Prediction of Initial Design Parameter of Rectangular Shaped Mold Spring Using Finite Element Method

This paper presents an inverse design methodology for the cross section geometry of mold spring with a rectangular cross section as the starting material for a coiling process. The cross-sections of mold springs are universally rectangular, as the parallel sides minimize the possibility of failure under high service loads. Pre-coiled wires are initially designed to have a trapezoidal cross section, which becomes a rectangle by the coiling process. This study demonstrates a numerical exercise to predict changes in the sectional geometry in spring manufacture and to obtain the initial cross section which becomes the exact rectangle desired from the manufacturing process. Finite element analysis was carried out to calculate the sectional changes for various mold springs. Geometrical parameters were the widths at inner and outer radii, the inner and the outer corner radii, and the height. A partial least square regression analysis was carried out to find the main contributing factors for deciding initial design values. The height and the width mainly affected various initial parameters. The initial width at the inner radius was mostly affected by various specification parameters.

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