Stainless Steel Alloys for Spring Energizers—Selection Guide

302is recommended for most industrial applications.It offers reliable spring performance at the lowest cost.
17-7PHis selected when higher spring force,higher fatigue resistance,or greater mechanical loading is required.
Unless additional strength is necessary,302 remains the most economical and widely used option for spring energizers.

302is the industry-standard spring wire material,offering excellent cold-working properties and consistent spring performance.302 is generally preferred over 304 for spring applicationsbecause of its better cold-working characteristics.304 is more commonly used for structural and sheet applications.

301has a higher work-hardening rate and can achieve higher tensile strength through cold working compared to 302.For spring applications,301 offers higher load capacity in the same geometry,with excellent formability.301 is often chosen when compact spring designs require higher strength without moving to a more expensive alloy.

Not for severe seawater immersion.316L offers improved resistance to chlorides and pitting compared with 302,but has limited resistance to chloride pitting and crevice corrosion in stagnant seawater.For severe marine environments,we recommendElgiloy®orHastelloy®C-276for long-term reliability.

17-7PH is aprecipitation-hardening stainless steelthat can achieve high strength through heat treatment.It offers significantly higher tensile strength than 302,with moderate corrosion resistance.It is ideal for applications requiring higher spring force,fatigue resistance,and elevated mechanical loads.

302,301,and 316L are generally limited toapproximately 400°C.17-7PH is limited to about350°C.Above these temperatures,stress relaxation accelerates rapidly.For higher-temperature applications,considerHigh Temperature Alloys(Inconel®X-750 or 718).

302 Stainless Steeloffers the best balance of cost and performance for general-purpose spring energizer applications.It is the industry standard for spring wire and provides reliable spring characteristics at the lowest cost.17-7PHprovides higher strength at a moderate cost premium.

Austenitic stainless steels(302,301,316L)are generally non-magnetic in the annealed condition.However,cold working(including spring coiling)can induce magnetic properties.17-7PH can also be magnetic after heat treatment.For applications requiring very low magnetic permeability,considerCobalt-Nickel Alloys.

Handa Spring manufactures a wide range of spring types from stainless steel alloys,includingcanted coil springs,helical spring energizers,cantilever V/U springs,full-contact springs,and detached-leg springs.Stainless steels are also available in strip and wire form for custom spring manufacturing.