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Q: plastic springs ( Answered,   0 Comments )
Question  
Subject: plastic springs
Category: Miscellaneous
Asked by: seabo5150-ga
List Price: $100.00
Posted: 06 May 2003 08:54 PDT
Expires: 05 Jun 2003 08:54 PDT
Question ID: 200173
I am searching for a US supplier(time is of the essence) of plastic
springs.
Extension spring or torison will work. The outside dimension should
fall within
the range of 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch continouos coil. The material needs
to be a
UV stabilized material (will not break down in sunlight).  The spring
will not be load bearing but will be used to make artistic shapes.
Answer  
Subject: Re: plastic springs
Answered By: pafalafa-ga on 06 May 2003 12:20 PDT
 
Hello seabo5150,

I'm providing a very short answer to your question, since you did say
that time is of the essence.  HOWEVER, let me stress right up front,
if you need **anything else** -- more sources, different types of
springs, more comprehensive information -- just let me know through a
Request for Clarification and I'm happy to get you whatever is needed.

----------

Probably your best source is ADVANEX:

http://www.advanex.biz/plastic_springs.php?productid=9


"A Revolution in Spring Engineering"

"Combining our expertise in spring engineering and plastics, we've
produced effective and lightweight plastic springs to meet our
customers' changing needs in the 21st Century. We can produce springs
in a variety of different materials, all with excellent memory, and
protected against aging and thermal deformation through our unique
form-stabilisation technology. Ideal for medical usage, environments
where non-magnetised parts are vital, and a whole range of other uses,
plastic springs push out the boundaries of spring engineering
capabilities."

You'll have to email or phone them with your specifications for what
you need, but they certainly have an enormous variety of plastic
springs.  Their site isn't all that user friendly...if you need any
help at all with it, just let me know.

----------

On the other hand, if something more along the ordinary toy-type
spring is what you need, then there's this site:

http://www.birdsjustwannahavefun.com/plastic_springs.htm

"Tiny Plastic Springs are fun to add to foot toys (see photo).  We
wrap them on her cage bars and she slides them on the bars.  They're
about the size (diameter) to fit over a pencil or pen."

----------

Four other suppliers of plastic spring toys can be found here:

http://catalogs.google.com/catalogs?q=%22plastic+springs%22

Virtually all colored plastics are UV-stabilized these days, so I
wouldn't think that would be an issue for you.  However, if you need
me to ckeck with the suppliers, just say the word.

----------

Lastly, there are a number of factories that will custom-design
springs for your specifications regarding size, coil, material, etc.  
 A few of these "spring winding services" that deal with plastic as
well as metal springs can be found here:

http://mechanical-components.globalspec.com/ProductGlossary/Mechanical_Components/Springs

"Custom spring winding services providers fabricate springs to
specifications supplied by their customers.  In many cases, spring
winding companies also provide design assistance, helping improve
their customers’ designs based on new technologies, or suggesting
better materials for the applications at hand.  Most custom spring
winding manufacturers are able to fabricate the following spring
types: compression springs, conical or taper springs, constant force
springs, die springs, disc and washer springs, extension springs, flat
springs, leaf springs, power and clock springs, torsion springs,
variable pitch springs, as well as specific services such as stamping
and wireforming. In addition to what would be considered “stock’
spring types, custom spring winding services providers are able to
manufacture custom, specialized, or proprietary spring types as
needed."

----------

Again, please let me know if any additional information is needed. 
Best of luck with your project.

Request for Answer Clarification by seabo5150-ga on 08 May 2003 07:20 PDT
Thank you very much for your response in a timely manner.  Advanex and
Century Spring are two companys I have run across but I am wondering
who else is out there.  The spring (extension, I think) will need to
come in some length, up to 24 inches long.  Please keep in mind this
will be used to make shapes.  It will be sewn into fabric to contour a
round (semi round) shape.  Nametags often are carried by a plastic
spring type cord.  This is the direction I need to go but the spring
needs to be of a larger nature and density.  I might compare this to a
extension spring on a storm door (in the past years).  Thank you for
your time. I am in need of more sources if possible.

Clarification of Answer by pafalafa-ga on 08 May 2003 07:29 PDT
I'll be happy to work on this further for you.  Perhaps you can give
me just a bit more detail to go on:

--do you think you're more likely to find what you need at a spring
manufacturer like Advanex, or at a commercial outlet that sells toys,
arts and craft goods, etc. -- a nametag/keychain type of spiral cord
would probably be easier to source from a shop rather than a
manufacturer.

--have you actually contacted Advanex, or any other companies?  Are
they able to provide what you need, and if not, what's the stumbling
block?

--have you thought about telephone cords, the type that attach the
handset to the base (before the days of wireless, that is?).  Even
though there's a wire inside, the cord itself is plastic/rubber, and
comes in very long lengths, colors and thicknesses, and are about the
size of screen door spring.

--Lastly, is there a particular length that you need, or is it more
that your looking for a supply that is very long (say, 25-50 feet)
that you can cut off in lengths as needed?

Your additional feedback will help me focus my search on exactly what
you need.

Clarification of Answer by pafalafa-ga on 08 May 2003 11:21 PDT
Hello again,

Here are a couple of other leads you should look into.  If these don't
turn out to be good sources for what you need, it would *really* help
me a lot to have a more exact idea of what you are looking for -- any
additional info you could give me would be a help.

----------

http://www.coilcable.com/products.html

NON-ELECTRIC COIL CORDS
CABLEscience® offers coil cords and tubing for many applications such
as dog leashes, store check out counters, tool leashes,
snow/surfboards leashes and security cords.  Challenge us with your
unique idea!

[basically, this company makes telephone-type coils, with or without
actual wires in them -- they can provide them in any length, a whole
bunch of colors, etc.]

----------

http://www.wire-o.com/Pages/unicoil9.html

When the job calls for plastic coil finishing, JBI’s high-tech yet
affordable UniCoil® is the perfect choice...Custom lengths and colors
are also available.

[these are stiffer coils -- the type used for binding reports -- but
they're still flexible.  They come in standard lengths as well as
custom lengths].

----------

http://www.frankusa.com/1001-s_1001-s-20.htm
20" Stretchable Thin Spiral Cord with Plastic Belt Loop Key Clip 

key-chain type coils

----------

Hope this helps, but just post another Request for Clarification if
more is needed.  I am -- and continue to be -- at your service.
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