Cheap source of Belleville washers / disk springs

[AjohnwParticipant @ajohnw51620]

I have only found some surprisingly expensive sources for these and wonder if anyone knows of a cheaper source.

The size I am after is the same as the ones used in a Unimat 3. Touch under 35 o/d and a touch over 17mm bore. I have found a source for the smaller ones used in the earlier unimat in the UK and a bearing kit plus the disk springs from the USA but I really need to buy locally and it doesn't make any sense to pay shipping costs on the bearings.

Just like the unimat 8 light ones would be ideal. I believe they are about 1mm thick or a touch less.

John

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[AjohnwParticipant @ajohnw51620]

[Clive HartlandParticipant @clivehartland94829]

John, I will look through our obsolete stock and see if we have any like the size you quote,

Clive

[David JuppParticipant @davidjupp51506]

I've purchased from Associated Spring. They have on-line ordering and the minimum order charge is quite modest, though may still seem expensive if you only need a very small number of springs.

You should be able to verify dimensions on any supplier site using the tables of sizes.

Edited By David Jupp on 26/07/2015 08:51:09

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

That will be 1 3/8" x 5/8" then in real measurements

[AjohnwParticipant @ajohnw51620]

If they were the correct unimat ones I would need 8. Assoc Spring does have the correct size in belleville at around £3 each, bit more if I buy 4 a bit less if I buy 8. Don't know why but I hate paying that sort of amount for something that probably cost pence to make. This sort of thing really annoys me, probably because I have bought for industry via an account. The discounts on some items are fantastically high especially in the bearing area.

However if I look at disc springs there is a part 36mm dia with an 18mm bore to din2093 that works out at £0.45 + vat each for 8. I feel a file with them all mounted on a mandrel will sort the diameter out. The main difference with the parts is that the belleville comes correctly sized for a 6003 bearing.

I suspect the unimat ones are significantly thinner than either of these which are around 1.2mm but that shouldn't matter really.

Thanks for the offer Clive. The springs are stationary so have to fit the bearing o/d bore fairly well and always leave clearance on the spindle. There is a problem with Assoc Spring – I have to buy 32 of them. They are 32p each then but if all else fails.

John

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[Jesse Hancock 1Participant @jessehancock1]

John W1, possibly because you know they are made by the million and probably cost a fraction of a penny each.

Time was when a trip to the works stores or work shop would secure such things in sweepings off the floor.

However these days the punter has little choice but to pay up.

[AjohnwParticipant @ajohnw51620]

Posted by KWIL on 26/07/2015 10:22:57:

That will be 1 3/8" x 5/8" then in real measurements

I agree but the bearings in a unimat 3 are a metric type – 6003 so have to work in sensible sizes to 1.3779" for the bore they fit in. Could be that 1 3/8 is too big as I guess they expand when compressed. The "correct" belleville is 34.93 diameter which is 1 3/8. As the dearer ones appear to be imperial spec'd in mm that might explain the price. Working out the conversion must cost a lot of money.

Me thinks filed to size is the best option now. I don't seem to be able to find any stated as being bearing preload types of the right size.

The older unimat ones are on ebay uk. Those could be used against the outer end of the bearing against the inner race and preloaded with a nut. The unimat 3 uses them internally pressing against a circlip and the outer race of the bearing so it's all neatly enclosed in the housing. Lots of springs can be used easily that way. Not sure about 32 though but more is better.

John

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[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Has anyone tried turning them out of silver steel, or pressing their own in annealed spring steel?

Neil

[AjohnwParticipant @ajohnw51620]

Posted by Jesse Hancock 1 on 26/07/2015 12:23:06:

John W1, possibly because you know they are made by the million and probably cost a fraction of a penny each.

Time was when a trip to the works stores or work shop would secure such things in sweepings off the floor.

However these days the punter has little choice but to pay up.

I'm close to Redditch – still much the UK home for making springs. One company does them in bags of a hundred. I did think about hanging around there one lunchtime ……………….. It might turn out that it's now more of a warehouse than a factory though.

Around £20 for 32 including postage and vat isn't too bad. I looked at adding a couple of circlips to the order and it came up POA. !!!!! Simply bearings should have those anyway.

I did think about making them. I do have a heavy lump hammer but no steel of a size suitable for the formers and I would have to buy some silver steel in black bar as it's cheaper. No idea what the reference to it is – I just tell the supplier what I want. Maybe they could be spun but looks to me like costs would be a significant proportion of what they cost to buy.

Time now to look at what I can make the body out of. Bar would involve a lot of swarf.

John

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[KWILParticipant @kwil]

Lee Springs have the size in question, they are also very receptive to small quantities (at least in wound types!) having purchased from them before.

http://www.leespring.co.uk/uk_browse_catalog.asp?rbunitOfMeasure=Imperial&springType=W&partnum=&UnitOfMeasure=imperial&specsCriteria=&subType=&pageNumber=10&1=Go

[MuzzerParticipant @muzzer]

Neil – when you say "spring steel", bear in mind there are many suitable steels that can be used. Here's a selection:

If you search "DIN 2093" in Google Images, you will see the standard sizes for (metric) disk springs. There are lots of tables showing them.

Murray

[AjohnwParticipant @ajohnw51620]

Searching for DIN2093 with UK in front of it was worthwhile – a supplier charging 50p each so just ordered 10. A saving over having to buy 32 but not all that much. These are 0.9mm thick, just hope that proves enough.

**LINK**

It's odd that DIN2093 doesn't cover actual bearing sizes but maybe there is another standard.

Leesprings ?????? No way. £6 each. I had looked there earlier. I'll bet they just love small orders.

Edit – Dam – silly me just realised I can only use 8 if they are doubled as per a unimat.

John

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Edited By John W1 on 27/07/2015 00:08:56

[Roderick JenkinsParticipant @roderickjenkins93242]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 26/07/2015 15:28:43:

Has anyone tried turning them out of silver steel, or pressing their own in annealed spring steel?

Neil

Not exactly a belville washer but I have made a crinkle washer out of beryllium copper. It provides the pressure to keep the arms in place on my GHT HDA.

Rod

[Clive HartlandParticipant @clivehartland94829]

Glad to see you have sourced the Bellville washers John, sadly the biggest we have are 28 mm @ 0.8 thick and then only 3 in stock.

Clive

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