TFC is one of the suppliers of C-parts from the portfolio of the US manufacturer Smalley. The highlights in the current TFC range include the flat wire wave springs from the Crest-to-Crest product line, which are available in many sizes in both metric and inch dimensions and, thanks to their geometry, require up to 50 percent less axial installation space than conventional round wire springs for the same spring travel and load capacity.

They have been used in the design of space-optimized lightweight kinematics for some time now. Since Smalley has been offering crest-to-crest wave springs with tiny diameters of five millimetres or less, they have also been making inroads into the market segment of small-format and miniature assemblies. They are therefore conquering more and more applications in electrical engineering, electronics, optics, robotics, measurement technology as well as medical, laboratory and dental technology, where they are replacing the classic round wire spring.

TFC can currently supply crest-to-crest wave springs in small diameters of six and five millimetres as standard parts. As a customer-specific special solution, flat wire wave springs with a diameter of just four millimetres have also been produced. This was made possible by the further development of edge winding technology, also known as the no-tooling-cost or circular-grain process. With the aim of achieving an almost perfect circle, a pre-hardened flat wire is wound over a high edge.

Axial and radial reduction
With the small crest-to-crest wave springs, Smalley sales partner TFC is opening up new possibilities for developers and designers in many industries for the axial (and radial) reduction of installation spaces and the innovative miniaturization of their functional modules and components. In addition, many design-related collision problems in small-format assemblies can be eliminated. Pressure valves, switching knobs, plug connectors, movable connecting elements (joints) and many other kinematic assemblies that cannot do without a spring travel, preload or return can be made significantly slimmer in their outer dimensions by using the small Crest-to-Crest wave springs.

At the same time, the springs support the design of modern lightweight solutions. This is because wherever the installation space is reduced, the amount of material required for the peripheral construction is also reduced. This benefits not only equipment and apparatus manufacturers in medical, laboratory, measurement and fluid technology, but also manufacturers of small-format components for automation, automotive engineering and many other branches of industry.

Open gap, overlapping ends
TFC offers the small wave springs in single-layer versions with an open gap or overlapping ends. Other distinguishing criteria include the number of coils and waves and the so-called free height. In terms of materials, the customer can choose between spring steel, stainless steel (17-7 PH) and special grades. as