Calculating Springs: in This Chapter

Calculating Springs
In This Chapter
17
In this tutorial, you calculate a spring for existing ■ Starting the spring calculation
■ Specifying the spring restrictions
boundary conditions and insert the spring into a
■ Calculating and selecting the
drawing. You copy and edit the spring using the Power spring
■ Inserting the spring
Copy and Power Edit commands in AutoCAD®
■ Copying the spring with Power
Mechanical. Copy
■ Editing the spring with Power
Edit
309
Key Terms
Term Definition
Belleville spring washer A washer-type spring that can sustain relatively large loads with small deflections.
The loads and deflections can be increased by stacking the springs.
compression spring A spring type that can be compressed and can absorb pressure forces.
dynamic dragging The act of determining the size of a standard part with the cursor while inserting
the part into a side view. The standard part is displayed dynamically on the screen
and can be dragged to the next possible size and length. The values (sizes) are
taken from the Standard parts database.
extension spring A spring type that can absorb tension forces.
Power Copy A command that copies a drawing object to another position in the drawing.
Power Copy produces an identical copy of the copied object.
Power Edit A single edit command for all objects in a drawing.
torsion spring A spring type that can absorb torque forces.
310 | Chapter 17 Calculating Springs

Calculating Springs
With the AutoCAD Mechanical spring function, you can insert compression,
extension, and torsion springs, as well as Belleville spring washers. The calcula-
tion is carried out in accordance with DIN 2098 or ANSI. The standard sizes of
the springs can be selected from various standard catalogs.
NOTE The ISO standard parts have to be installed for this tutorial exercise.
In this tutorial, you create a compression spring in two different compression

situations. You calculate and insert the springs in the existing drawing.
Perform this tutorial with mechanical structure disabled.
To disable mechanical structure

Menu Assist ➤ Options
Command OPTIONS or AMOPTIONS
1 Scroll the tab row to the right, and then select the AM:Structure tab.
2 Ensure the Enable Structure check box is cleared.
Mechanical structure is disabled until you enable it again.

Open the initial drawing.
To open a drawing
1 Open the file tut_spring.dwg in the acadm\tutorial folder.
Menu File ➤ Open
Command OPEN
2 Zoom in to the area of the spring housings.
Menu View ➤ Zoom ➤ Window

Command ZOOM
Calculating Springs | 311

3 Respond to the prompts as follows:
Specify first corner: Specify first corner (1)

Specify opposite corner: Specify opposite corner (2)
The drawing shows two views (A and B) of the lever and spring housing, to
reflect two different states of compression.
Save your file under a different name or to a different directory to preserve
the original tutorial file.
Starting Spring Calculations

Specify the spring and the location.

To specify a spring
1 Start the Compression Spring command.
Menu Content ➤ Springs ➤ Compression
Command AMCOMP2D
2 In the Select Compression Spring dialog box, choose Standards ➤ SPEC®

Catalog A and Front View.

Specify starting point: Specify the starting point (1)
Specify direction: Specify endpoint (2)

Specifying Spring Restrictions
Specify the spring restrictions. Use the Compression Springs dialog box to
restrict the spring selection in various ways.
To specify the spring restrictions

1 In the Compression Springs - Select from Table SPEC® Catalog A [mm] dialog
box, specify:
Specification: 2 Loads, 2 Lengths
Absolute Set: Lengths
Click the Da button.
A row for specifying the outer diameter Da is added to the restrictions table.
2 Click the value field for the diameter Da. You can pick a point on the inner
spring housing to specify the diameter, or enter a value. In this instance,
enter the value 15.
Define the initial spring length.

3 In the Compression Springs - Select from Tables SPEC® Catalog A [mm] dialog
box, click the value field for the length L1, and then choose the pick icon.

Specify point for spring length L1: Select a point on the spring pressure plate (1)
Use view B of the lever and spring housing to define the compressed spring
length.

5 In the Compression Springs dialog box, click the value field for the length L2,
and then choose the pick icon.

Specify point for spring length L2:
Select a point on the spring pressure plate in view B (1)
The geometric boundary conditions are defined, and you can proceed with
the calculation.

Calculating and Selecting Springs
Make the calculation settings and calculate the possible springs.
To calculate and select a spring

box, choose the Additional Calculation Settings button.
2 In the Compression Springs - Additional Calculation [ANSI] dialog, select the
left buckling case, and then choose OK.

box, choose Next.
The possible springs are calculated and the results are displayed in the
Compression Springs - Select from Tables SPEC® Catalog A [mm] dialog box.
4 Choose Select All to select all possible springs for the dynamic dragging process.
Choose Finish.

Inserting Springs
Drag the cursor dynamically to switch between the selected possible springs.
The outline of the spring is displayed in the drawing and the spring descrip-
tion is displayed in the tooltip.
To insert a spring
1 Drag the cursor until the tooltip reads SPEC - 1.6 x 14.1 x 36, and then click.
Topical Length (14.28 - 36) [Force/Deflection] <32.01>:
Select a point on the spring pressure plate (1)
3 Continue to respond to the prompts as follows:

Select rod (only closed contours) <Enter=continue>: Press ENTER
The spring is inserted as shown below.
Save your file.

Creating Views of Springs with Power View
In order to adjust the length of the spring in view B, the springs in the two
views need to be different components rather than instances of the same
component.
Use the previously inserted spring in view A to create a spring for view B,
using the Power View command.
To create a view of a spring with Power View

1 Start the Power View command
Menu Modify ➤ Power Commands ➤ Power View
Command AMPOWERVIEW

Select objects: Select the spring in view A
3 In the Select New View dialog box, select Front View.

4 Respond to the prompts:
Specify starting point: Select point (1) in view B
Specify direction: Select point (2) in view B
Topical Length (14.28 - 36)[Force/Deflection]<32.01>:
Select the lower contact point of the compressed spring
Select rod (only closed contours) <Enter=continue>: Press ENTER
The spring is copied into view B in its compressed length.

Save your file.
This is the end of this tutorial chapter.

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Calculating Springs

extension spring A spring type that can absorb tension forces.

Power Edit A single edit command for all objects in a drawing.

torsion spring A spring type that can absorb torque forces.

310 | Chapter 17 Calculating Springs

In this tutorial, you create a compression spring in two different compression

To disable mechanical structure

Mechanical structure is disabled until you enable it again.

2 Zoom in to the area of the spring housings.

Menu View ➤ Zoom ➤ Window

Calculating Springs | 311

Specify first corner: Specify first corner (1)

Starting Spring Calculations

312 | Chapter 17 Calculating Springs

2 In the Select Compression Spring dialog box, choose Standards ➤ SPEC®

3 Respond to the prompts as follows:

Calculating Springs | 313

To specify the spring restrictions

Click the Da button.

Define the initial spring length.

314 | Chapter 17 Calculating Springs

4 Respond to the prompts as follows:

Calculating Springs | 315

6 Respond to the prompts as follows:

316 | Chapter 17 Calculating Springs

To calculate and select a spring

Calculating Springs | 317

318 | Chapter 17 Calculating Springs

3 Continue to respond to the prompts as follows:

The spring is inserted as shown below.

Save your file.

Calculating Springs | 319

To create a view of a spring with Power View

2 Respond to the prompts as follows:

3 In the Select New View dialog box, select Front View.

320 | Chapter 17 Calculating Springs

The spring is copied into view B in its compressed length.

Calculating Springs | 321

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