Different Types Of Springs

The springs are defined as an elastic body which stores mechanical energy and gets distorted when loaded and regains its original shape when load is removed.  Springs main function is to get distorted when it is loaded and recover its original shape when load is removed.

The various applications of springs are as follow

• To cushion, absorb or control energy due to shock and vibration as in bike or car springs, railway buffers, shock absorbers, aircraft landing gears and vibration dampers.
• To apply forces, as in brakes, clutches and spring loaded valves.
• To controls the motion by maintaining contact between two elements as in cams and followers.
• To measure forces, as in spring balances and engine indicators.
• To store energy, as in toys and watches.

Types of springs

On the basis of shape the types of springs are

1. Helical Springs or Coil Springs

It is a spring which is made up of a wire coiled in the form of helix. It is made to handle tensile and compressive loads.

2. Conical and Volute Springs

These are the compression spring have conical shapes. The conical springs are wounded with a uniform pitch whereas the volute springs are wounded in the form paraboloid with constant pitch and lead angles. Under compression, coils of these springs slide past each other and make the spring to compress to a very shorter length.

3. Torsion Springs

It is a spring that works on torsion or twisting. It stores the mechanical energy when twisted.

4. Laminated or Leaf Springs

It is a type of spring which is mostly used in automobile suspension, electrical switches and bows. It consists of a number of flat plates (known as leaves) of varying lengths held together by means of clamps and bolts

5. Disc or Belleville Springs

It is a disc shaped spring. It is commonly used to apply tension to a bolt. It is also called as Belleville washers and conical compression washers

On the basis of how the load force is applied springs are classified as

1. Tension or Extension Spring 

Tension or extension springs works on the application of tension loads. When tensile load is applied to this spring it extends to some length.

2. Compression Spring

The compression springs are designed to operate when compressive load is applied to it. It contracts under compression.

3. Torsion Spring

It is designed to work under twisting. It stores mechanical energy when twisted.

4. Constant Spring

It is a type of spring in which the supported load remains the same throughout the deflection cycle.

5. Variable Spring

Variable spring is a spring in which the resistance in the coil to load varies during compression.