compression / extension spring
tester. 110lbf max
New Non Standard Spring
Validation
LT3 Computer controlled
compression / extension spring
tester. 1100lbf max
• Design multiple
pitch, barrel,
conical springs
• Variable coil
diameter.
• Variable wire
diameter
• Variable pitch
TT1-1 computer controlled Torsion tester. 8.8lbf.in max
Institute of Spring Technology
Nichols International Machinery Systems Co.
Henry Street, Sheffield, S3 7EQ, United Kingdom.
Tel: +44 (0)114 276 0771 Fax: +44 (0)114 252 7997
E-mail: mailto:ist@ist.org.uk Internet: www.ist.org.uk
P.O. Box 2709, Davenport, IA 52809-2709, USA.
Tel +1 563/386 9590 FAX +1 563/386 9593
E-mail: info@nimsco.com Internet: www.nimsco.com
SPRINGS April 2006 55
Simulation Software
ESI Group has introduced Pam-Stamp 2G
Advanced Cam software
that reduces time spent
on the design cycle while
increasing component
quality and accurately
predicting wrinkles, splits and springback in metal
stampings. A part after experiencing springback
poses a major problem for stamping manufacturers as the part shape may be out of tolerance and
unsuitable for the intended application. To ensure
accurate, successful design, this stamping simulation tool covers the entire tooling process, from
quotation and die design to formability and try-out
validation. Its modules include Pam-Diemaker for
rapid die creation, Pam-Quikstamp for rapid stamping evaluation, and Pam-Autostamp for forming
process validation, quality and tolerance control.
For information, contact ESI by phone at +33 (0)
1 41 73 58 35 or Web site at www.esi-group.com.
Control System Software
IntelliTrack Inc. a developer of software for barcode, RFID, batch and wireless data collection, has
released IntelliTrack for QuickBooks. IntelliTrack
The Moyer Companies have been in business
since 1979. We have grown by working to
improve spring making technology.
These improvements may have included
just using our equipment or maybe
just working on a manufacturing process.
Our continued success requires
that we continually work on new ideas.
We are using this ad to ask the question...
Moyer provides solutions in addition to
our equipment— grinders, automation,
load testers, setters and coiler gages.
How can Moyer help you?
Send us an e-mail at
moyercompanies.com
Tel (260) 495-2405 • Fax (260) 495-1290
P.O. Box 422 • Fremont, IN 46737
56 SPRINGS April 2006
for QuickBooks offers large-business inventory
management features to small and medium-size
businesses at a low cost. This family of products
provides complete inventory control systems that
perform essential warehousing functions, such as
paperless picking, paperless receiving, mobile inventory, physical counts, cycle counts, barcode and
RFID support, and mobile computing. IntelliTrack
products for QuickBooks are offered in a batch,
wireless and professional versions to suit a variety
of budgets and inventory management needs. For
information, contact IntelliTrack by phone at(888)
583-3008 or Web site at www.intellitrack.net.
Online Collaborative Sourcing Service
MfgQuote.com has added a collaborative
sourcing service created exclusively for OEMs who
source custom-manufactured components through
Mfg.Quote.com. This service allows engineers and
buyers to collaborate with suppliers during the
design phase in the product lifecycle.
Other features include: complete audit trail and
leveraged corporate intelligence; shared information,
reporting and data export; include favored suppliers;
and digitally signed non-disclosure agreements. More
than 43,000 industrial buyers source, collaborate,
and receive quotes online using MfgQuote.com. v
New Coil Materials, New Tooling Challenges
By Howard A. Greis, Kinefac Corp. – Sleeper Division
The demand for long, small-diameter coils of difficult materials from the medical device industry has
changed the coiling process paradigm and brought
with it unique tooling challenges. Development
of the Kinefac-Sleeper Micro-Coiler, shown below
with one of the smallest coils it can produce, has
made it possible to produce the required coils from
wire as small as 25 microns (0.001 in.) in coils with
diameters as small as 150 microns (0.006 in.) in
lengths up to 2,500 mm (100 in.) using conventional
carbide coiling tooling for coils made from typical
steel spring wire. However, the
requirement to make these coils
from platinum tungsten or 304
V stainless steel at high speed
with diametral tolerances as
tight as ±5 microns (0.0002 in.),
and to simultaneously control
the back tension (droop) or
pitch has forced us to rethink
how our Micro-Coiler tooling
functions.
Since a typical medical
industry Micro-Coiler user
might wish to produce 1,000
coils per week (single shift 85%
efficiency) that are 0.375 mm
(0.015 in.) diameter and 1,250
mm (50 in.) long of 75-micron
(0.003 in.) diameter wire, production rate is critical and tool
life is an important cost factor.
To accomplish this production,
the user might set the Micro-Coiler, which has feed
rolls ½ inches in diameter at a feed roll speed of 200
rpm. This would produce a comfortable coil rotational speed in the output trough of about 8300 rpm,
and a lineal wire feed rate at the tooling of about 26.5
fpm. Each long coil would require approximately two
minutes to produce, and in one week the coil manufacturer would use about 10 miles of wire.
Platinum tungsten wire coils well but is highly
abrasive. The 304 V stainless steel wire requires
a high coiling force and tends to create interstitial
bonds (i.e. pickup) with the tools’ surfaces. Unfortunately, conventional carbide tooling with typical
levels of finish, and entry and departure reliefs,
does not deal well with either of these material
characteristics because the successful operation
of the coiling tooling depends on its ability to provide highly localized forces on the wire during coil
formation and tight control of the wire as it enters
into the coiling tooling.
To effectively deal with this situation, it is
necessary to analyze the typical Kinefac-Sleeper
Micro-Coiler single-point coiling machine geometry and tool configuration. As can be seen from
the machine picture and tooling diagram on page
58, the wire is dereeled from a spool and supplied
to the feed rolls under controlled tension. The two
servo-driven feed rolls, the lower one grooved and
the upper one smooth, provide the axial force on
the wire to create the coiling action. They feed the
wire into a set of final wire guides, again the lower
one grooved and the upper one
smooth, which guide the wire
to the initial deflection contact
point under the arbor. From
there it is deflected around the
arbor by the coiling point to
establish the arc of the coil.
As a result, the coil diameter that is produced is precisely
determined by the relative position of the wire contact points
on the output end of the lower
final guide, the bottom of the
arbor and the groove in the
coiling point. Therefore, any
change in position of the wirecontact surfaces of the tooling
elements can change the diameter of the coil produced. Since
the arc created is only about
one- third of the coil diameter,
any such position change of one
of the tool-element wear surfaces produces a diametral change of the coil which is about three times
as large. This means that a 3-micron (0.00012-in.)
buildup on or wearing away of any of these three
surfaces would move a nominal-diameter coiling
setup of the typical coiling setup described above
out of the tolerance range.
The next critical point of contact between the
wire and the forming tools is the pitch tool. This
tool provides the force necessary to affect the axial
location of each coil with respect to the adjacent coil.
The axial position of this pitch-tool contact point
has a major effect on the back tension or pitch in a
continuous coil. Here, too, tool wear or pickup on
that surface produces disproportionate changes in
those characteristics of the coil.
The resistive friction forces created by the contact between the wire being coiled and each of the
above four contact surfaces must be overcome by
the column of wire in the final guides, which is being
SPRINGS April 2006 57
pushed by the feed rolls. Because of its length, the
column deflects in a serpentine manner against the
walls of the passage in the lower final wire guides.
This creates further frictional resistance on the wire
as it exits the feed rolls into the transition area
between the final wire guides and the feed rolls.
The sum of all the process-resistive friction
forces on the wire must be exceeded by the force
imparted on the wire by the feed-roll closing pressure
and the feed-roll surface coefficient of friction with
respect to the wire. Unfortunately, there is a linear
gap between the root of the feed-roll groove and the
wire entry point at the root of the lower final wireguide groove. This gap is disproportionately long
when coiling very small wire. The high wire-feed
force tends to buckle the wire as it leaves the feed
rolls and enters the lower final wire guide, causing
it to rub on that entry point.
The wire-feed contact point at the entry of the
lower final guide, the coiling-action contact points on
the output end of the lower final guide, the arbor, the
coiling point and the pitch tool are
the areas on the tools where rapid
abrasion and pickup are most
likely to take place. Furthermore,
it is at these areas where erosion
of the tool contact surface due to
wear or buildup is caused by the
bonding of wire particles, which
can have a major negative effect
on the repeatability of the process
and thus the life of the tools.
From the above description, it is clear that the
best way to remedy the situation is to reduce the
load on the tools. This can best be accomplished by
reducing the coefficient of friction between the tools
and the wire. This can only be done by placing a low
coefficient of friction material or coating at the highload contact points between the tools and the wire.
This material or coating must also be of sufficient
hardness so that it greatly minimizes the surface
wear created by the high-force rubbing contact of the
tools by the wire. In addition, that material or coating
must have the ability to be worked or applied in such
a way to produce a wear surface with a minimum of
surface interstices. Finally, it should not have any
chemical or metallurgical tendency to bond with the
wire materials being coiled.
Clearly, one material is available that appears to
have such characteristics: natural diamond. However, it presents several major problems that must
be overcome by the tool designer and manufacturer.
The first is its difficulty to be machined or ground
by conventional tooling. The second is its brittleness
that makes thin sections fragile during manufacturing or in tool setup. Finally, the individual raw
58 SPRINGS April 2006
material pieces are limited in size. Despite these
limitations, the benefits of using natural diamond
wherever possible at critical load-contact points are
so significant that Kinefac has implemented a program to do just that for our Micro-Coiler tooling.
Having defined the best material to meet the
needs of this coiling régime, the next step was to
determine how to best integrate it into the tooling
design. The small size of the pieces made it impractical to consider making complete tool elements of
diamond. Therefore, diamond was used as small
inserts into the basic tool structure. This, in turn,
led to its initial application on coiling points, where
a small precision insert could be readily attached
to the basic tool shank, and then be shaped and
finished. The result of this diamond use in a limited
number of tests has been outstandingly successful. It has increased Micro-Coiler coiling-point life to
more than 1,000,000 feet (190 miles) when coiling
75 microns (0.003 inches) 304 V stainless steels and
has eliminated any pickup on the tool surface.
However, our manufacturing process for such
tools is still labor-intensive, and new methods for
cutting, mounting and lapping this type of diamond
insert into our high-precision certified coiling tooling
are now being developed.
Our next step is the application of natural diamond to the front tip of the lower final guide. In this
application, we are examining two options: The first
is a brazed assembly on a carbide base that would
carry the balance of the lower final guide groove
as well as the mounting surfaces. The second is
mechanically clamping the insert to the basic tool.
This has worked well when we have used large PCD
inserts when coiling relatively large flat wire. Parallel to this, we are looking at PCD pitch tools as the
next application for diamond material. The payback
on diamond is outstanding.
Based on Kinefac’s belief that diamonds are a
coiler’s best friend, we are moving ahead as rapidly as
possible to expand its use on Micro-Coiler tooling.
Howard A. Greis is the president of Kinefac Corp.
– Sleeper Division in Worcester, MA. Readers may
contact him by phone at (508) 754-3249 or Web site
at www.microcoiler.com. v
A
Admiral Steel
(800) 323-7055
/ 27
Alloy Wire International
(866) 482-5569
/ 54
Anchor Abrasives
(708) 444-4300
/ 26
C
Chicago Association of
Spring Manufacturers Inc.
(847) 433-1335
/ 30, 31
E
Elgiloy Specialty Metals
(847) 695-1900
/ 39
F
Fenn Technologies
(860) 594-4331
/ 11
Forming Systems Inc.
(877) 727-3676
/ inside front cover
G
Gibbs Wire & Steel Co. Inc.
(800) 800-4422
/ inside back cover
H
Haldex Garphyttan
(888) 947-3778
/ 24
I
Industrial Steel & Wire Co.
(800) 767-0408
/5
InterWire Products Inc.
(914) 273-6633
/1
Instron
(800) 726-8378
/ 27
J
JN Machinery Corporation
(630) 860-2646
/ 22
K
Kiswire Trading Inc.
(201) 461-8895
/ 46
L
Larson Systems
(877) 780-2131
P
Precision Steel Warehouse
(800) 323-0740
/ 43
Proto Manufacturing Ltd.
(800) 965-8378
/ 10
Pyromaître Inc.
(418) 831-2576
/ 23
R
Radcliff Wire
(860) 583-1305
/ 14
S
Machine Components 2006
++852-2865 2633
/ 16
Maguire Machinery
(609) 266-0200
/6
The Mapes Piano String Co.
(423) 543-3195
/ outside back cover
Mount Joy Wire Corp.
(800) 321-1278
/ 44
Moyer Companies
(260) 665-2363
/ 56
T
M
N
NIMSCO
(563) 386-9590
/ 15, 55
North American Spring Tool Co.
(800) 759-6728
/ 45
Northeast Steel Corp.
(800) 822-1278
/ 52
Norwalk Innovation
(800) 688-2645
/ 17
/ 56
Shinko Machinery Co., Ltd.
++ 81 6 6794 6610
/3
Simplex Rapid
(563) 386-9590
/ 12
Stahl- und Drahtwerk Röslau
++49 (0) 92 38 / 809-0
/ 32
Tak Enterprises
(860) 583-0517
Tool King
(800) 338-1318
/8
/ 48
U
Ulbrich Stainless Steels &
Special Metals, Inc.
(800) 243-1676
/ 41
V
Varland Metal Service
(513) 861-0555
/ 52
W
Witels-Albert USA Ltd.
(410) 228-8383
/ 21
Sprung
SPRINGS April 2006 59
Bob Herrmann
Newcomb Spring of Colorado
Occupation: Information Manager and Forklift Driver at Newcomb Spring of Colorado in Denver.
Birthplace: Ithaca, NY.
Current home: Boulder, CO.
Industry affiliations: Spring Manufacturers Institute board of directors
member and Magazine Committee
chairman.
Family: Wife, Leslie; children Emily,
Alex and Carly; plus numerous
critters.
What I like most about being a
springmaker: The wide variety of
applications we get involved in.
Favorite food: Anything fresh.
Favorite authors: Tom Wolfe,
Stephen Ambrose, Elmore Leonard,
Michael Connelly, etc.
Favorite musicians: Bob Dylan,
Miles Davis and Roy Rogers.
Hobbies: Reading.
Favorite places: Outdoors.
Bob’s skill behind the wheel is matched only by his enthusiasm
for constantly upgrading technology.
Best times of my life: College and
watching my kids grow up.
A great evening to me is: At home with family and friends.
The one thing I can’t stand is: Standing in line.
My most outstanding qualities are: Tact, diplomacy and wishful thinking.
People who knew me in school thought I was: Not all there.
I knew I was an “adult” when: I got my AARP membership card.
If I weren’t working at Newcomb Spring, I would like to: Go sailing around the world.
The most difficult business decision I ever had to make was: To fire someone.
I wonder what would have happened if: I had joined the Air Force.
Role models: Answering that question would only get me in trouble.
I would like to be remembered in the spring industry for: My excellent golf skills.
But people will probably remember me as: #&!%-ing them off.
60 SPRINGS April 2006