Custom springs solve design problems

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Aug 11, 2004

William Hughes, the specialist spring and bent wire manufacturer, reckons it knows a thing or two about problem solving.

William Hughes, the specialist spring and bent wire manufacturer, reckons it knows a thing or two about problem solving.

After all, its design and application engineers have been manufacturing high quality, low cost components for over 200 years.

Although the introduction of modern materials and new technologies has changed the type of problem and, to some extent, the methods used to solve them, William Hughes' basic philosophy of designing and manufacturing bent wire components and springs in the most cost effective and timely way remains the same.

With the pressure on manufacturers to bring new product designs to market as quickly as possible, techniques such as "simultaneous engineering" are being regularly employed.

This term is used to describe a project when several companies all work in parallel to reduce design and development time.

A typical example where "simultaneous engineering" techniques could be used to good effect would be the development of a product like a new domestic electric toaster.

Having established a basic specification, the project would be subdivided by component type.

Groups of designers and engineers would work independently on the appearance and design, plastic components, metal parts, and electrical/electronic systems.

However, in order for these projects to be successfully concluded, there needs to be a high degree of discipline with regular meetings, well documented action points and a real commitment from all parties to work as part of a team and succeed.

One example where the engineers at William Hughes have been part of a project that employed this technique involved the seat mechanism in a passenger car.

The three-door vehicle uses a spring to return the front seat to the original position after allowing the rear seat passengers to alight.

Five companies were involved in the project, which required a powerful spring mechanism to be accommodated within a restricted space in an assembly being designed by others.

Although established data are available for the selection of standard compression and tension springs, many applications require a spring that is specially engineered for the job in mind.

This may be due to factors such as available space, unusual duty cycle or cost.

Although a spring from a standard catalogue will often provide a good start point, the "feel" of a product can be considerably enhanced by the use of a correctly engineered spring and this is where professional knowledge and experience can be put to good use.

For example, although there are many springs that will successfully close the drawer on a cash till, it is important to impart the right "feel" and action to the user.

The chosen specification may also need to take account of other factors and in this example the spring represents a critical part of the assembly.

Its failure would disable the machine causing considerable inconvenience and resulting in an expensive service visit or warranty claim, which would be disproportionate to the cost of the original component.

When faced with these challenges, engineers can use the design resources and manufacturing skills of companies like William Hughes.

With the benefit of many years experience and the ability to provide a rapid design and prototyping service, these problems can be quickly solved with a correctly engineered solution that is both cost effective and reliable.

Once a final design is agreed, the latest CNC machines and quality systems to ISO9002 ensure consistency and accuracy of supply.