The impact of storage conditions of spring bars on performance
- What is the suitable storage temperature and humidity range for elastic clips?
The storage temperature should be controlled at -10℃-30℃ to avoid excessive temperature accelerating the oxidation of the elastic clip material, and too low temperature may make the material brittle. The relative humidity should be kept at 40%-70%. Too high humidity will cause rust on the surface of the elastic clip, and too low humidity will cause cracking of the coating on the surface of the elastic clip. The storage environment needs to be well-ventilated to avoid erosion by harmful gases (such as sulfur dioxide).
- Why should elastic clips be stored away from direct sunlight?
Ultraviolet rays in sunlight will age the anti-rust coating on the surface of the elastic clip, causing cracking and peeling, losing the protective effect, and leading to rust of the elastic clip. Long-term direct sunlight will increase the local temperature of the elastic clip, generate thermal stress, which may cause slight deformation and affect the clamping force after installation. Ultraviolet rays will also accelerate the fatigue aging of the elastic clip material, reduce its elastic performance, and shorten the service life.
- What are the differences in storage periods of different types of elastic clips?
The storage period of Type I elastic clips is 12 months. After the period, the elastic performance must be re-inspected, and they can be used only after passing the inspection. Type II elastic clips can be stored for 18 months due to material optimization, and the performance attenuation is slow during storage. The storage period of Type III high-speed railway elastic clips is 24 months, but they need to be sealed to prevent moisture and rust.
- What precautions should be taken when storing elastic clips in stacks?
The stacking height should not exceed 1.5m, and each stack should not exceed 500 pieces to avoid deformation of the bottom elastic clips under pressure. When stacking, wooden boards with thickness ≥20mm must be placed between each layer to make the elastic clips stress evenly and prevent local extrusion damage. Elastic clips of different models and specifications must be stacked separately and marked to avoid mixing and affecting installation accuracy.
- What tests need to be carried out on elastic clips before use after storage?
Appearance inspection should ensure no rust, deformation and coating peeling, and surface roughness Ra≤6.3μm. The elastic clip clamping force tester is used for detection, and the clamping force should reach more than 90% of the design value, with deviation ≤1kN. Bending test is carried out, and after unloading under specified deflection, the residual deformation should be ≤0.5mm to ensure good elastic performance. For elastic clips stored beyond the time limit, samples must be taken for fatigue test, and they can be used only if there is no crack after 2 million cycles.