Simpson marine equipment springs 0118 978 6573

Spring manufacturers invariably cater for many industries, marine product springs being just one. Marine springs have to be durable in the marine environment.

High durability springs

Spring damage can be environmental. The environment can be the mechanical environment or the atmospheric environment. Mechanical condition can be further divided into the static and dynamic, according to the exerted force. The atmospheric environment is corrosion and temperature. Fundamental to durability are fatigue, creep, stress relaxation and stress corrosion cracking.

For steel with high tensile strength, such as spring steel and tool steel, fatigue strength does not always increase with tensile strength. Defects outside and inside the steel can cause fatigue failure when the tensile strength is greater. Fatigue strength becomes less as the size increases, the more the volume exposed under high stress increases, as the size increases, the more the crack defects can occur.

There are many types of spring failure: Fracture, Fracture with repeated stresses, Fatigue with no corrosion, Corrosion fatigue, Fatigue from fretting corrosion or wear

Fracture with impact stress, Brittle fracture, Ductile fracture, Deformation (Permanent set), Decrease of cross-sectional dimensions, Fracture with static stress, Stress corrosion cracking, Delayed fracture (Hydrogen embrittlement fracture), Yielding, plastic deformation (due to over stressing), Static creep, Dynamic creep (under conditions of fluctuating load or temperature), Stress relaxation, Wear, Fretting

To minimise all these factors established leisure marine equipment manufacturers will inevitably source their springs from proven high quality springs manufacturers.

Simpson Springs Limited

Unit 1, Latimer Road Industrial Estate,

Latimer Road,

Wokingham,

Berkshire RG41 2YD

Tel: +44 (0)118 978 6573

Fax: +44 (0)118 989 4434

Email:info@simpsonsprings.co.uk

Boating equipment springs

Stainless steel whipcheck springs or pawl springs for windlasses are specific examples of boating equipment springs. Deck hardware like Lewmar winches contain pawl springs made by Simpson Springs. They are also sold in Lewmar spares kits.

The pawl springs are the little bits of metal that when winches are dismantled for maintenance purposes generally go "sproing" and shoot off into the water. They keep the pawls under tension so the winch only turns in one direction. Waterproof bearing grease designed for hostile environmental conditions should be applied to windlass springs or winch springs as part of regular maintenance.

Oceanair marine blinds use tension springs by Simpson to keep the blind under tension. Selden masts and rigging also rely on tension springs in, for example, spinnaker telepoles.

www.simpsonsprings.co.uk