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High Temperature Springs
High-temperature springs are specialized mechanical components that are engineered for consistent performance in high-temperature environments. They are designed to perform where elevated temperatures would normally degrade a typical spring’s elastic performance, strength, and dimensional stability. High-temperature springs are fabricated from materials with chemistries that resist creep deformation and load relaxation when cycled at high-temperature environments, delivering reliable performance and precision load control even under large thermal gradients. When designing for a high-temperature spring application, it’s critical to select the appropriate material to optimize resistance to fatigue, surface damage, and thermal stresses. In addition to the spring's maximum operating temperature, long-term reliable performance also depends on spring type, size, operating loads, spring deformation, and surface finish.
Century Spring excels in high-temperature applications by offering custom-engineered solutions tailored to spring type, size, and load/deflection requirements for the most demanding industries and applications. Our precision manufacturing equipment and metallurgical expertise enable us to deliver springs that support the safe, reliable operation of spring-driven mechanisms in applications where heat tolerance is non-negotiable.
Explore Our Variable Pitch Spring Options
Century Spring boasts a wide selection of both stock and custom high-temperature spring designs. Our high-temperature springs are available in a wide range of Spring Types, including compression, extension, and torsion, as well as several Wire Diameters and Spring Rates to suit both large-load, dynamic industrial assemblies and compact mechanisms. We hold a range of stock spring materials on hand to suit springs for moderate- to high-temperature applications, such as stainless steel springs for heat exchanges or automotive equipment. We also stock superalloy spring materials, such as nickel-based superalloys, which are commonly used in aerospace propulsion, satellite equipment, and nuclear power components where temperatures exceed 1,000° F. We are also a trusted supplier of cobalt-based superalloy springs that offer additional surface hardness for applications such as gas turbines.
If you aren’t sure where to start in shopping for high-temperature springs, you can Request a Custom Quotation today. We proudly offer fully customized design solutions, built from scratch, to fit your specific application. We can customize almost every aspect of your high-temperature spring, including the Material and Surface Finish.
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Custom High Temperature Springs
We provide unmatched custom design and manufacturing services to deliver precise high-temperature performance in springs manufactured to tight dimensional tolerances. We also offer custom protective surface treatments for many materials to add additional protection against corrosion and surface damage.
Our team of spring design experts is ready to partner with you today to expedite the development of your custom project. It has extensive experience designing springs for high-load mechanisms, structural components, and large industrial equipment. Our team works alongside you through all phases of product development to deliver custom high-temperature springs tailored to your mechanism’s exact torque and displacement requirements and operational environment.
Our quality and inspection department features state-of-the-art testing equipment equipped with precision load cells that measure torque and displacement during calibrated load testing, so you know your spring will perform exactly as intended, even in high-temperature environments, before integrating it into your industrial mechanism.
High Temperature Spring Manufacturing Capabilities
Century Spring combines state-of-the-art manufacturing tools with in-house design expertise to deliver custom spring solutions engineered for reliability in safety-critical mechanisms that operate in high-temperature environments.
Our cutting-edge computational equipment includes CNC spring coiling machinery, enabling us to manufacture custom high-temperature springs engineered to meet strict geometric quality requirements while delivering precise, high-magnitude force and displacement control for reliable operation over extended lifetimes.
Our custom spring manufacturing services also include comprehensive prototyping capabilities, enabling us to quickly test and refine custom spring designs.
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High Temperature Spring Information & Resources
High Temperature Spring Applications
High-temperature springs are designed to deliver reliable performance in the most demanding industrial environments where extreme heat, vibration, pressure, and long-term material stability place heavy demands on all equipment mechanisms and components. Such springs are engineered to maintain consistent force output and dimensional integrity in applications where standard spring materials would rapidly degrade and fracture outright.
They are commonly found in turbines, pumps, valves, and combustion-engine-driven mechanisms subjected to continuous thermal and mechanical stress. Specific examples include aerospace propulsion components, such as jet and rocket engine valves. Furthermore, nuclear power generation equipment relies on high-temperature springs to facilitate the safe operation of control rods and sealing mechanisms. Other industrial energy exploration and generation applications of high-temperature springs include valve actuation systems, pump assemblies, drill string shock absorbers, pressure regulators, and gas pipeline components.
The performance of high-temperature springs is powered by advanced metallurgy and precision manufacturing engineering technologies, which allow them to resist creep deformation, relaxation, surface oxidation, and fatigue failure under such extreme conditions. Because these applications combine high temperatures with corrosive media, vibration, and fluctuating loads, spring design must account for both thermal and mechanical degradation mechanisms.
Century Spring is your trusted supplier of stock and custom high‑temperature springs specifically engineered to maintain performance under these demanding conditions. Our expertise is trusted by leaders in the following industries to deliver round-the-clock dependable performance within mission‑critical systems where failure is not an option.
High Temperature Spring Materials
High-temperature spring materials must be carefully selected based on the following key design parameters: the maximum operating temperature of your application and the loading profile, including the spring's magnitude and load frequency during operation. In addition to these, you should also consider whether your spring needs corrosion protection or extended fatigue resistance.
In general, common spring materials used for high-temperature applications include Titanium alloys and Stainless Steel alloys such as (17-7PH), which are economical options for moderate-to-high temperature environments. However, super alloys, such as Inconel® and Elgiloy®, are the highest-performing materials for the highest temperatures and are specifically formulated to maintain strength at such extreme temperature gradients.
It’s important to select an optimized spring material for your high-temperature application to ensure it maintains its stiffness and strength during cycling. It ensures it is not susceptible to crack initiation or creep deformation, which can lead to catastrophic fracture of the wire in high-temperature environments.
Century Spring’s dedicated custom spring development personnel will help you navigate these critical high-temperature design criteria and help you identify high-temperature spring material suited to the unique requirements of your application.
How to Design or Specify a High Temperature Spring
The first step in designing or specifying a spring is selecting what type of spring you need. The three most common types of helical coil springs are compression, extension, and torsion springs. We have developed three standalone spring selection guides, packed with general information and resources on spring selection and sizing, that serve as a good starting point for selecting high-temperature springs.
How to Select a Compression Spring
How to Select an Extension Spring
How to Select a Torsion Spring
Once you’ve determined the spring type, carefully evaluate the maximum operating temperature your spring will encounter in the application and the minimum temperatures it will experience to assess the thermal gradients. You should also consider the operational environment of your high-temperature spring, including temperature, corrosion, vibration exposure, and fatigue life requirements, to determine suitable Spring Materials and evaluate whether surface coatings or other secondary process operations are necessary.
Next, you should consider the most important design consideration for a high-temperature spring: the Spring Rate, which is the force required to deform the spring coils, as measured in force per inch. You can calculate the approximate spring rate of your spring by evaluating the working load your spring must withstand in application and dividing it by the linear travel distance your mechanism can accommodate.
With an idea of the spring rate you need, you can shop standard springs by this value to evaluate the other geometric properties that are required to achieve such a spring rate, including the Wire Diameter and Outer Diameter. If your spring must fit over a large rod or shaft, the Inside Diameter is another important design consideration.
FAQs About High Temperature Springs
What are high temperature springs?
High‑temperature springs are specialized mechanical springs engineered to maintain their elasticity, strength, dimensional stability, and fatigue resistance in environments where extremely high thermal loads would severely degrade standard springs, rendering them unsuitable for use in such applications.
What materials are best for high-temperature springs?
In short, the best materials for high‑temperature springs are metallic alloys that retain their mechanical properties, such as strength and dimensional stability, when exposed to sustained high temperatures or high-magnitude thermal gradients.
There are only a handful of metallic alloys engineered to withstand the combined effects of high-temperature impacts such as creep deformation and oxidation, while maintaining their strength and elasticity at elevated temperatures. The most cost-effective option for high-temperature springs is usually 316 stainless steel, while high-performance options include superalloys like Inconel®.
How do high temperatures affect spring performance?
High temperatures degrade spring performance in a few key areas. In short, heat reduces the stiffness and strength of the underlying spring material, alters the spring's dimensional properties, and makes it more vulnerable to corrosion and surface damage, thereby shortening its fatigue life and reducing its reliability. The reasons for this are multifaceted, but in general, as metal expands with temperature, it changes the spring's underlying dimensions. Additionally, high temperatures increase the rate of molecular exchange between the ambient air and the spring’s metallurgy, leading to accelerated surface degradation, especially under the large elastic deformations in which springs operate.
An understanding of these mechanisms is essential for designing reliable components for aerospace, nuclear, and other high-heat-load applications.
Can high-temperature springs resist corrosion and oxidation?
Yes, specialized high-temperature springs can provide reliable protection against corrosion and oxidation, but they must be fabricated from materials designed to maintain structural integrity under extreme heat. Proper material selection is critical to avoid premature failure. For example, superalloys such as Inconel® and Hastelloy® and specialized stainless steels are used to prevent creep deformation and oxidation at temperatures exceeding 1300°F
Are custom high-temperature springs available for specialized applications?
Yes, custom high-temperature springs are available for specialized applications, offering tailored materials and designs for extreme environments. Custom high-temperature springs are commonly used in safety-critical mechanisms that operate in aerospace, oil & gas, nuclear, and industrial manufacturing equipment.
Why Choose Century Spring
Our Commitment to Quality and Service
Since 1927, Century Spring has tirelessly earned the trust and respect of our customers as their premier supplier of high-quality springs and wire-form products. We have supported our customers for nearly a century through all phases of product development and procurement.
We distinguish ourselves by our proven ability to consistently deliver the highest quality products faster than both domestic and international competitors. Our established industry presence and our modern production facilities enable us to maintain large inventories to support the diverse needs of our customers. Our steadfast commitment to engineering excellence and precision manufacturing has positioned us as your sole supplier for safety-critical mechanisms operating in highly regulated industries such as aerospace, defense, energy, and medical devices.
Our dedicated custom spring development and customer support teams understand how to navigate critical design criteria, including operating loads and lifecycle requirements, to find the optimal spring solution for your application.
Our experienced product engineers, knowledgeable product quality team, and skilled manufacturing personnel understand your scheduling constraints and consistently deliver the highest-quality products to you faster than our domestic and international competitors.
We offer rapid delivery on over 40,000+ stock springs, available to ship today.
Our products are always made in the USA.
Innovation and Customization in Spring Manufacturing
Century Spring’s custom design and manufacturing services combine state-of-the-art manufacturing tools with in-house design expertise to develop springs engineered to the highest quality standards, delivering reliable performance in any industrial environment.
Our cutting-edge computational equipment, simulation and testing techniques, including CNC coiling machinery, enable us to deliver durable high-temperature springs from the most robust materials while minimizing defects and rework. We also have dedicated, high-speed machines that can quickly scale production to large volumes.
Our team works alongside you to create, refine, and optimize spring designs that meet specific tolerance and performance requirements. We also offer prototyping services for custom spring projects with the capacity to scale to production quantities quickly, minimizing total project development time.
Get In Touch
Contact Information
Contact us today and let our experts resolve any remaining technical or ordering questions. We can guide you through spring design configurations and options to fit the most demanding applications.
If you need immediate assistance, you can speak directly with our team on our dedicated customer service line at 800-237-5225.
Request a Quote and Consultation
You can Request a Custom Quotation to partner with us in designing and developing springs engineered to meet your specific product and performance requirements.