AFC Europe: Smalley Wave Springs: Space-Saving Technology for the Aerospace Industry

Compact, cost-effective solutions for improved aerospace product design

Available exclusively from AFC Europe, Smalley Wave Springs offer space saving technology for the Aerospace Industry which can replace conventional round wire coil springs by using less material and a smaller assembly size, resulting in reduced production costs and more effective product design.

The structure of the wave spring is made from flat spring metal, forming a multi-coil wave framework. This specific arrangement makes the spring suitable for applications where low operating heights is required since only around 50% of the axial height of a conventional round wire spring is necessary.

Also, by replacing a conventional round wire spring with a flat wire wave spring within the same cavity, a more effective use of the available space can lead to improved product performance. By utilising the space-saving features, a significant reduction in the spring rate is possible, leading to a more linear load characteristic when the spring is operating at more than one working height.

Fundamentally wave springs are useful in circumstances where a small area of space is available for a greater amount of mechanical work it needs to perform. Usually wave springs are required to be compact but, because of the extreme diversification of available material sections, they can be manufactured to any specific radial or axial constraints. With springs capable of being produced in diameters from as little as 5mm and in excess of 2,000mm, the range of applications for which they are suitable is immense. When coupled with a material selection that includes standard carbon spring steel, a variety of stainless steels and exotic alloys such as Inconel and Elgiloy, wave springs can be found in applications as far apart as space satellites and sub-sea drilling.