Material Science Perspective: Material Selection System and Engineering Logic of Disc Spring and Wave Spring

Materials form the physical foundation of elastic components' performance. Whether disc springs or coil springs, their ultimate performance metrics—load-bearing capacity, fatigue life, and environmental adaptability—are fundamentally determined by material selection. Drawing on years of practical experience, Jiangsu Sunzo Industry Materials systematically analyzes the material systems commonly used in these two spring types, reveals the underlying selection logic, and helps you make more precise technical decisions.

1、General-purpose High-performance Materials: The Core Position of Spring Steel

For most of the normal working conditions, high performance spring steel is the first choice for disc spring and wave spring, which has a good balance between strength, toughness and economy.

60Si2MnA: A representative of silicon-manganese spring steel. It features high elastic limit and yield strength ratio, excellent anti-relaxation capability, making it the preferred material for high-stress and dynamic load applications. Widely used in heavy-duty disc springs and high-performance wave springs.

50CrVA: A chromium-vanadium spring steel. It maintains high strength while exhibiting superior toughness and fatigue performance, particularly outperforming 60Si2MnA in impact resistance and high-temperature tolerance. This material is commonly used in critical applications requiring extremely high fatigue life or slightly elevated operating temperatures.

65Mn: Manganese-based carbon spring steel. It exhibits high strength, moderate toughness, and good processability and cost-effectiveness. This material is commonly used for manufacturing standardized, mass-produced disc springs and wave springs, demonstrating reliability particularly in applications with thin thickness and moderate stress levels.

2、Treat Special Environment: Stainless Steel and Special Alloy

When the application environment has corrosion, high temperature or no magnetic requirement, the material library should be extended to special alloys.

Austenitic stainless steels (e.g., 304,316,301) offer excellent corrosion resistance and non-magnetic properties. The 316 grade, containing molybdenum, provides superior pitting corrosion resistance. These materials are widely used in food, chemical, medical, and marine applications for disc and wave springs. Although their elastic modulus is slightly lower than spring steel, they can meet most elastic requirements for light to moderate loads through proper design.

Martensitic stainless steel (e.g. 3Cr13,420) can be heat-treated to obtain higher strength and has certain anti-corrosion ability. It is suitable for the occasions that both strength and mild corrosion are required.

High-temperature alloys and special alloys: For applications requiring temperatures exceeding 300°C or exposure to highly corrosive environments, materials such as Inconel 718, Inconel X750, and 174PH (precipitation-hardened stainless steel) are recommended. These materials serve as the foundation for high-performance disc springs and wave springs in critical sectors including aerospace, energy, and chemical industries.

3、Selection Logic: From Performance Requirements to Material Matching

Material selection is not a simple list comparison, but a systematic reasoning process:

1. Determine the primary challenge: high load (for 60Si2MnA, 50CrVA), high fatigue life (for 50CrVA), corrosion resistance (for stainless steel), or high-temperature resistance (for high-temperature alloys)?

2. The material formability, heat treatment process complexity and cost should match the project budget and manufacturing capacity.

3. The slight difference between disc spring and wave spring is that the wave spring is usually thinner, and the material deformation is more intense when forming the wave peak, so the requirements for the uniformity and plasticity of the material may be more stringent.

4、Material Practice of Three Elastic Groups: Data-driven Material Selection

At Jiangsu Sunzo Industry Materials, we have developed a material property database based on field measurements, enabling material selection to move beyond empirical guesswork and toward scientific decision-making.

Performance mapping: We conduct mechanical property tests (such as tensile, fatigue, and relaxation) on materials from different batches and under various heat treatment conditions, generating performance profiles to provide precise input for design.

Application Scenario Database: Leveraging proven success cases, we have developed a material application scenario matching database. When clients specify operational requirements, we can swiftly identify validated material solutions.

Customized heat treatment: For the same material, we can fine-tune its strength, toughness, and relaxation rate by applying differentiated heat treatment processes (e.g., tempering temperature, atmosphere control), to better suit specific disc spring or coil spring designs.

We firmly believe that the right materials are the prerequisite for successful design. We not only provide material lists but also offer a complete technical chain service from requirement analysis to material verification, ensuring that every spring you select has materials perfectly tailored to your application.