How (Most) Custom Springs are Made
The Metal Spring Manufacturing Process
Steel springs are just about everywhere you can think of — and even a few places you never would have thought of! From that comfortable and affordable hybrid mattress to your favorite chair to your trusty microwave … from your garage door to the flight deck … springs make the world go up and down.
These coiled wonders store mechanical energy, providing tension and compression wherever we need it.
So, How Are Custom Springs Manufactured?
At Tennessee Spring and Metal, our steel springs are manufactured by winding, heat treating, grinding, coating and finishing.
Spring Wire at Tenneessee Spring & Metal
1. SPRING WINDING
During this initial stage, unsprung spring wire is fed into the spring winder. This semi-automatic machine straightens the wire from its original coil, laying it in a straight line. Then, under the watchful eyes of our seasoned team, the machine coils, forms, or bends the spring wire into the customer’s specified shape and size.
2. HEAT TREATING
Once a spring is formed, we send it through a stress-relieving process — which counter-intuitively helps the spring to retain its memory. Translation: The spring will continue to reliably … er … spring back after it’s been used. Again and again and again and again.
To make sure a spring keeps springing, we heat treat springs after they are formed. The temperature and time under fire depends on the type and diameter of wire.
3. GRINDING
Some compression springs may require grinding. Basically, by grinding a spring, we make sure that the ends of the spring are flat, allowing it to stand up straight without wobbling.
4. COATING AND FINISHING
We’ve talked a lot about coating and finishing because it’s such an important step. It’s what transforms an average spring into a really great spring. This is where we shot peen, plate, paint and/or coat a spring to help prevent erosion, decrease noise, and improve the look and feel of your springs. Basically, our custom spring finishes add durability and functionality to our products. Plus, they look pretty cool.
To learn more about our custom springs or spring coating options, contact Tennessee Spring and Metal online or call us at 1-800-497-3545.
Tennessee Spring and Metal is AS9100 Rev D, ISO 9001:2015 certified.