Method and apparatus for production of helical springs by spring winding

Abstract

A method produces helical springs by spring winding with a numerically controlled spring winding machine, a wire is fed, controlled by an NC control program, through a feed device to a forming device of the spring winding machine and is formed with the aid of tools in the forming device to form a helical spring. A measurement time is defined which occurs in a final phase of an overall manufacturing time for the helical spring at a time period before the end of the overall manufacturing time. A position of a spring end which is formed by an end surface of the wire is measured at this measurement time to determine an actual angle position of the spring end. A remaining distance for the wire feed is then calculated to achieve a nominal angle position of the spring end, as intended for the helical spring, at a reference time which occurs at a later time and the wire is fed through the remaining distance. The method allows the relative angle position of the spring ends of a helical spring to be set very precisely.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.