Everything You Need to Know About Spring Steel Stamping

1. Application Requirements

The first step in choosing the right spring steel is understanding the specific application and performance requirements of your part. Ask yourself:

• Does the part need to withstand high stress or repeated use?
• Will it be exposed to high temperatures or harsh environmental conditions?
• Does it require exceptional fatigue resistance, like a suspension component or a snap ring?

For high-stress applications, you may want to choose a higher carbon content steel, such as SAE 1095, which offers superior strength and wear resistance. For parts requiring moderate strength and flexibility, a grade like SAE 1050 may be sufficient.

2. Hardness and Strength

Different grades of spring steel offer varying levels of hardness and strength, which directly affect their ability to perform under pressure. Higher carbon content generally means higher hardness and tensile strength, but it may also reduce formability. If your part requires intricate forming, a softer grade like SAE 1050 or SAE 1074 might be a better option.

On the other hand, if you need parts that will endure significant stress without failure, higher-carbon steels like SAE 1095 are ideal due to their excellent hardness and tensile strength.

3. Ductility and Formability

Formability is a critical factor in stamping, especially when producing complex or intricate designs. Higher-carbon spring steels tend to be more brittle and may be challenging to form, leading to issues with "spring-back" and part accuracy. For more complex shapes, you may need to work with softer, lower-carbon spring steels, like SAE 1050, which offer better formability.

4. Desired Spring Properties

If the part requires significant flexibility or needs to return to its original shape after deformation, it’s crucial to choose a steel grade that offers excellent elasticity. SAE 1074 and SAE 1075 are often the best choices for parts like springs that need to maintain their form under tension or compression.

Spring steel stamping uses high-carbon steel alloys designed to return to their original shape after deformation. It’s tough, resistant to fatigue, and perfect for applications that require high resilience, such as automotive or aerospace industries. If you're looking for a material that combines strength and flexibility, spring steel is your go-to choice for stamping.

Understanding the core properties of spring steel and its capabilities is critical to making an informed decision. But what makes spring steel so versatile and reliable for stamping? Let's dive in.

Spring steel is a type of carbon steel with a high carbon content, typically between 0.60% and 1.00%. This high carbon percentage gives the material its distinctive toughness and flexibility. It often includes other alloying elements such as manganese, silicon, and chromium, which enhance its strength, wear resistance, and ability to withstand stress.

In metal stamping, spring steel is typically used in an annealed or soft state. This allows for more intricate and severe forming during the stamping process. While tempered spring steel is also available, its hardness makes it difficult to form due to the inherent "spring back" of the material. This spring back can lead to precision challenges when stamping.

1. Battery Contacts and Springs

Piercing involves punching holes into spring steel sheets. A punch presses through the material, creating precise holes of varying sizes and shapes. Piercing is typically used in conjunction with other stamping operations like blanking or forming. 

It’s commonly used for creating parts that need holes for fasteners or mounting, such as brackets, connectors, and automotive components.

2. Sensor Springs

In the automotive and industrial sectors, sensor springs made from spring steel are crucial for pressure sensors, position sensors, and other electronic systems. These springs help maintain precise pressure or position measurements, contributing to the accuracy of the system.

3. Electrical Terminals

Electrical terminals require both durability and flexibility to handle the stresses of electrical connections. Spring steel’s strength and elasticity make it an ideal material for manufacturing electrical terminals that can withstand vibration, pressure, and thermal expansion without losing performance

4. Automotive Suspension Parts

The automotive industry heavily relies on spring steel for suspension components like leaf springs, coil springs, and torsion bars. These parts are subjected to constant stress and need to maintain their shape under heavy loads, which is where the resilience of spring steel excels.

5. EMI/RFI Shielding

Spring steel is also used in electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radio frequency interference (RFI) shielding. Its conductive properties, combined with its strength, make it ideal for creating protective enclosures and parts that shield sensitive electronics from external interference.

6. Mechanical Fasteners

Mechanical fasteners such as clips, clamps, and springs are often made from spring steel. These parts are designed to hold components together or secure parts under tension, offering the necessary strength and flexibility for a wide range of mechanical systems.

7. Snap Rings

Snap rings, commonly used in automotive and industrial machinery, are made from spring steel for their ability to snap into grooves and secure parts in place. Their spring properties allow them to expand and contract, holding components securely under pressure.

8. Antenna Springs

In telecommunications and electronic devices, antenna springs made from spring steel are used to ensure optimal flexibility and signal reception. These springs can be bent, twisted, and stretched without losing their ability to return to their original shape, making them ideal for antennas in mobile devices and radios.

9. Medical Device Springs

Spring steel is also crucial in the medical industry, where it’s used for components like surgical instruments, implantable devices, and diagnostic equipment. The material’s biocompatibility, combined with its strength and elasticity, makes it an excellent choice for medical device springs that require precise, long-term performance in demanding conditions.

Spring steel is prized in stamping for several key properties that give it an edge over other materials. First and foremost, its high tensile strength allows it to endure significant stress and pressure without breaking or deforming. This makes it perfect for components that must retain their shape after being stamped into intricate designs.

Additionally, spring steel’s excellent elasticity and ability to return to its original shape make it ideal for applications where durability and resistance to fatigue are critical. Its resistance to wear and corrosion is another important factor, especially in industries like automotive and aerospace. These properties make spring steel the go-to choice for precision stamping that requires both strength and flexibility.

SAE 1050

SAE 1050 is a medium-carbon steel with a carbon content of approximately 0.50%. It offers a good balance of strength and ductility, making it suitable for applications that require moderate hardness and toughness. This grade is often used for components like clips, washers, and other moderately stressed parts.

SAE 1074

SAE 1074 is a high-carbon steel with a carbon content of about 0.75%. This grade provides higher strength and resilience compared to SAE 1050. It is often used for products that require a higher degree of springiness, such as leaf springs, clips, and a variety of automotive components.

SAE 1075

SAE 1075, with a carbon content of around 0.75%, is a versatile and tough material ideal for stamping operations. It is slightly higher in carbon than SAE 1074, offering better strength while maintaining excellent flexibility. Common uses include industrial springs, fasteners, and small automotive components that need to withstand repetitive stress.

SAE 1095

SAE 1095 is a high-carbon steel with a carbon content of approximately 0.95%. This grade is known for its excellent hardness and wear resistance, making it ideal for applications that require high strength and durability under extreme conditions. It is commonly used in heavy-duty applications such as automotive springs, tools, and industrial machinery.

1. Progressive Die Stamping

Progressive die stamping is one of the most efficient methods for high-volume production. In this process, the spring steel strip moves through a series of dies, each performing a different operation (such as cutting, bending, or forming). The material is shaped progressively in multiple stages, which allows for continuous production of complex parts.

2. Deep Drawing

Deep drawing is used when parts with deep, cylindrical, or cup-like shapes need to be stamped. This method involves feeding a flat sheet of spring steel into a die, where it is drawn into a cavity by a punch. The material is stretched, and its shape is transformed into a deeper form.

3. Blanking

Blanking is a stamping technique where a punch is used to cut out a flat, precise shape (called a blank) from a larger sheet of spring steel. The blank is then further processed in subsequent stages. This technique is commonly used for creating flat, uniform parts that will later undergo additional forming processes. It’s ideal for making simple components like washers and brackets.

4. Bending

Bending is one of the most straightforward stamping techniques and is used to form angular shapes in spring steel. During this process, a punch and die are used to apply force to the spring steel sheet, bending it into the desired angle. 

Bending can be combined with other processes like blanking or deep drawing, depending on the complexity of the part. This technique is commonly used for creating brackets, clips, and other components that require precise angles.

5. Piercing

Piercing involves punching holes into spring steel sheets. A punch presses through the material, creating precise holes of varying sizes and shapes. Piercing is typically used in conjunction with other stamping operations like blanking or forming. 

It’s commonly used for creating parts that need holes for fasteners or mounting, such as brackets, connectors, and automotive components.

What Are the Main Applications of Spring Steel Stamping in Industry?

Conclusion

Choosing the right spring steel for stamping is crucial for achieving high-quality, durable components that perform well in demanding applications. If you need expert advice on selecting the perfect spring steel grade for your project, feel free to contact us. We’re here to help you make the best choice for your needs.