What is the industrial purpose of steel washers and spring washers?

Posted by Avneet Singh on September 25th, 2019

First handshake with the idea

A thin plate that mainly acts as the load balancer for any fastener which is kind of threaded such as a bolt or nut. It has a hole mostly in the middle. Talking about the shape, it is sometimes square but typically these are disc-shaped. Other areas that find a use of these are as a spacer, wear pads, preload indicating devices and locking devices. 

The rubber version of these is also used to reduce vibrations. These can also be used to accomplish the work of spring. Common examples of this are wave washer and Belleville washer. Washers comprise of an outer diameter which is twice their inner diameter but, this is subject to variations. There are many spring washer manufacturer in India such as Niko steel center and Steri Techno fab.

Materials used

The major material of washers is either metal or plastic. High-quality joins which are bolted are introduced in the washers. These require the hardened washers to prevent the loss of preload which may happen due to Brinelling after the application of torque.  

Gaskets made of rubber or fiber is used in taps or in valves to prevent leakage. Sometimes, people who don’t happen to have many ideas about it wrongly refer to these as washers. This is also because they look somewhat similar. But, they are designed for different processes and are made in different ways. Washers prevent galvanic corrosion. This is because steel screws are insulated from surfaces. 

Rotating applications also find some use of washers where these can be used as a bearing. There is also something known as a thrust washer which is used when a rolling element bearing is not required either from a perspective that centers around cost-effectiveness and space restraints. Wear and friction and be reduced by coating, hardening the surface or by providing some sort of solid lubricant. There are some surfaces which are self-lubricating as well.

Industrial Purpose

The role of spring steel washers in reducing damage and corrosion to materials cannot be overlooked. Since quite long, steel washers have stood out among all the other kinds of washers due to their quality and durability. There are a good number of industries which are into manufacturing spring steel washers for some of their major client companies. 

For most industrial applications, spring and steel washers are very well suited. This is due to the fact that these are high carbon and low alloy steels. These can be used in all types of machines owing to the fact that these have a wide range of applications and their flawless working over a long time can also be assured. The difference between other washers and spring steel washers is that other washers have a lifetime that is limited and those have to be replaced very frequently while this is not the case with spring and steel washers. 

Spring and steel washers have some properties which are necessary to establish the fact that these function flawlessly over decades without the need for any sort of replacement. Also, in the case of general washers, it should be ensured that the machines don’t corrode themselves during the operations. 

Spring and steel washers are also used in large equipment for vibration and for shock absorption. Major industries which find their usage in aerospace, military, and electric motor. These kinds of washers have suitable features which are of importance in building all kinds of machines which may be ranging from low-performance ones to those performing highly. 

Using these washers for this purpose increases the lifetime of the operations that are undertaken using the developed machines. These washers are available according to the required specifications. Also, these are developed in accordance with industry standards.