FALL 2024

64 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S

64 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK SPIROL INTERNATIONAL CORP. 30 Rock Avenue, Danielson, CT 06239 TEL 1-860-774-8571 FAX 1-860-774-2048 EMAIL info@spirol.com WEB www.spirol.com HOW PRE-FABRICATED DISC SPRING STACKS SAVE TIME, MONEY & ENSURE QUALITY by John Valvoda - Sales Application Specialist One of the most demanding and complicated components to construct in a production environment is the Disc Spring Stack. Disc Springs (sometimes referred to as Belleville springs/conical washers) are used in stacks to achieve very specific height, force and travel requirements within an assembly. Disc Spring Stacks can be constructed in a variety of formations including: in series, in parallel, and in both series and parallel. Methods Of Stacking The Disc Spring’s outer diameter within the stack commonly ranges in size from 8 mm up to 200 mm. Some Disc Spring Stacks may contain Thrust Washers for stability (Figure 2). Disc Springs stacked in parallel are often lubricated to reduce friction between the surfaces of the individual Discs to curtail heat buildup that could otherwise be detrimental to the performance of the Disc Stack within the assembly. Given all of the variables that can go into the design of a Disc Spring Stack, there is no one universal rule on how to construct a stack. When a Disc Spring Stack design is ready for production, the steps of creating the stack for the assembly begins. It is at this stage that important decisions need to be made: ¤ Where to source the Disc Springs/ Belleville washers? ¤ What size Disc Springs are being used, what configuration do the Disc Springs need to be in, and how will this affect the production time needed to construct each stack? ¤ If the Disc Stack requires lubrication – what lubricant will be used and what is the best method to apply the lubricant consistently on each Disc Spring? ¤ Who will construct the Disc Stacks? ¤ How to train the assembler(s) to place each Disc Spring in its proper orientation every time? ¤ Does a jig need to be constructed to assist with the assembling of the Disc Stacks? ¤ How is quality checked on each Disc Spring Stack to ensure it is constructed correctly? FIGURE 1 - SPIROL PRE-FABRICATED DISC SPRING STACK WITH EASY-TO- PEEL PERFORATED TAB DEFLECTION: SAME AS SINGLE DISC FORCE: SINGLE DISC MULTIPLIED BY THE NUMBER OF DISCS DEFLECTION: SINGLE DISC MULTIPLIED BY THE NUMBER OF DISCS FORCE: SAME AS SINGLE DISC DEFLECTION: SINGLE DISC MULTIPLIED BY THE NUMBER OF DISCS IN SERIES FORCE: SINGLE DISC MULTIPLIED BY THE NUMBER OF PARALLEL DISCS IN A SET TECHNICAL ARTICLE CONTINUED ON PAGE 124

THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 65 Founder and President of Crossroad Distributor Source, Scott Campbell, announced that the company is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Scott has had a long history in the fastener industry and started the company with their Powercoil® line of wire thread inserts and repair kits drawing on his extensive experience in the thread insert business. Powercoil and the Black Book series of technical reference guides to industry standards for fasteners were just the beginning for Crossroad. Other products followed soon after and today Crossroad offers: ¤ Loksert® key-locking solid inserts and tooling ¤ Bondsert® solid bushing thread inserts for metal ¤ E-Z Chamfer® tools for various materials and diameters ¤ ProThread® wire insert repair kits for the automotive aftermarket The company is also a stocking warehouse for AFIXX blind rivets and rivet nuts. Crossroad Distributor Source is your source for quality choices in universal key-locking thread inserts and repair kits, Powercoil® helical wire thread inserts and repair kits, BONDSERT® thread inserts for metal, create a perfect chamfer with E-Z Chamfer®, AFIXX® blind rivets and rivet nuts, and the Black Book® technical reference series for engineers and fastener specialists. Threaded inserts to meet MS and NASM specifications. They are a master distributor, supplying industrial and fastener distributors throughout the North, Central, South America and the Caribbean. They are proud of theirr commitment to service their customers in a world-class fashion and our ability to provide the technical expertise to support that distribution chain. The company is located in the Indianapolis area, the Crossroads of America, with UPS and Fedex hubs close by. For more information about Crossroad Distributor Source, contact them at 15340 Herriman Blvd, Noblesville IN 46060. Tel:317- 723-5050, Fax: 317-723-5052, Email: sales@ sales@crossroad. bz or visit them online at www. CrossroadDistributorSource.com.