Corrosion

Springs made from carbon spring steels are particularly vulnerable to the damaging effects of corrosion, often resulting in complete failure of the component.

There are a number of ways to prevent corrosion occurring on the surface of springs made from the vulnerable materials. The simplest method is just to use a light coating of oil applied after heat treatment. This is good as a short term solution but after a while will not prevent corrosion to the same standard as one of the more permanent solutions.

A slightly more expensive method is to use pre-galvanized wire. This is excellent at protecting the main part of the spring but at the ends of the wire or any ground surfaces will not be covered and are vulnerable to rust. We do stock certain sizes of galvanized wire - contact us for more info.

One of the best "complete" solutions is Zinc plating the springs after production. This is usually a very good way of protecting the springs but in rare cases can lead to hydrogen embrittlement causing failure of the spring. It is cheap for larger quantities of springs, but not recommended for small quantities due to a large minimum charge.

There are other methods available including powder coating, painting, Deltatone coatings and others - the correct one for your springs depends on a number of factors that we would always be happy to discuss with you. Please feel free to give us a call.