Designfax weekly eMagazine

Subscribe Today!

Archives

View Archives

Partners

Manufacturing Center
Product Spotlight

Modern Applications News
Metalworking Ideas For
Today's Job Shops

Tooling and Production
Strategies for large
metalworking plants

Engineer's Toolbox:
How wave springs provide 'reel' advantages for fishermen

In certain applications, wave springs are an excellent alternative to coil springs. Wave springs have the ability to take up 50% less axial space than conventional coil springs, but still provide the same force and deflection required for the application.

Fishing reel utilizing a multi-turn wave spring.

 

 

The space-saving attribute of the wave spring allows the application to become lighter by using less material and eliminating unnecessary space and excess material.

Lastly, wave springs have precise load deflection over coil springs. This load deflection allows the wave spring to have a consistent spring rate and load progression over the targeted compression range. For fishing enthusiasts who are particular about their reels, having a consistent and targetable spring force allows the reel to function more smoothly and eliminate drag.

In a reel drag-adjustment assembly, coil spring loads start out linear then plane up at the end of the drag curve, meaning a fisherman can't use the last 30% of the drag adjustments.

With a wave spring, the fisherman has a more linear drag curve when turning the drag knob. He is able to use all the drag necessary to reel in the big catch. Using the wave spring over a coil spring allows for a smoother drag, which is important for catching large fish or fish that might be in a marsh or under a dock.

Linear deflection curve.

 

 

In addition, the weight savings present in a reel using wave springs compared to a typical coil spring permits the fisherman to cast longer repeatedly without experiencing fatigue.

Want to learn more? Rotor Clip also offers a Wave Spring Overview and a white paper, "The Best Springs You Haven't Tried Yet," that describes the company's TruWave wave springs.

Source: Rotor Clip

Published November 2015

Rate this article