The Spring Industry Newsletter
from the Institute of Spring Technology
December 2025 Edition
Welcome to the latest edition of The Institute of Spring Technology Newsletter. This issue brings together a rich collection of insights, updates, and technical developments from across the spring industry. As the sector continues to evolve in response to new engineering challenges and market demands, we explore the trends shaping spring design, manufacturing, and performance—helping you stay informed and equipped for the future.
A major highlight of this edition is the latest progress in our software suite, including significant new developments within Spring Calculator Professional. We’re proud to showcase the capabilities introduced in the brand-new version released in November 2025, featuring enhanced analysis tools, improved usability, and expanded design functionality. These updates mark an important step forward in ensuring engineers have the most powerful and accurate tools at their fingertips.
We also dive into the world of failure analysis, sharing recent case studies, best practices, and emerging techniques used to diagnose and prevent spring failures. Whether you’re working on complex dynamic applications or troubleshooting unexpected performance issues, our technical insights aim to support more reliable and robust spring designs.
IST has recently increased its efforts to engage with members, aiming to better understand their concerns and identify ways to provide meaningful support. Your feedback drives our actions—and that’s why we created the IST Technical Committee, a dedicated forum that meets twice a year to address the issues impacting your business.
The IST Technical Committee serves as a forum where members can raise topics they feel require additional technical insight or information. One such topic was the rules and regulations surrounding the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)—a regulation that could significantly impact our industry.
Following this discussion, a IST working group was formed from committee members with the objective of producing a technical report on CBAM. The report is designed to introduce members to the fundamental rules and regulations of CBAM and explain their implications for the spring industry.
Don’t miss out—read our first report below and make sure you’re prepared for what’s coming.
Stay tuned for more updates, and as always, we welcome your feedback to help shape the future of the spring industry!
Upcoming Industry Events
Visit us at the Wire Show in Dusseldorf, April 13th – 17th, 2026 Hall 16 Stand 16F01
Looking ahead, IST has confirmed its attendance at major global events and more, including:
- The Wire Show in Dusseldorf – April 13th -17th, 2026
- Spring World Expo & Symposium in Chicago – October 7th – 9th, 2026
- IST Golf Day – Spring 2026 more details to follow
- Practical Spring Design – Join us in Sheffield for Training 3rd – 4th June 2026
With so much happening, it’s a great time for the industry, and we look forward to seeing both familiar and new faces at these events!
From Our Team
Dr. Richard Dignall
richard@ist.org.uk
Spring Calculator Professional (SCP) – November 2025 Release Update
The Institute of Spring Technology is delighted to announce the launch of a brand-new release of Spring Calculator Professional, the industry’s most comprehensive spring design software. This latest version represents a significant step forward, with enhancements introduced not only to improve overall functionality and user experience, but also to reflect valuable feedback gathered through our dedicated SCP Working Group. Together, these updates reinforce our commitment to providing a powerful, intuitive tool that supports precision design, innovation, and excellence across the spring manufacturing industry.
SCP Version 2.9 Release date: 19 November 2025
If you are currently in maintenance, please click the link below to install the latest version of the software and ensure you are working with the most up-to-date tools available. This release not only delivers the newest features and improvements but also includes a range of minor bug fixes to enhance stability and performance. Updating now will help you get the best possible experience from Spring Calculator Professional.
Next time you open SCP you should be presented with the opportunity to upgrade to version 2.9.
If you don’t see the “new version available” popup, you can download directly from this link:
https://files.ist.org.uk/scp/scpv2/scpsetup_2.9.1.3.exe
New features
- Embedded Knowledge Base added, using IST produced videos to explain all aspects of spring design, manufacture and testing.
- New print page contains 3D model of spring when saved as PDF
- Significantly improved fatigue data added for Inconel X-750 (Spring Temper grade). Also includes Goodman diagrams at 90%, 95% and 99% confidence levels.
- Fatigue data added for EN and SAE data sources (this was in v1 of SCP but removed).
Main changes
- Non-standard springs can specify coil diameter as inside/outside/mean diameter.
- Torsion spring operating stresses added to printout.
- Achievable initial tension value added to extension spring calculations.
- Added kN as a load unit.
- Fixed bug with rectangular wire ground ends in spring drawing (when number of dead coils changed from 2).
- Fixed bug where conical springs did not always calculate with a specified spring rate.
- Fixed bug where the loop diameter value was displayed wrongly if the specified loop size was via inside diameter.
Not in Maintenance?
For those SCP users who are currently in maintenance, this is a free upgrade. Those out of maintenance will be unable to install or access the new release and its latest features. To regain access to updates, improvements, and ongoing technical support, you will need to re-enter maintenance. Please contact Helen to discuss renewal options and ensure you can continue benefiting from the full capabilities of Spring Calculator Professional – helen@ist.org.uk
Using the original version of SCP?
Users of the original version of the software can still upgrade to the newest release to ensure they have access to all the latest developments, enhancements, and support. Please note that Version 1 is no longer supported by IST, and we strongly encourage upgrading to maintain full functionality and compatibility. To request a quote for the most up-to-date version of the software, please email your specific requirements to John@ist.org.uk
Stay tuned for more updates!
Left to right – Chris Hopkins, Hemlata Bhaskar, Anuj Saxena, John Cusworth
A New Hope & The Institute of Spring Technology
IST and A New Hope Announce Strategic Partnership to Drive Growth and Innovation in India
The Institute of Spring Technology (IST) is pleased to announce an exciting new international partnership with A New Hope (ANH), marking a significant milestone in IST’s global expansion and long-term commitment to supporting the spring manufacturing community in India. This collaboration brings together IST’s globally recognised expertise in spring design, training, testing, and software development with ANH’s strong presence and market knowledge as a leading India-based service provider specialising in software sales and technical solutions.
Expanding Reach, Enhancing Value
For IST, the partnership represents a major step forward in its strategy to expand its footprint in India, one of the world’s fastest-growing manufacturing markets. Through ANH’s established relationships, local insight, and nationwide coverage, IST will be better positioned to support Indian manufacturers with industry-leading tools such as Spring Calculator Professional (SCP), alongside training programmes and technical consultancy.
“This partnership opens a new chapter for IST in India,” said IST’s Chris Hopkins. “ANH’s expertise allows us to reach more companies, understand local needs more deeply, and provide tailored solutions that empower spring manufacturers and end users to improve quality, reliability, and performance.”
Broadening ANH’s Portfolio
For ANH, aligning with IST offers a unique opportunity to broaden the range of high-value products and services available to their customers. By adding IST’s Spring Calculator Professional, training, and technical resources to their portfolio, ANH can deliver a more comprehensive suite of solutions to India’s spring and manufacturing and engineering sectors.
“Partnering with IST enables us to offer world-class tools and knowledge to our clients,” said ANH’s Hemlata Bhaskar. “IST’s global reputation combined with our local reach will bring unmatched value to manufacturers seeking to improve their capabilities and competitiveness, “said ANH’s Anuj Saxena.
A Shared Vision for Innovation
At the heart of the partnership is a shared mission: to advance manufacturing excellence, support industry growth, and deliver cutting-edge digital tools that help manufacturers overcome challenges and embrace new opportunities.
Together, IST and ANH will work to strengthen technical support, expand access to training, and promote the adoption of spring design software across the Indian market.
Partnership Launch Event
The launch event held in New Delhi celebrating the new partnership between IST and ANH was a resounding success, setting the stage for an exciting chapter of collaboration and innovation. Guests experienced first hand the combined expertise of both companies through engaging presentations, live demonstrations, and insightful discussions that highlighted the unique value this partnership brings to clients and the industry. The event also provided a vibrant networking platform, connecting key stakeholders and fostering relationships that will drive future growth. With carefully curated branding, a lively atmosphere, and clear messaging about the shared vision, the launch left attendees inspired and confident in the potential of this powerful collaboration.
Both organisations are excited about the opportunities this partnership will bring, ushering in new possibilities for innovation, collaboration, and industry development across India.
IST is proud to present new e-learning courses. On demand – anytime, anywhere. On average the courses can take up to 2 hours to complete, and you will receive a certificate upon completion.
The learning can be accessed from mobile, tablet, laptop or PC.
The cost of the course is £45 per person, click on the BUY NOW below to complete your purchase.
Compression Spring Design
To get the most out of your compression spring, it is critical to establish a foundational understanding of the mechanical behaviour of these complex components.
Extension Spring Design
Though similar to compression spring design, extension spring design has unique complexities that, if overlooked, can shorten spring life.
Spring Materials
Spring materials are an important topic to be educated in, as understanding this gives you an improved understanding of a springs limitations.
Failure Analysis
Sometimes referred to as failure investigation, is the systematic process of determining why a spring has failed. The primary objective is to uncover the root cause.
Matt Bridson
Initial Examination
Once we receive the spring from our customer, we can start our initial examination stage of the failure analysis.
The first stage is to start big and asses the entire spring. As we progress through the initial examination we focus more on the smaller details. Every spring we receive for a failure analysis is different, and although some may be like ones we have seen in the past, it is imperative we treat each one as unique. We photograph the spring upon its arrival with a high quality DSLR camera. The spring is placed in our light box, it is photographed at many different angles including close up images of the fracture face and surrounding wire surface to ensure we don’t miss anything important. We take extra care in ensuring no further damage is caused to the springs through this stage.
Next up, we use our low power microscope to focus in on the fracture faces and the surrounding wire surface. When we look at the wire surface, we are focusing on the quality and if there are any manufacturing defects, such as coiling marks or evidence of chattering. We also look for any evidence of wear, this informs us that there has been some form of contact. For example, if there is visible coil to coil wear that could insinuates there has been some coil clashing. Signs of external wear could mean that there has been contact with a possible housing, with internal wear showing the potential contact with a mandrel. If a spring has been coated with paint, we are often able to see end coil wear, as the paint has worn against the supports.
Corrosion is a common sight on fractured springs. When corrosion is a factor, we look for pitting and discolouration. We must be cautious when we see corrosion, as it is common for springs to rust after they have failed, meaning it may not have played any part in the actual failure.
Next, we focus on the fracture face. The first thing we try to understand, is where the initiation region is. There are many factors which can help with this, but the most useful are called beach marks or propagation marks, which appear as arcs emanating from the initiation region.
Even after gaining all this information, we must keep an open mind on how the spring failed, we don’t want to narrow our search too early and potentially miss some important information.
We take numerous images at every stage of the initial examination. We want to have as much evidence as we can before moving forward to the metallurgical work which involves sectioning the spring where information and evidence could be lost.
In our next edition of our The Spring Industry Newsletter we will move on to part 3 and talk about metallurgical analysis and testing.
Read the first part of this article – Failure Analysis Process Part 1
Cat Appleby – Membership & Engagement Director, from Rail Forum
Visit of Cat Appleby from Rail Forum
In April we had the pleasure of welcoming Cat Appleby, Membership & Engagement Director, from Rail Forum to IST for a site visit.
Established in 1993, the Rail Forum is a national industry whose members span the whole industry from global corporations to micro SMEs, asset owners to manufacturers, digital solutions providers to passenger and freight operators.
The purpose of the visit was to explore mutual benefits of both membership organisations and to enlighten Cat to the importance of effective spring design and material selection, along with providing an overview of the expertise, support and services IST provides, with a particular focus on the rail industry. IST has a long and proud history of supporting customers in the rail industry and the visit was a great opportunity to raise awareness of the importance and complexity of springs with Rail Forum who have a member base of 400 businesses.
Cat was provided with an explanation and demonstration of Spring Calculator Professional, detailing how the data sitting behind the calculations comes from decades of in-house and open market data, along with the various standards, spring types and design features available.
Matt and Nic took the opportunity to show Cat around the laboratory. Nic provided a demonstration of various tests including load and fatigue testing across a number of spring types, some of which were from the rail industry, so very relevant to Cat. It was also a good opportunity to explain how the manufacturing process has such an integral part to play in the effectiveness of a spring, with processes such as heat treatment and shot peening.
Matt went on to explain how IST has the capability to conduct failure analysis investigations, with a comprehensive overview of the level of detail investigated and the equipment used to draw conclusions. Matt also explained how failures can be attributed to examples such as fatigue, design or manufacturing issues and the impact a spring failure could have in the rail industry.
Examples were provided where IST had previously supported rail industry customers with spring redesigns and recommendations following critical failure, as well as investigating and reporting on the reason for failure.
Following the visit, Cat commented, “It was a pleasure to visit IST and chat with the team. The level of expertise was impressive and whilst springs do of course feature in rolling stock, and other rail infrastructure, I certainly had no view of how engineered a product they are (and their various uses and applications) nor had I considered the criticality in testing / potential for failure! IST testing and advisory function was well-equipped and their reporting functionality and design support clearly well shaped for their members. It was an enlightening visit, and I look forward to exploring how IST and Rail Forum can work together.”
News From Our Members
MM Auto Industries Private Limited
MM Auto has recently entered into the high volume railway business
William Hughes Group
William Hughes expands aerospace quality programme
Have something to share? It’s completely free to submit content if you’re an IST Member.
To be featured in the next issue of The Spring Industry Newsletter, contact Helen@ist.org.uk
MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS
- Free company profile on the IST website
- Free opportunities to write articles in the IST newsletter
- Opportunity to join working groups, shaping the future of IST
- Attend IST technical conferences and social events
- Access to IST technical consultants
- Members enjoy up to 30% discounts on the following products and services….
Training Courses 2026
Building on the success of our 2025 training courses, we’re pleased to offer more Practical Spring Design courses for 2026. Practical Spring Design is our intensive two-day course covering all aspects of spring design, failure analysis and materials.
IST Members are eligible for a discount on all of our training courses. To receive your discount code, please contact helen@ist.org.uk.
IST introduces CPD (Continuing Professional Development) courses, structured learning experiences designed to help professionals develop and improve their skills, knowledge, and expertise in their field.
CPD (Continuing Professional Development) courses | For more information please click here
Our YouTube channel is full of bite sized videos
Spring Failure Overview
Our failure analysis procedure includes; visual, microstructural, and SEM imaging and examination, hardness tests and EDX analysis. Combine this with the expert spring knowledge of our metallurgists, and we will write a detailed report including our findings, annotated images and recommendations as standard.
Spring Materials Overview
Looking for something more bespoke?
Read more about our tailored training courses.
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