What is a disc spring washer?
A disc spring is a spring washer with a conical shape. This shape gives the spring washer its flexible effect. Disc springs are also called Belleville spring washers and conical spring washers. The properties of the disc spring make it unique in applications where space is limited – but where high force is wanted.
What are Belleville washers used for?
The purpose of a Belleville washer is to absorb loads by acting as a spring. When a load is applied a Belleville washer, the washer compresses. At the same time, the Belleville washer exerts an equal amount of force against the object.
Where are Belleville washers used?
Belleville washers are typically used in conditions of high current loading or cycling. They are used to absorb vibration and can maintain preload in bolted joints, indicating correct preload based on the gap between adjacent washers. They can also help with “bolt creep” or stress relaxation between a bolt and washer.
Why do you use a spring washer?
Spring washers, which have axial flexibility and are used to prevent fastening or loosening due to vibrations. Locking washers, which prevent fastening or loosening by preventing unscrewing rotation of the fastening device; locking washers are usually also spring washers.
Where is disc spring used?
Belleville disc springs are primarily used in applications that require an extremely high amount of force over a small deflection. In many cases Belleville springs are used to replace coil springs where space is limited, a higher force is required, or the size of the system needs to be reduced.
What are disc springs used for?
Disc Springs are commonly found in a variety of applications including pressure controls and regulators, vehicle braking systems, valves, shock absorbers, clutches, friction assemblies, and joints where thermal / weight cycling occurs.
Do spring washers work?
The body of evidence, based upon both experience and experimental results, is that they do not prevent loosening and can be shown to actually speed up the rate of loosening in many cases. Junker originally showed in his work published in 1969 that these washers are ineffective in preventing loosening.
Why is it called a Belleville washer?
The Belleville spring is named after its founder, Julian F. Belleville, around the mid 19th century. They were designed to take on really heavy loads, with the steel that is used to make them. Belleville designed the washer to be a spring as well.
How are disc springs made?
Depending on the disc thickness, the disc blanks are manufactured by stamping (Group 1), fine blanking (Group 2) or plasma arc/flame cutting (Group 3). Disc springs of greater material thickness are machined all over to remove surface imperfections. Subsequent shot-peening improves the fatigue life of the springs.
Should you use a flat washer with a spring washer?
The order should be bolt head, flat washer, materials being clamped, flat washer, spring washer, nut. If you only have one flat washer per bolt, and if the material next to the bolt head is sufficiently hard to resist deformation, then the one flat washer should be on the nut side.
Can spring washers be reused?
Damaged or worn washers should not be reused, as this can limit the performance of the wedge-locking effect and expose your bolted joints to loosening.