Residual stresses in cold-coiled helical compression springs for automotive suspensions measured by neutron diffraction

Residual stresses in cold-coiled helical compression springs for automotive suspensions were determined at several manufacturing stages using neutron diffraction. These results indicate that the residual stresses in the as-coiled springs are nearly uniaxial with peak values of ±900 MPa and independent of coil position. A factory stress-relieved spring showed the same pattern of stresses, but with the peak values reduced to ∼±200 MPa. Residual stresses in a spring annealed in a laboratory furnace at 56 K over the normal factory annealing temperature were ∼35% lower. The effect of cutting the springs either by electric discharge machining (EDM) or by abusive grinding was also examined. From these data, the smallest spring segment that can yield reliable stress data was determined.