Types of Compression Springs
Compression Spring Definition
Metal wires wound helically in the shape of a spiral yet formed to have space in between each of the open wound coils to provide pitch and elasticity so that it may compress.
Compression springs perform a compressing motion and that is where they get their name from. The material they are made of and the spring’s specifications will determine its elasticity and how much force is required for its coils to travel a distance that meets a specific loaded height. There are several types of compression springs which are different to a regular compression spring for a different amount of reasons such as variable diameters, shape of coils, bends, or a variable pitch. See all he different types of custom compression springs below.
What is travel?


Travel is the distance a spring compresses between free length and a loaded position or between a pre-loaded position (L1) and a working loaded position (L2).
Compression Springs With Variable Diameters
Conical Tapered Springs
Conical springs are also known as cone springs or tapered springs. The way the variable diameters are arranged are what gives this customization of a compression spring its name because they are wound to form a cone or tapered shape. The force these springs exert is variable.


Convex Barrel Spring
Convex barrel springs are also named after the shape they portray because the variable diameters are arranged in a way that the coils will decrease their diameter size as you get further out into the spring’s ends. These springs are basically two conical springs joined together by the large outer diameter.


Convex Barbell Spring
Concave barbell springs are the opposite of convex barrel springs because the coil diameters are arranged so that they get smaller going towards the center. These springs are also known as double cone springs because they look like a pair of tapered springs joined at the small coil diameters.


Other Compression Springs Types
Dual-Pitch Springs
Dual-pitch springs are made to have a progressive spring rate. This is accomplished by having different sections of the custom compression springs with different amounts of pitch in between the coils. Half of the coils on one side of a spring, for instance, could have more pitch than the rest of the coils thus conserving and releasing different forces at different amounts of travel.


Magazine Springs
Magazine springs are know for being used in the magazine of firearms although they may also be used in spaces where the round coils will not fit thus having to be oval-shaped or rectangular-shaped coils. These aren’t usually catalogued as compression springs but being that they compress and have pitch in between the coils, we’ve decided to include them here.


Torsional Compression Springs
Torsional springs are commonly required to exert a radial force but in this case it has pitch in between its coils which allows it to also exert a linear force and compress as compression springs do. The bends on the legs may be bent and turned required by your application. Sometimes they may not even be required to torque but need a cat eye bend on one end as a sustaining clip.

