Case Study Archives | European Springs Ireland

Mechanical springs are well-known components essential for effective machine design, a crucial engineering design element.

This vital function is important for creating manufacturing machines, construction tools and vehicles. Here, we explore several spring designs chosen during the machine design process.

What is Machine Design?

This design process defines how energy is handled internally to meet the requirements of the machine. You can use this design to create new devices or upgrade existing ones to meet unique needs.

An example of this process’s importance is a vehicle’s gearbox. This collection of components needs to manage your vehicle both in motion and as a static load. Both these parts need components with appropriate specifications to work efficiently internally and externally, or the car will not function correctly. In addition, the gearbox must work with the engine to operate the car fully.

Machine designers will create plans with particular requirements covering specific materials and finishes, accurate dimensions and comparisons of individual parts and the whole machine’s needs.

So essentially, machine design is a very apt title; it is the process of designing machines. Once the design is confirmed, the depth and detail required for this process are passed on to the assigned manufacturing companies.

What is Mechanical Spring Design?

Spring manufacturers will be tasked with creating high-quality springs, which can involve assisting with mechanical spring design. Mechanical springs are an essential component in various mechanical applications, including even the CNC machines we use to make them.

European Springs have an expert team of engineers that assist our clients with their spring designs. We will match all your specifications, including surface treatments, so you get the perfect piece in small or large batches. Additionally, knowing the function of each spring is essential when picking the right one for your machine design.

Compression Springs

Compression springs store energy when compressed. The basic concept is that they will release that stored energy to expand to their original shape.

Many different compression springs are available, such as conical and hourglass. This resistant spring design is used in various applications, from automotive suspension, industrial equipment and aeroplanes.

Torsion Springs

Torsion springs are coiled springs with extended legs branching from their coils. The resulting force comes from the opposite direction and is proportional to the angle of the twist. This spring is the best choice for twisting motions, and they store rotational energy.

Tension Springs

Tension springs are the opposite of compression springs. These will want to retract to their original tightly wound coil once the force is removed.

The main factor to consider is which direction the force is going concerning the spring itself. Towards will need a compression spring, and away will require a tension spring. These springs are attached to the intended application to limit movement; they are used for counterbalancing or level-based mechanisms.

Spring Design Terms To Consider

Spring Rate: Otherwise known as the spring constant, this is the relationship of the force to compress a spring by a unit of length. This measurement can be compared to any given load to calculate the estimated spring travel (how far the spring will compress). The further the spring compresses, the increased stress it endures. Generally, 20% of travel space should be left during regular operation.

Spring Stress: This is the primary cause of spring failure. A spring overstressed by forces it wasn’t designed to handle will not function correctly and will soon break.

Shock Loading: This is similar, except widely different weight values are changed compared to the original parameters. Consistent speed is also essential. The risk of spring failure is significantly increased as loads are added suddenly. Shock loading can be mitigated by vibration-dampening devices or internal damper coils added to the machine design.

OD: This is the acronym for the outer diameter of your spring. An OD measurement relates to the width of your spring when measured from outside the coil. This applies to many spring designs and is essential when your design needs springs in a hole or tube.

ID: This is a similar acronym for the inner diameter. This measurement relates to the width of the area inside the spring.

Choosing the correct spring specification is essential when dealing with mechanical moving parts. For example, the strength of a spring’s design generally depends on the volume of the wire used. This volume is dictated by the wire diameter and the length of the wire.

The best spring design will provide long-lasting function and can be relied upon to work effectively with the other components in your design.

As leading spring manufacturers in Ireland, European Springs supplies the most acceptable range of springs, so machine designers can be confident we’ll meet their specifications exactly.

Springs are a vital component in a broad range of applications. Due to the many different designs and specifications available, these integral pieces have been used in thousands of unique applications spanning every industry and commercial sector. As a result, you’d be hard-pressed to find a product that doesn’t utilise a spring somewhere.

When assembling your components into the final application, you need to know that each part is of high quality and has an appropriate specification to fulfil its role sufficiently. Therefore, a significant decision is to choose a spring supplier you can trust to meet your exact requirements. We have spent decades manufacturing high-quality springs, wire forms and pressings for clients in various sectors. Due to this experience, we feel there are certain integral factors that a reputable spring supplier needs to meet.

Open Communication

If you have little experience communicating with manufacturers, it can be challenging to know which company to trust. However, as expert spring suppliers, we understand that each client will have unique requirements that must be met. We establish this by developing an open line of communication with our clients to create a positive working relationship.

For example, we offer a bespoke manufacturing service that covers many spring designs, including torsions springs. In addition, we encourage cooperative communication between our expert team members and yours to ensure that your springs are precisely how you need them, from initial designs to prototyping and final production. This process is something that we believe is only possible through open, honest discussion.

Bespoke Spring Specifications

Springs are an extremely varied component to suit the many roles they need to fulfil. Different kinds of springs have unique purposes. For example, you’ll find small compression springs inside pens and switches and large ones in automotive suspension systems, but extension springs are used for garage doors and trampolines. However, even with the many different designs to choose from, the demand for customised bespoke springs designed is growing.

Whilst stock springs are helpful, most applications will have unique requirements not readily accounted for by stock components. Relying on stock parts will leave your application open to potential faults. This is why it is essential to choose a spring manufacturer that can quickly adapt its existing processes to suit your needs and offer a bespoke spring design and manufacturing service. At European Springs Ireland, we can manufacture an extensive range of spring designs, including compression, torsion, and tension, along with many other spring designs.

Wide Range of Materials Available

Our modern world creates increasingly more complex products and machines every year, and all of them will have exacting requirements for their internal components, including any springs. As a result, different materials will provide unique advantages but only when used appropriately; substitutions are not recommended as this will harm the integrity of your compression spring design. For example, some metals provide an increased malleability, and other materials are more suited for wave springs. In addition, some materials are prepared for use outdoors with corrosion resistance, whereas others are not. We can manufacture bespoke springs in a broad range of metals, including stainless steel, copper, titanium alloys, Inconel, Hastelloy and Nimonic.

When choosing which spring supplier to select out of the wide range of compression spring manufacturers available, you need to avoid choosing one that only stocks a limited range of materials, thereby reducing the possibilities available for your desired components. Instead, you need a spring manufacturer with expertise with a broad range of materials so that they can get the right design you need and the most effective material for it, ensuring the most extensive longevity possible for your application.

Reduced Lead Times

Time between the start of a commission and its completion must align with a client’s needs for their application. For example, suppose a supplier is providing a discount on their manufactured products, but it means the lead times will be considerably longer. In that case, this may conflict with your established deadlines and create increased logistical costs for you. It would be best to consider a spring supplier who is honest and realistic about the lead times so you can always be aware of the situation and make the best decisions for you accordingly.

The time it takes to fulfil your orders will have many factors attached. For example, the number of units in your batch, their specifications and the availability of the materials they require will all affect this predicted deadline. Therefore, we recommend that when you are making these initial exploratory enquires to spring suppliers, ask if they have flexibility on lead times. In addition, If they can achieve variably sized batches of units and if any supply chain disruptions could affect your commission. Many spring suppliers (including us as European Springs Ireland) have adopted automation to decrease lead times whilst producing cost-effective results. To maintain our position as a leader in spring manufacturing, we invest in the latest equipment, including high-end CNC machinery and automation, as part of our smart factory improvements.

Long-Term Experience in Spring Manufacturing

When looking for your spring supplier, don’t settle for anything less than the best. As leaders in the spring manufacturing industry, we understand the factors that matter to clients and have implemented them into our client-centric approach to daily operations. At European Springs Ireland, we are continuously working to adapt to the ever-changing requirements of our clients. Our team members provide a high level of experience and can supply innovative solutions for your needs. You can learn more about our processes and manufacturing facilities here.

At European Springs Ireland, our experienced engineers have been given the opportunity to manufacture and produce some exciting projects over the years, and this year has been no different. The spring industry has developed and advanced greatly over time, allowing new technology to create incredible things.

Being one of Europe’s leading spring providers, we pride ourselves on delivering the perfect end project to our customers. As Saturday 17^th March marks St Patrick’s Day, our team has created a Shamrock made from wire forms to celebrate the occasion.

History of St Patrick’s Day

For those who are unfamiliar with the history of the celebration, we at European Springs Ireland will inform all about the special Irish day. St Patrick’s Day is a cultural and religious celebration held on the 17^th March, (the traditional death date of Saint Patrick born 385AD). It is a Roman Catholic feast day of the patron saint of Ireland.

This day commemorates Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, whilst also celebrating the heritage and culture of the Irish. Celebrations involves public parades, festivals, and wearing green attire or shamrocks.

Saint Patrick’s Day is widely celebrated around the world and is celebrated in more countries than any other national festival.

Who was Saint Patrick?

Saint Patrick was a 5^th century Roman-British Christian missionary and bishop in Ireland, and one of Christianity’s most widely known figures. But, did you know he wasn’t actually Irish? His real name given at birth was Maewyn. He was born in Romano Britain into a wealthy family, where his father worked as a deacon and his grandfather worked as a priest in a Christian church.

When he was 16, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken as a slave to Gaelic Ireland. Here, he spent six years working as a shepherd, and it is stated it was here where he found God.

During his capture, he was able to escape, where he fled to a monastery in Gaul, France, and converted to Christianity. After some time living in France, he returned back to Ireland in 432 as a missionary. Although Christianity was a religion which was already held in the country, Saint Patrick enabled it to be more widespread after confronting the Druids at Tara and abolishing their pagan rites.

Later in life, Patrick became a bishop and after his death in 461, he was named Ireland’s patron saint. He was buried at Downpatrick.

In the early days of Saint Patrick’s Day, celebrations were largely understated. It wasn’t until the Irish emigrated to the United States, where they began creating the bigger celebrations and parades we know today.

In the 18^th century, Irish soldiers who fought in the Revolutionary War held the first St Patrick’s Day parades. These celebrations were known as a way for the Irish to connect with their roots after they moved to America.

Fun Facts About Saint Patrick’s Day

Here, we have listed three fun facts about this Irish tradition that you may not have known:

According to legend, Saint Patrick used the shamrock to explain the Trinity.
The practice of dyeing the river green began in Chicago in 1962, when the city officials decided to dye a portion of the Chicago River green.
Corned beef and cabbage is an Irish American dish but some of the population were unable to afford certain meals. On Saint Patrick’s Day, it was the best meal they could afford. Since then, it became a staple for the holiday.

Process of Custom Made Wireforms

Wireforms are essential component types which are commonly used in headsets, computer brace devices, or for a simple pin. No two examples of wireforms ever look alike, making them fantastic for creating them into forms for almost any design.

Advanced machinery has had a great effect on the production of wire forms, allowing the manufacturing of huge quantities. Our specialist hand cooling treatments and wealth of experience enable us to make custom made wireforms with precision and quality. This is shown in our production of the Shamrock to celebrate the occasion.

At European Springs Ireland, we deliver professional and bespoke service for the design and manufacturing of springs. If you would like to know more information about our products and services, please do not hesitate to get in touch with our expert team.

From everyone here at European Springs Ireland, Happy St Patrick’s Day.

It doesn’t feel like it at all, but two days ago was the day of love – Valentine’s Day. It’s a big day around the world, as it is a day where people around the world celebrate their love to one another or express their love for other things, such as their pet, and their friends.

However, in engineering, things are a little different. At European Springs, as well as expressing our love to our loved ones at home, we also express our love in the workplace. This may seem a bit unusual, but let’s have a look into it.

The Love When Manufacturing Various Products

If there’s one thing that we care about more than anything, it’s how we manufacture our award-winning springs and pressings. Every item that we manufacture is handled with care and precision, just like the processes that occur within European Springs.

In the design stage, each aspect is intricately monitored and rigorously tested to make sure that it is fully functional and can withstand its maximum load. When the springs/pressings are produced, they are done so with the best equipment that is available within the industry.

For example, in April last year, our European Springs site in London acquired a revolutionary machine known as the Bruderer BSTA 500-110B, and the results were sensational. The machine itself can produce more than 1000 stampings per minute, which is equivalent to roughly 17 stampings a second! After three months, it was revealed that the Bruderer investment resulted in the growth of European Springs by 10% and created 35 new jobs.

Across London, Cornwall, and Leeds, sales increased by £16m and the workforce increased by 170, which is amazing as a result of one investment deal. Therefore, it is safe to say that the springs that we manufacture daily are of the highest quality, which is excellent for the business, but more so for our clients, as they will be receiving the highest-quality products every single time.

The Results of our Love in Manufacturing

The love and consideration that we put into our products, as well as our services, has gone a long way when it comes to our clients. A fantastic example of this was when we worked with Fabric Architecture to help design, manufacture, and install canopies that were located over the retractable seating voids in West Ham’s stadium, the London Stadium.

This project was particularly special to us because we went out of our way to make every aspect of this project personal and extra special. European Springs’ part was to engineer compression springs that would be used within the canopy mechanisms. However, every spring that we created was then coated with the West Ham colours – a beautiful shade of claret.

Michael Gibbs, Managing Director of European Springs & Pressings, even said “…our Production Manager’s love of West Ham, and subsequent suggestion that the springs were powder coated in the club’s famous claret colour, has added a personal touch that has truly made the teams feel part of sporting history”.

From that, it is safe to say that we care so much for our customers, and we put our all into making them happy, as well as the European Springs team. As specialist spring manufacturers, we always ensure that every product that we produce is of the highest quality, and is handled with the utmost care and consideration.

If you want to know more about what we can provide for you, then please don’t hesitate to contact us today on 028 9083 8605 and we will be more than happy to help with any enquiries you may have.

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Well, what a year it has been!

We are incredibly proud of the team here at European Springs and all that we’ve achieved throughout the previous year. To celebrate these magnificent achievements, and to highlight some of our team’s proudest moments, we have compiled a list of some of our favourite projects and discuss some of the challenges we’ve undertaken throughout 2016; a year which has seen European Springs take to the high-street and become a part of football history.

Olympic Work at West Ham

With the football season kicking off in August, West Ham wanted to celebrate their move to their new home, the London Stadium. The East London football team were originally based at the Boleyn Ground, or Upton Park, from 1904 until the 2015-16 season, at which point they were to relocate to the London Stadium.

However, before they could play their first game against Bournemouth on August 19^th, a few finishing touches were needed to be put in place. One such change was to design, engineer, and install canopies over the retractable seating voids inside the stadium. In this project, we worked alongside Fabric Architecture to manufacture a spring solution, and the results were phenomenal!

#fabricarchitecture Hammers home importance of in-house engineering pic.twitter.com/Dir7vUYuOq

— Fabric Architecture (@FabArchitecture) August 31, 2016

Springing into Action for Tate Modern

At European Springs, we manufacture and provide the highest quality springs, with everything from compression and tension springs to bespoke wire forms and pressings. One of the most prolific and most involved projects that we were proud to be a part of was when James and Taylor Ltd in London contacted us to produce a spring mechanism for the new Tate Modern gallery.

Our London site in Beckenham pulled out all the stops and was proud to be part of such an amazing engineering project. But you may be wondering how European Springs ties into the project at hand?

Well, the terracotta and metal façade engineering firm previously approached us to design, develop, and sample a design for the scaffolding fixing clips. However, the scaffolding was, in fact, set to come down sooner than previously anticipated. With this, we had to finish the spring mechanism in just over a week.

We were extremely proud when we managed to complete the task within the allotted time and to the highest quality possible. The hurdles that we had to overcome, other than the incredibly short time constraint, was the nature of the incredibly complex tasks from start to finish, involving unwavering precision and accuracy on every single part of the project that we manufactured.

However, in the end, everyone that worked on the Tate Modern project deserved a huge amount of praise for the work that they have achieved. It was so fantastic, that the Tate even produced a stop-motion film of the Tate Modern being built from the ground up!

New #TateModern is NOW OPEN! Join us for three days of celebration starting today: pic.twitter.com/Mf4sFDqorl — Tate (@Tate) June 17, 2016

Spotlight on: Liberty of London

If there are two things you can say about European Springs, it’s that we manufacture a wide array of springs, forms, and pressings and that they are produced to the highest quality.

As a result, Liberty London – a retail store in London – approached us to produce and deliver 80 springs for their window displays. And we didn’t disappoint!

Initially, you would have assumed that the springs were to be used as components for machines, but they were actually for the displays themselves; the typical compression springs that we manufacture were used to hold the various display items in place. This project showed the public that European Springs are capable of produced any size of spring, from millimetres in length to the two-metre-high items that formed the Liberty London window displays.

This brilliant collaboration showed off the versatility and creativity of our team, and we couldn’t be happier to have been part of such an amazing exhibition. We are proud to say that, along with the various industries that we work with day in day out, the retail industry is now an industry in which we can work to achieve great things.

So proud to have been a part of the recent production of @LibertyLondon‘s window display! Have you seen it yet? pic.twitter.com/PX6bmdlaZP

— European Springs (@europeansprings) May 18, 2016

Even without the fantastic projects that we’ve been honoured to have been involved in, 2016 has seen European Springs invest in some new and exciting technology that enables up to produce springs and pressings at a much faster rate and to a higher order of accuracy. Not only that, our London site has even gained the ISO 14001 Certification, and we are extremely proud of everyone that has been involved throughout such a fruitful year.

At European Springs, we constantly strive to achieve the best results for us and for our clients. If you want to know more about the projects that we have worked on this year, then why not contact us on 0044 7889171165 and one of our friendly members of staff will be more than happy to help.

As a company with almost 70 years of expertise, European Springs & Pressings regularly undertake a wide variety of complex projects. Our technological knowledge and skill is clearly showcased through every final product, ensuring high-quality and innovation.

With over a hundred years of history, West Ham United Football Club is deeply entrenched in English football history. For the first time in over a century, the club has moved to a new home – the London Stadium. In close teamwork and collaboration with Fabric Architecture, we manufactured bespoke springs for a renovation that corresponds with the stadium’s next step in sports.

Improved Bespoke Spring Manufacture

As market leaders in spring manufacture, we continuously strive for optimised procedures and technology to produce a streamlined, high-quality spring. For West Ham’s new stadium, we utilised a new Fortuna coiling machine with this process in mind; we delivered tailored springs, designed specifically for dissipating loads from the stadium’s canopies.

Fabric Architecture, award winning experts in tensile fabric structure, had specific engineering requirements due to the undertaken stadium project. They were required to design, engineer, and install large-scale fabric canopies that would be placed over the existing retractable seating voids inside the stadium.

Through the new Fortuna machine, we were able to strengthen our design of wire coiling from 0.3mm to 26mm. New opportunities for more exciting projects have subsequently opened, including new markets across multi-industries. Managing Director of European Springs & Pressings, Michael Gibbs, reinforces a vital factor in the industry and for our business: engineering solutions.

For us at European Springs & Pressings, ensuring that we keep investing “skills training and machinery is part of an ongoing growth strategy for the organisation that has seen us grow from an £800k operation to £7.5m turnover over the last 15 years.”

A Close and Proactive Relationship with Fabric Architecture

Collaboration in engineering is vital; managing the quality of every project ensures that every step of the design and the manufacturing processes are streamlined and produce the highest possible quality. With technical proficiency from several industries, the end result has an increased intricacy and detail that guarantees a safe and superior product.

Our relationship with Fabric Architecture, according to Director of Design and Engineering Nigel Browne, was “ fast, efficient, and very knowledgeable in assisting us to design a system that helped dissipate the loads from the canopies.”

Quality and safety are always top priorities at European Springs & Pressings, and our streamlined wire coiling signifies that, at all times, the 60,000 capacity stadium can guarantee the safety of everyone. As our Production Managers love West Ham, Michael Gibbs added, the “subsequent suggestion that the springs were powder coated in the club’s famous claret colour, has added a personal touch that has truly made the team feel part of sporting history.”

Additionally, here at European Springs & Pressings we are proud to now forever watch over the West Ham United Football Club and their fans with our high-quality springs. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us on 028 9083 8605 to enquire about our springs and pressing services.

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