DESIGN OF A HELICAL COMPRESSION SPRING FOR HONDA CITY

SUBMITTED BY: ZARYAN IJAZ

SUBMITTED TO: DR. LIAQAT
DESIGN OF MACHINE ELEMENTS

SCHOOL OF MECHANICAL AND MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY

NOMENCLATURE
D= mean diameter of spring
d= spring wire diameter r(standard value)
E = modulus of elasticity of material
F= load.
Fmax = Maximum limit of load variation on spring during operation condition.
Fmin =Minimum limit of load variation on spring during operation condition.
Fo = the maximum operating load
Fs = load at solid length,.
fss = fatigue factor of safety
Fw = weight of the vehicle
G = modulus of rigidity of spring material
K = spring rate or spring stiffness
KB = curvature factor
Lf= free length of the spring
Li = installed length corresponding to initial load
Ls= solid length of the spring
Na = number of active coils
Se = endurance limit strength of material
Sut = tensile strength of material
= density of spring material
d = design stress
d= represents the damped angular frequency
n = natural frequency of the system
= forcing angular frequency.

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INTRODUCTION
A vehicle chassis is made up of several systems that all work in union to provide a

safe and comfortable ride. The chassis includes the frame, brake system, steering system,
and suspension system and wheel assemblies. In present, automobile industries trying to
improve the fuel efficiency of automobile vehicle. One of the major factors to maximize
the fuel efficiency is weight of automobile vehicle. But we can't compromise with the
system like, frame, brake system, steering system, wheel assembly for matter of safety.
So we can work on the suspension system to achieve lower weight.
Suspension system is one of the important segments of an automobile vehicle. It
cushions the ride of the frame, engine, transmission and passengers, while keeping the
tires in contact with road under all conditions. In this suspension system, spring is most
important part. The function of spring in suspension system is to distort when loaded and
to recover its original shape when the load is removed. And to absorb and control energy
due to shocks or vibrations. Helical coil spring is normally used for the light vehicle
suspension system. The performance of the suspension system is fully depends upon the
spring stiffness. If someone wants to reduce the weight of suspension system then he has
to consider the other factors like performance, design constraints, corrosion resistance,
fatigue strength of material, cost etc.
Mechanical springs are used in machines to exert forces, to provide flexibility,
and to store or absorb energy. In general, springs may be classified as coil (wire) springs,
leaf (flat) springs or special shaped springs. Coil springs include helical (tension and
compression) springs of round or squared wire made to resist tensile, compressive, or
torsion loads. The flat springs on the other hand include the elliptical type, the cantilever
springs, the wound motor type or Belleville springs.
Helical compression spring is a form of coil spring usually made of a wire of steel
or alloy steel coiled in the form of a helix. Its primary purpose is to support compressive
load as the name implies. This spring type has become the most popular type of springs
used for independent front-and rear-suspension systems of vehicle, especially in light
body automobiles. Their suitability for this purpose is not far from the advantage of being

accommodated in a confined space while enabling a wide range of spring rates. Besides,
they store about twice as much energy per unit volume than leaf springs, and may only
weigh about half as much to do the same job.
Design usually requires an iterative process in which an initial design is created
and then subjected to analysis of some kind. The result of the analysis is a revision of the
design, followed by another analysis and so forth, until the designer is satisfied that an
optimum design has been created.
Materials
There are different spring materials available to the designer, but the choice of
material depends on its application. However, the basic factors that must be considered in
choosing the right material to use include service condition, the maximum operating load,
and temperature factor. A variety of materials for spring include plain carbon steels alloy
steels, corrosion-resisting steels as well as non-ferrous materials such as phosphorousbronze, spring brass, beryllium copper, and various nickel alloys. A list of specific
materials for helical springs from the steel materials category mentioned above are music
wire, oil-tempered wire, hard drawn wire, chrome vanadium, chrome silicon.
Material for helical springs should meet basic requirements as high fatigue
strength, high ductility, and high resilience. Others are creep resistant and corrosion
resistant.
Design
Design usually requires an iterative process in which an initial design is created and then
subjected to analysis of some kind. The result of the analysis is a revision of the design,
followed by another analysis and so forth, until the designer is satisfied that an optimum
design has been created.
Design Assumptions
The following assumptions are made respect to this study:
1. Stresses in the spring are proportional to load.
2. The load on the automobile suspension system is the weight of the vehicle and
its content (passengers and goods).

Theoretical Background and Design Considerations

Design of spring in this study is based on the principle which requires that
diameter of spring be commercially available and the maximum stress in the spring be
less than the torsional yield strength of the material. A trial wire diameter is computed
and compared with the standard wire diameters in a database table (those which are
commercially available). After comparison, the designer will take from the table a value
higher than the computed value. This becomes the suitable diameter of material to be
used for the spring manufacture after the design process is completed. It is necessary to
make an estimate for values of some design parameters like stress factor and mean
diameter. This is confirmed afterward whether the estimated values are within the desired
range using some design conditions.
It is important to understand the relationship between the length of spring and the
force exerted by it. The various lengths which designer considers are the free length, solid
length, operating length, and installed length. The load at free length is usually zero, since
the free length is the length that the spring assumes when it is exerting no force as if it
were sitting on a table.
Similarly, it is noted that both bending stresses and shear stresses (torsional shearand direct shear stresses) are present in a helical compression spring when it is loaded.
The effect of direct shear is more pronounced; hence, this is used to determine the
maximum stresses in the system. The curvature of the wire has been known to increase
the stress inside the spring but decreases it only slightly on the outside. Therefore, a
curvature factor is determined to correct for both the curvature effect and shear stress in
the spring system during its operation.
The relationship between the force exerted by a spring and its corresponding
deflection is an important parameter to consider in spring design. Any change in force
accompanied by a corresponding change in deflection is used to compute the spring rate.
If spring rate is known, then, the force at any deflection can be computed.
Condition of active coil

The helical spring is the most popular type of spring. There are three types of ends
commonly used for compression springs. In each case, when there is on load, the coils are
separated. As the load is applied, the coils move closer together, but do not touch. Helical
compression springs are used to exert force on mating parts. It is desirable that
compression springs have as such possible with that mating parts at the ends of the
springs. The three types of ends used for compression springs are described as follows.
Squared and ground ends.
This type of end enjoys the advantage of not becoming readily tangled during
manufacturing. In the case, the load is transmitted in a perfectly axial direction.
Squared or closed ends.
This type does not tend to become tangled during the manufacturing process as
readily as the plain ends ground.
Plain ends ground.
This type is better than the plain ends. However, during storage, handling and
assembly of spring, the ends tend to become readily tangled.
Regardless of the type of ends used, a partially dead or inactive coil and exists at
each end of the spring. This interactive coil must be subtracted from the actual total
number no. of coil to find the number of active coils. The following is an approximate
rule for finding the active number of coils.
Squared and ground ends, subtract a total of 2 turns, that is Na = nt2.
Squared or closed ends, subtract a total of 1.5 turns, that is Na = nt1.5.
Plain ends ground, subtract a total of 1 turns, that is Na = nt1
Critical Design Constraints
The critical design constraints are summed as:

8 K s Fo D
d 3

Strength conditions is,

Allowable shear stress

Maximum deformation conditions

spring index conditions; 4 C 16

Spring rate / load and deflection diagram

6

Kerb weight - The force (N) that each spring is exposed to

Ride height - spring length at axle load when the vehicle is unloaded and parked

Free length and rebound length

Block length and bump length

End seats shape and geometric movement

Spring dimensions and weight

Design Calculations
Design Statement
We were to design a spring for the shock absorber for a Honda City having a mass of
1600kg. The car has 4 shock absorbers so each spring has a load of 400kg, which is not
actually the case, as the front suspension is more loaded than the rear suspension. Thus
for the ease of calculations and not necessarily getting involved in automotive
complexities, loading on all four springs is considered equal.
As the car is passenger comfortable and it has to be provide good load to deflection
characteristics, the spring rate of the spring is fixed. Also the material used is fixed, i.e.
302 Stainless Steel. All the following calculations have the above mentioned design
intent.
Calculation
K=400 lb./in.
We have
K=G.d4/8D3N
Where G=11x106 psi
So,
d4/D4N=290.9x10-6.(a)
Also
Ultimate tensile Strength=100,000 psi

Factor of Safety=1.5
So, Allowable Stress (Assumed) f=100000/1.5=70000 psi
So,
f=2.55DW/d3
Where f=70,000 psi W=882.15 lb.
We get
D/d3=31.11.(b)
Now using the stock sizes of d, and using equations a and b and iterating, we get the
following table:
d

0.30

0.83

48.6

2.766

0.40

1.99

11.1

4.9

0.50

3.88

3.6

7.76

Keeping in mind the design constraints we get:

d=0.40 in.
D=2 in.
N=11
C=5
m=0.478
A=90 kpsi.inm
Sut=A/dm=139.4kpsi
Ssy=0.45Sut=62.75kpsi
Kb=4c+2/4c-3=1.294
Fallow=.d3.Ssy/8.Kb.D=1353 lb
Clearly Fallow<<<<Load
For square and ground ends
Na=Nt-2=9

Y=Fload/K=2.20 in.
Ls=12.d=4.80 in.
L0=4.80+2.2=7 in.
P=L0-3d/Na=0.64 in.
For Buckling
L0<<5.26 D, which is true
For fatigue analysis
Fmin=1.20x400=480lb.
Fmax=3.2x400=1280lb.
Fa=400lb.
Fm=880lb.
Ta=41 kpsi
Tm=45 kpsi
Sut=139.4 kpsi
Ssy=0.67Sut=93.3kpsi
Ssa=34.9kpsi (un-peened)
Ssm=54.9kpsi (un-peened)
Using Goodman Failure criterion:
Sse=84.7kpsi
Ssa=47.4kpsi
Factor of safety=47.4/41=1.15
For Critical Frequency
W=1.98 lb
f= 139.68
Which is safely above the limit

Conclusion
The coil spring was designed for the automobile, using material and spring rate as the
design constraint for the process. The static, fatigue and frequency loading characteristics
of the coil spring were found to be acceptable. Several other designing techniques could
have been adopted to design the particular case. The parameters d and D were the most
constraining parameters of the design.
REFERENCES
Shigley J. S. and Miscke R. C. (1989),Mechanical Engineering Design, McGraw-Hill
Book Company.
Qu Xian, Zhao Shu-en (2012), Optimization Design and Calculation of the
Variable Stiffness Coil Spring Applied to Vehicles, International Journal of Science and
Research.
Sourabh G. Harale, Prof. M. Elango, Design of Helical Coil Suspension System by
Combination of Conventional Steel and Composite Material, International Journal of
Innovative Research in Science, Engineering and Technology.
The Spring Research Association, Helical Springs, Engineering Design Guide 08,
Oxford University Press.
Kilen, Technical and Sales Training Presentation
William F. Milliken and Douglas L. Milliken, Race Car Vehicle Dynamics.
Amrit, S.Kalaivanan, D.Manikandan, G.Ramkumar, T.Manoj , M.A.Kannan, Complete
Design and Finite Element Analysis of an all-Terrain Vehicle, Thiagarajar College of
Engineering, Madurai, India.
Henry P. Swieskowski, Design of Helical Compression Springs, US Army Armament
Research and Development Command.
Y. Prawoto, M. Ikeda, S.K. Manville, A. Nishikawa, Design and failure mode of
automotive suspension springs, Engineering Failure Analysis.
S. Umaru, Babakano, yami,hassan and ad. Sozanya, computer aided design for helical
compression spring and automobile damping system, Federal University of Technology
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