Belleville Spring Technical Notes
Solon Manufacturing Co. offers thousands of catalog washer options for use applications across virtually every industry that requires bolted connections. Our washers can be combined in stacks and series to improve service life, equipment dependability and worker safety. In order for washers to perform optimally for your application requirement, it is important to first consider the washer type, size, material, aimed preload and a number of other factors. Here you will find pages, links, and information that will assist with your product selection and also answer questions you might have about our Belleville springs and washers.
Learn more about our product offering, stacking information, installation practices and Belleville washer pre-stressing processes below or Contact a Solon application engineer for more information on our Belleville Spring washer products.
Belleville Spring Products
Belleville Spring (Imperial & Metric) - Belleville spring, disc spring, and conical compression washer are all names for the same type of spring. A Belleville Spring is a conical-shaped washer that is statically or dynamically loaded along its axis. It is often used to maintain bolt preload. It may be applied singly or used in a variety of stack/series configuration to achieve different levels of deflection to sustain heavy loads in small spaces. Also called Belleville washers, disc springs, or compression washers.DISC Spring
DISC SPRING - A conical-shaped washer used to cushion heavy loads with short motion. Disc springs are typically “stacked” in various arrangements to alter flat load of deflection. Also called Belleville washers, disc springs, or conical springs. Solon® Disc Springs (SDS) conform to the DIN 2093 specification and are RoHS compliant. The springs are used when the application requires a large number of deflection cycles or when the required forces or deflections are critical.Flange Washer
FLANGE WASHER - Solon® Flange Washers help create a more reliable flange assembly by maintaining residual gasket/bolt load and evening load distribution. Typical flange washer materials are H-13 Tool Steel, 17-7 PH Stainless Steel, Inconel 718, 17-4, Waspalloy, Custom 450, etc.Stacking Arrangement
A Belleville spring is a conical shaped disc that will deflect (flatten) at a given rate. This spring rate is usually very high, allowing the spring to produce very large loads in a very small space. Belleville springs can be stacked in a variety of ways.- Single, one spring - A single Belleville spring has a specific load and deflection.
- Parallel, all springs stacked the same way - Belleville springs in stacked arrangements provide increased load and/or deflection. Two springs stacked in parallel doubles the load of a single spring with no increase in deflection.
- Series, all springs stacked opposing each other - Two springs stacked in series doubles the deflection of a spring with no increase in load.
- Parallel-Series, a combination of parallel and series - The parallel-series combination as shown below results in the load of two springs and the deflection of two springs.
Installation of Belleville Springs
Belleville springs must be utilized correctly in order to maximize their benefit. There are several important points when using Belleville springs in a bolting application.- Be sure that the bolts are long enough to account for the thickness of the Belleville
- The OD of the spring should contact the surface of the joint
- The ID should contact the bolt head or nut
- If a tensioner is used to preload the bolts, the Bellevilles must be on the opposite side of the joint
Pre-Stressing Belleville Springs
Many Solon® Belleville Springs are pre-stressed (scragging) by deflecting them to flat as part of the manufacturing process. This flattening procedure results in residual stresses as the spring recovers height from the flat position. Most Belleville springs that are pre-stressed are optimized with the maximum possible load and deflection for any given spring geometry or material. The spring will no longer yield during subsequent loadings. The resultant residual stresses will also increase fatigue life and improve overall spring performance. Pre-stressing is also an excellent inspection method for maintaining the quality of springs. Because pre-stressing produces consistent spring free height, springs that do not meet free height tolerances are rejected.Some standard springs are not pre-stressed for design considerations. If overall height (H) minus Thickness (T) is greater than Deflection (h) value, the part is most likely NOT preset. Consult Solon Manufacturing Co. for preset part information.
Note: Not all Belleville spring applications require the spring to be pre-stressed. For special applications, consult a Solon application engineer.
Additional Belleville Spring Resources
Learn more about our selection of Belleville washers, industrial applications, materials, finishing options and any other design considerations prior to choosing a Belleville Washer or stacking arrangement for your application requirements.- Material & Finishing Guide
- Washer Calculator Tools
- Washer Applications
- Technical White Papers
- Case Studies