Wave Springs

Product Advantages

Wave Spring Material Specifications

Wave springs are flat-wire formed elastic components. The elastic modulus, tensile strength, and corrosion resistance of the material directly determine the load accuracy and fatigue life of the finished product. TOSTA stocks 500+ spring material grades. The following 6 grades are most commonly used for wave springs and cover the vast majority of applications from general industry to aerospace.

Beyond the above base materials, wave springs can also be enhanced with surface treatment as required: carbon steel is typically blackened or phosphated for rust prevention. For highly corrosive scenarios, a Dacromet coating is chosen to avoid hydrogen-embrittlement risk from electroplating; for high-cycle dynamic applications, shot peening is recommended. Introducing residual compressive stress on the surface significantly extends fatigue life. The combination of material and surface treatment should be confirmed during the drawing phase to avoid post-production rework.

Wave Spring Selection Key Points

The essence of wave spring selection is balancing load, space, life, and cost. The following 6 principles come from TOSTA engineering team's frontline experience. Our sales and technical teams have 5–15 years of spring industry experience and can provide manufacturable solutions upon receiving operating parameters.

1. Define axial space first, then load: The biggest value of wave springs is reducing assembly height by about 50% compared to round-wire helical springs with the same spring force. If the cavity height is ample, helical springs are usually more economical; wave springs only become advantageous when space is limited.
2. Use working height, not free height, to determine load: The load-deflection curve of wave springs is approximately linear in the working range. However, it rises sharply before solid. The working point should be controlled within 30%–50% of the free height travel to avoid the non-linear zone.
3. Wave count determines stiffness: With the same outer diameter and strip thickness, more waves mean shorter span per wave, lower stiffness, and more uniform load distribution. Available wave count range is 2–12 waves. Increase wave count for gentler preloading; reduce it or switch to multi-layer construction for higher stiffness.
4. Filter materials by temperature first: Carbon steel works below 120°C; stainless or alloy steel for 120–300°C. Above 300°C, Inconel or other high-temperature alloys are required. The decrease in elastic modulus at high temperatures will directly cause preload loss.
5. Select corrosion resistance by medium: SUS316 for chloride-containing media; SUS304 for normal humid air. Carbon steel with surface treatment offers the best cost advantage in dry indoor environments. Missing medium information is the primary cause of selection rework.
6. Always leave a safety margin for fatigue conditions: In dynamic cycling applications, the stress amplitude within the working stroke should be controlled within 1/2 of the material's fatigue limit. And use a safety factor of 1.2–1.5 for load. Static preloading parts can be loosened somewhat, but relaxation still needs to be checked.

Wave Spring Applications

• Automotive & New Energy: Gap elimination in transmission clutch plates, electric-drive bearing preloading, and cell expansion compensation in battery modules. Battery packs are highly height-sensitive; wave springs provide stable spring force within 1–3 mm of space.
• Bearing Preload: Motors and machine tool spindles require bearing clearance elimination to reduce noise and vibration. Wave springs provide constant and predictable axial preload without increasing spindle length.
• Valve & Hydraulic Sealing: Flanges and mechanical seal faces develop gaps under temperature cycling. Wave springs serve as elastic compensation elements to maintain constant sealing contact pressure. Preventing media leakage, they are commonly used accessories in hydraulic transmission systems.
• Electronics & Connectors: Relays, sensors, and pluggable connectors require stable contact force to ensure low contact resistance. Beryllium copper wave springs combine elasticity and conductivity, withstanding high-frequency insertion.
• Medical Devices: Surgical instruments and diagnostic equipment require resistance to repeated sterilization and contamination-free operation. SUS304 / SUS316 wave springs withstand autoclave sterilization cycles, and their small size supports device miniaturization.
• Oil & Gas & Aerospace: Downhole tools and aerospace accessories face high temperature, high pressure, and corrosive media. Using Inconel 718 or Elgiloy nickel-cobalt alloy wave springs, elasticity remains stable at temperatures up to 700°C.

Wave Spring Standards Reference

Wave springs currently lack a unified dimensional standard like disc springs' DIN 2093. In engineering practice, the following material, general spring, and testing standards are typically referenced. If customers require supply under specific standards, they can specify this in the inquiry, and TOSTA will issue corresponding material certificates and inspection reports accordingly.

• DIN 17222 — Technical delivery conditions for cold-rolled spring steel strips, the main referenced standard for flat-wire wave spring raw materials.
• DIN 2077 — Technical conditions for round-section spring steel wires, applicable to round-wire wave springs.
• ISO 26909 — Spring terminology standard, unifying definitions of stiffness, free height, working stroke, and other parameters.
• ISO 2162 — Product documents and drawing representation for springs, standardizing load point and tolerance notation in drawings.
• GB/T 1239 — Technical conditions for cold-coiled cylindrical helical springs, often referenced for wave spring load testing and acceptance.
• GB/T 4357 — Cold-drawn carbon spring steel wire, the acceptance basis for domestic carbon-steel wave spring materials.
• ASTM A313 — Stainless steel spring wire specification, covering common grades such as SUS301 / 304 / 316.
• MIL-STD-1312 — Test methods for fasteners and elastic elements series, often cited for fatigue and vibration test clauses in military and aerospace projects.

Frequently Asked Questions