How to create a realistic spring in Fusion 360

Thanks for sharing! Making a working spring was something that I struggled with unsuccessfully in SolidWorks.
 
Solidworks 17 has a routine for making springs or was that helixes. The engineer I work with for the one company I consult for has instructed me several times making threads and I still can't master it. I believe it's the same process he uses to create springs, too. I'm still learning.
 
4gsr said:
Solidworks 17 has a routine for making springs or was that helixes. The engineer I work with for the one company I consult for has instructed me several times making threads and I still can't master it. I believe it's the same process he uses to create springs, too. I'm still learning.
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I had no problem making springs. I have added realistic threads to my models for a dozen years. The issue with the springs came with trying to make them compress and expand when associated parts were moved. It could probably be done with an equation for the pitch related to an exterior dimension. The problem in SolidWorks is that motion is usually done through mates in assemblies but parts which are brought into assemblies are frozen in their configuration. I have done simulations where I used two different configurations to show a compressed and expanded state but haven't found a way to simulate all the intermediate positions as done in the Fusion video. Realistic motion is a nice feature when doing a "show and tell" for the boss or in a meeting.

In the past few years, I have found it more convenient to use the models from McMaster Carr and Lee Springs. McMaster Carr's models for threads are based on parametric relationships which makes it fairly easy to make custom components for threads and springs. Unfortunately, I have a standard seat of SolidWorks 2012 and the rest of the world has moved on to newer versions so I can no longer import the model features. Yet another reason t migrate to fusion.
 
I had to do up several springs on a model back during the dark ages of AutoCad AME 2.1 in the 90's.
I wish to the devil that Parametric design was more present at the time.
What a pain. End result though is that the device was manufactured, and my model ended up featured in Autodesk's yearly calender...
 
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ChrisAttebery said:
Go to centuryspring.com. Find a spring that will fit your application. Download the model. DONE. ;^)
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I not sure, but I think you don't understand the problem. Fusion 360 can't model spring motion. It's easy to import a spring drawing or even to create one with the coil function, but making it stretch or compress takes some out of the box thinking such as what this person demonstrated.

Also, I can't find a centuryspring.com. :confused:
 
OK, That I can understand.

I've been sourcing springs from: http://www.centuryspring.com/

Their system will allow you to output a model of the spring at any possible length. I usually DL a fully extended and fully compressed version of the springs I am using.
 
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