{"id":3532,"date":"2026-10-08T14:46:18","date_gmt":"2026-10-08T06:46:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.coffeevsteaweightloss.com\/blog\/?p=3532"},"modified":"2026-10-08T14:46:18","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T06:46:18","slug":"what-is-the-relaxation-behavior-of-a-wave-spring-4628-ab7577","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.coffeevsteaweightloss.com\/blog\/2026\/10\/08\/what-is-the-relaxation-behavior-of-a-wave-spring-4628-ab7577\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the relaxation behavior of a wave spring?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hey, let\u2019s cut to the chase\u2014if you\u2019re a designer, maintenance guy, or parts hoarder who\u2019s ever used a wave spring, you\u2019ve probably dealt with that annoying \u201csettling\u201d thing where it feels like your spring just stops holding pressure like it\u2019s supposed to. Today I\u2019m breaking down exactly why that happens (we call it relaxation, for the nerds) and why it matters so much for anyone who sources wave springs. I\u2019m not here to feed you textbook jargon or make this sound like a college lecture\u2014this is straight from the trenches, being a wave spring supplier for over a decade. Wave Spring<\/a><\/p>\n

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First, let\u2019s define what a wave spring even is for the new folks reading. It\u2019s that flat, thin spring, usually made of stainless steel, that has those little wavy curves pressed into it instead of the tight coils of a traditional helical spring. They\u2019re designed to save space\u2014like, a ton of space. You can slide one into a groove that\u2019s half the height of a regular coil spring, and it still packs a punch. But here\u2019s the catch: their whole shape is super dependent on that initial pressure you apply when you install it. That\u2019s where relaxation comes in.<\/p>\n

Relaxation, in spring terms, is when a spring loses its ability to exert consistent force over time, even if it\u2019s being held at a fixed deflection (meaning it\u2019s squashed to a set height, like it would be bolted into place in an engine or gearbox). It\u2019s not \u201cbreaking\u201d like a bent paper towel\u2014this is a slow, permanent (but not always catastrophic) shift in the spring\u2019s curve shape that makes it weaker. Let me explain it simply. When you first stamp that wave spring from a strip of steel, it\u2019s got that peak-and-valley shape, right? When you compress it, those peaks push in, and it stores energy like any other spring. But over time\u2014hours, years, whatever\u2014those peaks start to flatten out a little. That\u2019s relaxation. The material is just rearranging itself under constant stress.<\/p>\n

Wait, but not all wave springs relax the same way, right? That\u2019s what I tell every customer who calls me panicking because a batch of springs they bought last year suddenly isn\u2019t working. Let\u2019s talk about the factors that play into this, because if you know these, you can actually mitigate it instead of fighting it.<\/p>\n

First up: material choice. This is huge. I\u2019ve had customers use cheap carbon steel wave springs for applications that run hot, and they come back saying the springs died in 6 months. Carbon steel is cheaper, but it\u2019s way more prone to relaxation under prolonged stress, especially at temperatures over 150\u00b0C. Stainless steel? Grade 301 is a workhorse for us\u2014it\u2019s got high tensile strength and holds shape way better. We also do 17-7 PH for super high-stress or high-temp environments (up to 400\u00b0C). Yeah, it\u2019s a little more expensive, but I\u2019d rather you pay a few extra bucks for a spring that doesn\u2019t fail mid-production than replace a whole machine because your cheap springs relaxed and let a gear shift out of place.<\/p>\n

Next, load and deflection. This is the actual amount you\u2019re squishing the wave spring. If you compress a wave spring past its designed limit\u2014like, way more than the engineers specified\u2014you\u2019re cramming those peaks so tight that the steel\u2019s yield point gets breached. That\u2019s when you get plastic deformation, which is basically permanent bending, not just relaxation. Relaxation is elastic deformation slowly turning plastic. So if you install a wave spring with a deflection that\u2019s 20% over what it\u2019s rated for, you\u2019re asking for trouble. I see this all the time in assembly lines where workers just cram parts together without checking the specs. We always tell customers: run the numbers on your deflection, and don\u2019t guess. We can even help with that, by the way\u2014we have engineers on staff who\u2019ll run load-deflection curves for free for any new project.<\/p>\n

Environmental conditions, too. If your wave spring is sitting in a wet, corrosive environment? Not only does it rust, but corrosion eats away at the peak points, making them weaker and more prone to flattening. If it\u2019s exposed to chemicals, that can break down the steel\u2019s molecular structure over time, accelerating relaxation. And temperature\u2014we already touched on that, but it\u2019s worth repeating. Every material has a \u201crelaxation temperature threshold.\u201d Go above that, and relaxation happens exponentially faster. A wave spring that might only lose 5% of its force in 10 years at room temp could lose 20% in the same time at 200\u00b0C. That\u2019s a big difference.<\/p>\n

Wait, but is relaxation always a bad thing? Let\u2019s be real\u2014sometimes it\u2019s actually a feature. Think about a clutch or a brake assembly, where parts wear over time. A little relaxation in the wave spring can compensate for that wear, so you don\u2019t have to adjust the clutch every few months. But too much relaxation is a problem. If it\u2019s in a precision application, like a bearing preload in a CNC machine spindle, even a 10% force drop can throw off the alignment so bad you\u2019re making parts that are out of spec. That\u2019s when downtime costs way more than buying better springs from the start.<\/p>\n

Now, let\u2019s talk about how we as a supplier address this, because I\u2019m not just here to rant about problems\u2014I\u2019m here to give solutions. First, we do material testing on every batch of wave springs we make. We run stress-relief processes during manufacturing to lock in the shape. Wait, what\u2019s stress-relief? It\u2019s heating the spring just below its melting point to get rid of the internal stresses from stamping and forming. That makes the final product way more resistant to relaxation. We also give every customer a load-life curve that shows exactly how much force a spring will retain over time, under their specific operating conditions. No guessing, no vague claims\u2014hard numbers.<\/p>\n

Another thing: wave spring design. Not all wave springs are made equal. There\u2019s single-turn, multi-turn, nested (two or more springs stacked together), and even beveled wave springs. Nested springs, for example, distribute the load more evenly across the peaks, so each individual peak doesn\u2019t take as much stress. That means less relaxation over time. I had a customer last year who was using a single-turn spring in a heavy-duty gearbox, and it was relaxing in 2 years. Switched to a nested pair, and they haven\u2019t had a single issue in 5 years. That\u2019s a no-brainer, but most design engineers don\u2019t think about that until it\u2019s too late. I make it a point to ask every new customer about their application load and operating conditions, not just the size and part number. That way, I can recommend the best design to minimize relaxation.<\/p>\n

Wait, let\u2019s bust a myth here. A lot of people think \u201cwave springs are less reliable than coil springs because of relaxation.\u201d No, that\u2019s not true. If you spec them correctly, they\u2019re actually more reliable in many cases, because you can get consistent preload without taking up a ton of space. Coil springs have gaps between coils, so over time, those coils can shift, but wave springs are a solid ring of peaks, so the load is distributed more evenly. The only time relaxation becomes a problem is when you spec the wrong material, wrong design, or wrong deflection. I see so many customers cut corners on material to save a buck, and that\u2019s where the relaxation issues pop up.<\/p>\n

Let me give you a real example. A medical device client reached out to me last year, panicking. They were using wave springs in a surgical robot joint, and the springs were losing 15% of their force within 18 months. That\u2019s a disaster\u2014you can\u2019t have a surgical robot that drifts because the spring holding the joint tight relaxed. Turns out, they were using 301 stainless steel, but at their operating temperature of 180\u00b0C, 301\u2019s relaxation rate is higher than they thought. We switched them to 17-7 PH, ran a proper stress-relief process, and adjusted the deflection to be within their rated limit. Now, those same springs are still holding 98% of their force after 3 years. That\u2019s the difference between knowing your stuff and guessing.<\/p>\n

So, what can you do to avoid relaxation issues with your wave springs? First, work with a supplier that cares about your application, not just selling you a standard part. Second, don\u2019t over-compress the spring\u2014stick to the rated deflection. Third, match the material to your operating temp and environment. Fourth, consider nested or multi-turn designs if you\u2019re under high load.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

At the end of the day, relaxation isn\u2019t a flaw of wave springs\u2014it\u2019s a characteristic of how they work, and it\u2019s totally manageable if you do it right. I\u2019ve been in this game for 12 years, and I can\u2019t count how many times I\u2019ve fixed a customer\u2019s wave spring problems by going back to basics, adjusting the material or design, and avoiding the common pitfalls.<\/p>\n

Torsion Spring<\/a> If you\u2019re dealing with wave springs that are relaxing too fast, or if you\u2019re working on a new project and want to spec springs that will stand the test of time, don\u2019t hesitate to reach out. We\u2019ll walk through your application, run the numbers, and make sure you get the right spring for the job\u2014no jargon, no hidden fees, just straight talk from someone who\u2019s been there.<\/p>\n

References<\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. Shigley, J. E., & Mischke, C. R. (2001). Standard Handbook of Machine Design<\/em> (3rd ed.). McGraw-Hill.<\/li>\n
  2. Spring Manufacturers Institute. (2018). Spring Design Manual<\/em> (6th ed.). Spring Manufacturers Institute.
    \n3.ASM International. (2019). Metals Handbook: Volume 3: Alloy Phase Diagrams<\/em> (10th ed.). ASM International.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    \n

    Shengzhou Deyuxiang Hardware Accessories Co., Ltd.<\/a>
    We are one of the most professional wave spring manufacturers and suppliers in China, also support customized service. With abundant experience, we warmly welcome you to buy high quality wave spring made in China here and get pricelist from our factory. For price consultation, contact us.
    Address: No. 38, Caosheng Road, Caoqiao Street, Pinghu City, Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province
    E-mail: 877286126@qq.com
    WebSite:     https:\/\/www.dyx-spring.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Hey, let\u2019s cut to the chase\u2014if you\u2019re a designer, maintenance guy, or parts hoarder who\u2019s ever … What is the relaxation behavior of a wave spring?<\/span>Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":127,"featured_media":3532,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[3495],"class_list":["post-3532","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry","tag-wave-spring-43e2-abc340"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.coffeevsteaweightloss.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3532","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.coffeevsteaweightloss.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.coffeevsteaweightloss.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.coffeevsteaweightloss.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/127"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.coffeevsteaweightloss.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3532"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.coffeevsteaweightloss.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3532\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.coffeevsteaweightloss.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3532"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.coffeevsteaweightloss.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3532"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.coffeevsteaweightloss.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3532"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.coffeevsteaweightloss.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3532"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}