Spring steels
Spring steels belong to the group of high-strength, tough, and elastic engineering steels used for the production of springs, leaf springs, and coil springs, wherever the ability to deform and return to the original shape without permanent deformation is required.
⚙️ Characteristics
High tensile strength and elasticity
Very good fatigue strength
Good hot and cold formability
Excellent wear resistance
High strength and spring properties after heat treatment
🧩 Applications
Leaf springs and coil springs for automobiles, motorcycles, and machinery
Spring components, levers, safety parts, locks, pliers
Spring pins, anchors, pressure plates, retaining rings
Compression, tension, and torsion springs
🔥 Heat Treatment (Approximate Values)
| Process | Temperature | Cooling | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annealing | 650–700 °C | slow cooling | Reduction of hardness, improved machinability |
| Quenching | 820–870 °C | oil | Achieving maximum strength |
| Tempering | 400–500 °C | in air | Adjustment of the required elasticity and toughness |
🧠 Interesting fact
Spring steel can store and subsequently release a large amount of energy – which is exactly why it is used not only for conventional springs, but also for safety-critical components.
A good example is automotive springs, which must withstand millions of load cycles without losing their properties.
