What are Spring Pins?
Spring pins, also known as roll pins, are designed to fit into holes that are smaller in diameter than the pin. The pins are spring-loaded so they reduce in diameter when installed, resulting in a tight fit while exerting a retaining force against the hole wall.
When compressed into a hole, the pin exerts a force on its side as it tries to expand to its resting diameter. This force creates friction, which holds the pin securely in the hole.
Spring pins are made of sheet material bent to form the outer diameter of the pin. They are usually made of steel plate with a chamfer at each end to make it easier to push them into the hole.
Components hold a part to a shaft by inserting a pin perpendicular to the shaft. In this case, a pin longer than the shaft diameter must be used. These pins can also be used to connect by inserting them into concentric holes in two or more components.
There are two main types of spring pins: slotted pins and coiled pins.
slotted pin
In slotted pins, the sheet bends less than 360 degrees, leaving a gap in which the pin can compress. These types of pins are often used in light duty applications or where rigidity is required.
screw pin
Spiral pins are usually made of lighter gauge sheet material than slotted pins, but it can bend more than two full turns. This resulted in a strong sell that remained flexible. This reduces stress concentrations and fatigue failures.
Screw pins are used in heavy duty applications with cyclic loads.
Options
Grooved and cotter pins function similarly to spring pins. They are also designed to be forced into holes smaller than the pins.
However, unlike spring pins, slotted and cotter pins are solid pins. This means they can withstand higher shear forces. This also means that they may require higher insertion forces and may cause increased stress around the hole.
A grooved pin is a solid pin that has grooves along its length, making it slightly more resilient than a solid dowel pin. Cotter pins are wedge or tapered pins.
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