According to the nature of the force, springs are divided into: tension springs, compression springs, torsion springs, and bending springs.
A tension spring (abbreviated as a tension spring) is a spiral spring that bears axial tension, and is generally made of circular cross-section material. When not loaded, the rings of the tension spring are generally tight and there is no gap between the rings.
Compression spring (abbreviated as compression spring) is a spiral spring that bears axial pressure. The cross-section of the materials used is mostly circular, and there are also rectangular and multi-strand steel yarns rolled. Springs are generally evenly spaced, and there is a certain gap between the coils of the compressed spring. When subjected to external forces, the spring contracts and deforms to store deformation energy.
A torsion spring is a coil spring. A torsion spring can store and release angular energy or statically fix the device by rotating the lever around the central axis of the spring body. The end of the torsion spring is fixed to other components, and when other components rotate around the center of the spring, the spring pulls them back to their original position, generating torque or rotational force.
There are two less common types of air springs and carbon nanotube springs;
Air spring is a non-metallic spring that adds pressurized air to a flexible sealed container and utilizes the compressibility of the air to achieve an elastic effect. The suspension device used for high-end vehicles can greatly improve the riding comfort of vehicles, thereby greatly improving the driving comfort of vehicles. Therefore, air springs have been widely used in automobiles and railway locomotives.
Carbon nanotube spring: It is necessary to first make a carbon nanotube film, and then use spinning technology to spin the carbon nanotube film into a carbon nanotube spring. The diameter can reach hundreds of micrometers and the length can reach several centimeters. Used for medical devices, such as tension sensing bandages.