Your Compression Spring Design Calculator
Design or analyse helical compression springs: spring rate from wire and coil geometry, shear stress with the Wahl factor, solid height, safety factor.
- Free to use
- No signup
- Nothing to install
- Runs in your browser
Illustration. Open the tool for the real thing.
See it in action
Sample input: Wire diameter d (mm) = 1; Outside diameter (mm) = 9; Total coils = 10; Free length L₀ (mm) = 24. Pressed Analyse a spring.
What is the Compression Spring Design Calculator?
Enter the wire material and diameter, the outside diameter, the total number of coils, the end type and the free length and the calculator returns the spring rate k = G·d⁴ ÷ (8·D³·Nₐ), the spring index, the Wahl-corrected shear stress, the solid height, the maximum travel and force, the stress and safety factor at solid, the force and stress at your working deflection, buckling check using end-fixity factors, the wire length and mass, and the surge frequency.
A design tab solves the reverse problem: give it the target rate, wire and outside diameter and maximum force and it returns the active coils needed, the total coils, the minimum free length and the stress — then you can paste those values into the analyse tab. Materials include music wire, hard-drawn, stainless 302/304, chrome vanadium and phosphor bronze with typical shear moduli and tensile-strength constants.
3 steps to your result
Open the tool and follow along. Nothing to install.
What you get
k, Wahl factor, stress at working and solid deflection, safety factor.
Shigley buckling criterion and surge frequency.
Coils needed for a target spring rate and force.
Music wire, hard-drawn, stainless 302, chrome vanadium, phosphor bronze.
AZRS tools are free to open and use.
It opens in your browser, so there is nothing to download.
Used for
Pick one to see how it fits.
How it compares
A plain look at this tool next to the usual alternative.
| This engineering calculator | Desktop software | |
|---|---|---|
| Install | Nothing to install | Usually an app or program to install |
| Account | No signup | Depends on the product |
| Cost | Free to use | Free or paid, depends on the product |
| Where it runs | In your browser tab | On your computer |
Questions people ask
Which stress limit is used?
Torsional yield S_sy ≈ 0.45 S_ut (0.35 for stainless and bronze), with S_ut = A/d^m.
Does it cover fatigue?
No — static analysis only; fatigue needs a Goodman analysis.
What about extension or torsion springs?
Only helical compression springs are covered.
How is buckling checked?
By the critical deflection ratio with end-fixity factors α (0.5–2).
How do I use the Compression Spring Design Calculator?
1. Pick the wire material and enter d, outside diameter, coils and free length. 2. Set the working deflection. 3. Check the warnings (index, solid stress, buckling). 4. Use the design tab to find coils for a target rate.
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Try the Compression Spring Design Calculator now
Spring rate, stress, solid height, buckling and number of coils for compression springs. Free to use.
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