Wave Spring Design Limitations and Diameter Tolerance

Welcome back to the Ask the Expert blog, the blog is designed to help educate you on all things rings and wave springs. This week, the expert fields some questions about design specifics of wave springs.

What are some overall design limitations on a Crest-to-Crest wave spring? 

Smalley manufactures springs ranging in diameters from about .118 in. (3 mm), to 9.8 ft. (3 m), or more. Possible design limitations vary and depend on a number of different design requirements, such as load, deflection, free height, cycles, and so on. Contact a Smalley engineer to discuss potential designs and limitations.

When spec'ing a wave spring, what is the diameter tolerance on a bore or shaft?

Every spring has two diameter measurements: the shaft diameter and the bore diameter.
The shaft and bore diameters are the actual bore and shaft diameters of the assembly that create the cavity the spring works within. 

The tolerance of a bore or shaft diameter depends on customer capabilities. We design in enough clearance to allow for standard manufacturing practices, so holding to these tolerances is recommended. 

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