Spring Travel Distance Calculator

Definition:

Spring Calculator program used to calculate the amount of travel, deflection or distance a spring is able to achieve under an applied load.

Spring design can be a little bit overwhelming at times. Your spring’s force, maximum safe travel, and maximum safe load are the factors that will tell you whether your spring will work correctly in your device or not. Spring Creator includes three spring travel calculators; compression spring travel calculator, extension spring travel calculator, and torsional spring travel calculator.

You must know all of the limitations involved inside of your device to set the physical dimensions as well as the tolerances for these dimensions. That is the basic part of designing your spring. When you get into spring rate, load, and travel; things get a little more complicated. When designing your spring the dimensions you started with may be too strong or too weak. You define your spring’s strength using spring rate. If it is too strong, your spring might not be able to travel enough due to it being highly stressed. On the other hand, your spring might be too weak and the loaded height it reaches is lower than the required loaded height. This means that you will have to make adjustments to the spring dimensions. The force chart provided tells you what modifications you must make in order to adjust the spring rate.


The Travel Chart

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Compression Spring Travel Calculator

Compression spring travel comes up in two categories when using our compression spring travel calculator. One of the sections is “Maximum Travel Considering Solid Height”. This section shows the maximum safe travel you are able to reach with your design considering its solid height. The other one of the sections is “True Maximum Travel”. This section shows you the potential travel your spring might be able to achieve if you make the free length longer. To utilize this full potential travel you must subtract the Maximum Travel Considering Solid Height from the True Maximum Travel and add the product to the free length. The True Maximum Travel will sometimes be higher than the Maximum Travel Considering Solid Height unless you’ve already topped out the potential travel. If you have maxed out all of the travel you are able to achieve from your design, these values will be the same.

Compression Spring Deflection

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Extension Spring Travel Calculator

Extension spring travel also shows two categories when using our extension spring travel calculator. In one of the sections it is shown as “Maximum Safe Travel”. This is also a potential amount of travel you would be able to extend your tension spring to if you were to remove the hooks. This value is shown because the strength of your hooks also depends on the type of wire you’re using. The other value shown is “Maximum Safe Travel Considering Hook Stress”. Most extension springs will have hooks on them so this value shows you exactly how much your spring will be able to travel with the dimensions, material type, and type of hooks you put on your spring. The Maximum Safe Travel will also be greater than the Maximum Safe Travel Considering Hooks Stress if your spring has hooks. If it doesn’t have hooks, the values will also be the same.

Extension Spring Deflection

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Torsional Spring Travel Calculator

Torsion spring travel is only shown in one section within our torsional spring travel calculator. This is because that amount of travel will not change unless your spring dimensions are adjusted so that it is under less stress. This would mean adjusting the spring index or adding a few coils but these adjustments would make your spring weaker as well. Torsional springs deflect in degrees of rotation. This is why the torsion spring rate per degree is measured in inch-pounds per degree (in-lb/deg). The torsion spring’s legs are the ones that make the torsional spring work. In most cases you will have one stationary spring and the other one will be what we call the “moment arm”. The moment arm is the spring leg that is to be in motion. In some cases, both spring legs will torque.

Torsional Spring Deflection

torsional-spring-travel-calculator