Metal spring color change.(HY-industry technical centre)
HY-industry superalloy spring introduce
HY-industry circlips and wave springs can be manufactured from a variety of alloys. Each material has specific properties that suit its purpose. Common alloy materials include:
-
Carbon steel
-
Stainless steel (302, 316, 17-7)
-
A-286
-
Inconel (X-750, 718, 625, etc.)
-
Elgiloy
-
MP35N
-
Beryllium copper
The operating environment must be considered when selecting materials; temperature, air and contaminants can have a large impact on material selection. To ensure that parts work properly in different environments, we typically do the following.
Post-operational process
-
The heat treatment process enhances the material properties of the metal, such as tensile strength and/or hardness. The standard heat treatment method for HY-industry springs is open air heat treatment, which does not specifically control the air. This method may result in the formation of a thermal scale which in turn changes the color of the metal. In some cases, controlled air heat treatment is used to reduce the color change after heat treatment.
-
The stress relief heat treatment can eliminate the internal stress generated in the winding process. If the stress is not removed, the part diameter will increase, which will not interfere with the inner ring that adheres to the outer diameter, but will cause problems by reducing the adhesion of the outer ring.
-
In the passivation treatment, iron particles and other substances which are dissolved or loosely embedded in the surface of the stainless steel material are used in the acid-base solution. This will form a higher quality oxide layer on the surface of the material to enhance the corrosion resistance of the stainless steel.
Color changes
All of the above methods may result in a change in the color of the metal. The length of exposure in the environment, temperature, and temperature can have a large effect on color changes. Here are some typical color variations.
-
17-7 Stainless steel: blue, brown or grey
-
A-286: blue or gray
-
Carbon steel: blue, black or grey
The color of the steel is usually considered silver or gray, so you may be shocked when you see the steel retaining ring or spring that is served in other colors. Please be assured that these color changes do not affect the installation, shape or function of the part. The change in color is a side effect of the material properties, and the enhancement of the properties will make the part work better in practical applications.
What happens when the color of the metal changes?
-
Most importantly, color changes do not affect the performance of the part. HY-industry will always provide you with the parts you need, so we will ask you to accurately consider the design focus of your retaining ring or spring from the beginning of the design process. If the part is in a visible position and the part color is critical in the actual application requirements, then we offer a variety of solutions for this, such as vacuum heat treatment, passivation, special surface treatment, polishing or plating. However, please consider carefully the time and cost of adding these additional manufacturing processes; if the parts are in an invisible location, these additional processes can cause unnecessary expenses.
-
You can read more about material selection and manufacturing processes on our website or contact us directly. You can also discuss the most important components of your design with the HY-industry team of expert engineers.
