Compression springs
Control nesting and present coil ends or axis orientation for insertion.
Difficult interlocking components
Spring and wire form feeders designed around tangling behaviour.
Separate, orient and present coil springs, torsion springs, retaining clips and formed wire components while managing interlocking and surface damage.
- Tangling assessment
- Controlled loading
- Defined orientation
- Sample trials
Direct answer
Can springs be fed automatically?
Yes, many springs and wire forms can be fed automatically, but suitability depends on whether they nest, hook or interlock in bulk. The feed method, loading depth, agitation and separation tooling must be developed from representative production samples.
System and application overview
Bulk behaviour is usually more important than nominal size.
Two springs with similar dimensions can behave very differently if one has open hooks, uneven legs or a geometry that catches adjacent parts. A trial should therefore reproduce the expected bulk condition.
Depending on the component, the concept may use a vibratory bowl, step feeder, controlled conveyor, flexible vision feeder or pre-separation stage.
- Assess tangling, nesting, compression and permanent deformation risk
- Limit bulk depth and agitation where springs can hook or distort
- Define which leg, coil or end feature establishes the final datum
- Verify one-at-a-time release and accessibility for the receiving tool
Where it fits
Spring and wire-form applications that require trials.
The component geometry, incoming condition and required assembly pose determine whether dedicated or flexible feeding is the better route.
Torsion and extension springs
Manage hooks, legs and interlocking before final orientation.
Clips and wire forms
Feed retaining clips, formed pins and wire components into assembly fixtures.
Engineering decisions
Prevent interlocking before trying to increase speed.
Aggressive agitation can create more tangles and damage, so the full bulk and recirculation strategy is part of the design.
Bulk depth
Shallow controlled loading can reduce the number of contacts and opportunities for interlocking.
Separation method
Step elevation, tailored track features or flexible presentation may be preferable to high-energy recirculation.
Final datum
The receiving process must define exactly which end, leg, axis or feature is required at hand-off.
Project definition
Information needed for an accurate recommendation.
The proposed method is selected from the actual component, accepted presentation and downstream process—not from a generic rate claim.
| Component samples | Representative production batches including normal variation, finish and any free-state dimensional spread. |
|---|---|
| Bulk condition | How springs arrive, storage method, oil or contamination, and observed tangling frequency. |
| Required pose | Axis, end, hook or leg orientation plus permitted rotational freedom. |
| Output demand | Sustained accepted rate and any buffer between feeder and assembly process. |
| Quality limits | No distortion, unacceptable marking, entanglement or mixed-format contamination. |
| Trial evidence | Bulk loading depth, runtime, intervention count and accepted output condition. |
Evidence before approval
Use a realistic sample quantity in the trial.
A handful of separated springs may run well while a production batch tangles. Testing should use enough parts to reproduce normal bulk pressure, recirculation and replenishment.
Common questions
Spring feeder questions.
Which feeder is best for coil springs?
There is no universal best option. Bowl, step, conveyor and flexible feeders can all be credible depending on tangling, required pose, rate and format variety.
Can tangled springs be separated automatically?
Some tangles can be reduced through controlled loading and separation features, but severe interlocking may require upstream preparation, alternative packaging or a flexible handling strategy.
Will vibration deform a spring?
It can if contact, compression or recirculation is unsuitable. Representative trials should check free length, finish and functional quality after feeding.
Can one system feed several spring variants?
Potentially, particularly with flexible vision feeding, but access for picking and the ability to separate each variant must be proven.
Related pages