A compression spring is one of the most efficient energy storage devices that offers resistance to the axially applied compressive force. These springs come in different shapes such as cylindrical, hourglass, conical, and barrel. When you put a load on a compression spring, it compresses and pushes the load back to get back to its original shape. These springs play an important role in the assembly of automotive parts, and allow efficient and safe operation of the automotive components. This post will discuss the applications of compression spring in the automotive industry.
Applications of Compression Springs in Automotive Industry:
Compression springs are used for the following applications in the automotive industry:
- Tight Tolerances: Compression springs can be manufactured to tight tolerances, and this factor makes these springs suitable in automotive applications where the spring has to be placed around a shaft or in a small hole. The ends of the spring are wound closely, and this allows the spring to retain certain tolerance levels while it is in a vertical position.
- Suspension: Compression springs are important for a vehicle’s suspension, as they contribute in absorbing the shock. It is because of the compression springs that even on a rough track, a driver experiences a comfortable ride.
- Vibration Reduction: These springs have a uniform and steady pitch. During the process of compression, when each coil bottoms out, the spring offers resistance. This helps absorb various types of vibrations and resonances. For this application, tapered springs are favored, since they have coils of large diameters. These springs are capable of reducing the resonant amplitudes that are usually found in spring supported systems.
- Seating: Due to the spring action of compression springs, a driver experiences a smooth ride and comfortable seating, even on rough roads. Depending on the models, and designs of vehicles, the type of compression springs that are used in the seating assembly varies.
- Exhaust Valves: Compression springs ensure the efficient functioning of automobile engine exhaust valves. These springs ensure that the exhaust valves open and close at regular intervals, which allows the engine to function successfully at any speed. If the compression spring fails, it will cause malfunctioning of exhaust valves. This can lead to a power loss, and misfire in the engine. It can also cause valve bending as it hits the piston, thus damaging the engine.
Apart from the aforementioned applications, compression springs are used in a number of other areas of a vehicle, such as gear engagement controls, transmission hose, fuel panels, car trunks, and engine hoods. One must always check the quality of the springs before using them in any application