What is Spring Steel?

Spring steel is required where the final application has the property of reacting to loading by elastic deformation. Spring Steel materials should have the highest tensile strength and a high elastic limit. In addition to high strain properties in the elastic region, there must also be sufficient plasticity. This allows for the manufacture of cold formed applications which will not break when they experience unforeseen overloading. This group of metals is renowned for durability, pliability, longevity and toughness. The manner in which they respond to heat treatament allows them to be formed in their annealed state and then hardened as required later. Their unique combination of physical characteristics make them ideal for a wide range of applications, beyond just springs and knives.

Spring Steel Applications and Use

Spring steel has an extremely wide range of commercial applications and is a critical material in many industries beyond the obvious automotive applications. Without Spring Steel, lifting cranes and mine winding and head gear cannot function, railway infrastructure will fail, all suspension applications become sub-optimal and indeed dangerous. Spring Steel is used for manufacturing objects like helical springs, concial disc spring washers, saw blades, lock picks, antennas, industrial brake controls, arrestors and scrapers. Spring Steel is used to create lawnmower parts, high quality blades and swords, the landing gear of small aircraft, and vehicle coil and leaf springs.

Spring Steels come in a wide variety of grades, below is a good but still incomplete list.

The first thing to notice is the bewilderingly wide array of names for the same grade of material. To help you, we have tried to explain naming conventions, the use of alloys, steel classifications etc. Just navigate on the menu to our Knowledge Base, a humble attempt at helping navigate and getting exactly what you need.