What is a compression spring?

A compression spring is a cylindrical coil spring that increases resistance against axially applied pressure.

A compression spring is an elastic coil, made of spring steel - its spring characteristic is that it absorbs force or provides resistance. A compression spring can be used as a pure energy accumulator, shock absorber, vibration damper or force generator.

Compression springs in use

The compression spring is the commonest type of metal spring. Compression springs are very effective at building up energy, and therefore have countless potential applications. The compression spring has gaps between its coils in an unloaded state. The distance between the coils is reduced when the spring is loaded and compressed. In principle, a compression spring must never be compressed so much that the coils touch one another. This shortens the service life of the spring considerably.

Service life - Compression springs

To get the longest possible service life from a compression spring, it is important not to overload it. Use the least possible force and travel on the spring to achieve the longest possible service life. The ideal solution is to use 30% of the maximum force and maximum travel rather than 90% of the same to achieve the same effect. A compression spring must never act as a physical stop.