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TFC’s Innovative Solution for Pipeline Recovery Tools
Simon Ward
Simon Ward
Simon leads the UK technical team and specialises in the design and development of Smalley wave springs and spiral retaining rings. With over 25 years of experience, Simon develops bespoke parts for major clients around the world and across a wide range of industry sectors. He is now widely considered the leading authority on Smalley products.
~Designing the largest Smalley Crest-to-Crest® Wave Spring to meet demanding load and space constraints~
Having been Smalley’s leading European representatives for over 30 years, working with limited axial and radial constraints is not new to TFC. However they were certainly set a challenge recently by one of their major customers who are leading manufacturers of pipeline recovery tools.
Their application required a spring or springs that would operate in a 700 mm bore, provide in excess of 12,000 Newton force but still be capable of offering over 200 mm of travel – all within a radial cavity of around 20mm.
The radial restraint prevented the use of pocketed coil springs or stacked disc spring sets and, as a result TFC designed their biggest ever Smalley Crest-to-Crest® Wave Spring to do the job. Comprising of 55 turns and with over 15 waves per turn, the Smalley spring was able to provide the necessary load and travel with a free height less than 600 mm.
TFC’s Smalley Crest-to-Crest® Wave Springs offer the unique advantage of assembly space savings when used to replace conventional round wire coil springs. They can maintain the same force and load specifications yet occupy 50% or less axial space, resulting in lowered operating heights, free heights and solid lengths