Exploring AWP’s 300+ Spring Materials

When your product depends on a ground compression spring, the choice of material is the backbone of performance, reliability, and service life. At Automated Wire Products, material selection shapes every decision we make, from design review to final inspection. Our portfolio of more than 300 materials reflects decades of sourcing expertise, allowing us to match each project with a wire that meets its exact performance demands.

Read on to see how our material expertise impacts performance, why the breadth of our selection matters, and how we help customers find the right fit every time.

The Role of Material in Spring Performance

A spring’s material sets the stage for everything that follows: strength, corrosion resistance, temperature tolerance, fatigue life, and even the cost-to-performance balance. Selecting the wrong wire can lead to premature wear, inconsistent loads, or costly downtime.

Our engineers have spent decades learning how materials behave during coiling, grinding, and presetting, and how those factors carry through to the real world. That experience means we can identify the right alloy faster, explain its tradeoffs clearly, and build it into your spring without introducing risk.

Every coil of wire we purchase comes with a certification from the mill. Those records are kept permanently, so when a customer asks for documentation, we can provide it on the spot. The process starts with quality and keeps it in focus until the final spring leaves our floor.

Inside AWP’s Material Portfolio

We source only to the latest ASTM specifications and maintain a broad selection so your spring can be matched to your environment, performance needs, and budget. Among our frequently used materials:

• Music Wire (A228) – Known for high tensile strength and excellent fatigue life in demanding load applications.
• Galvanized Music Wire (A228) – Adds a protective coating to resist corrosion in outdoor or damp conditions.
• 17-7 Stainless Steel Wire (A313) – Combines strength, corrosion resistance, and good spring properties.
• T316 Stainless Steel Wire (A313) – Offers exceptional corrosion resistance, even in chemical or marine settings.
• Commercial Chrome Vanadium Wire (A231) – Strong, fatigue-resistant, and well-suited for heavy-duty uses.
• Valve Quality Chrome Vanadium Wire (A232) – Precision-grade for high-performance valve and engine components.
• T302 Stainless Steel Wire (A313) – Balances corrosion protection with forming ease.
• Commercial Chrome Silicon Wire (A401) – Handles high stress and elevated temperatures without performance loss.
• Valve Quality Chrome Silicon Wire (A877) – Designed for extreme-duty, high-cycle environments.

Specialty alloys are also in the mix for unique or unconventional requirements, giving us flexibility to meet specialized demands without compromising lead time or performance.

Aligning Material to the Application

Each industry AWP serves brings a different set of challenges, from moisture and abrasion in agriculture to elevated temperatures in industrial powertrains. Matching material to those conditions is where our process pays off.

• Agricultural and Outdoor Equipment: Galvanized or stainless steels protect against rust from dirt, water, and changing weather.
• Heavy-Duty Industrial Systems: Chrome silicon and chrome vanadium excel under extreme loads and high operating temperatures.
• Precision Hydraulic or Valve Assemblies: Music wire and specialty stainless grades deliver the consistency needed for tight tolerances.

Our team looks at more than just the environment. Load requirements, cycle life targets, assembly constraints, and cost parameters are all weighed before recommending a material. That level of detail avoids the risk of over-engineering — or worse, underestimating — what your application needs.

Quality from the Start

Material quality doesn’t begin when the wire hits the coiler. It begins with sourcing. Our relationships with trusted suppliers give us access to the best available lots, and our incoming inspection process verifies they meet every specification.

• All materials meet the latest ASTM standards.
• Certifications and lot traceability are maintained for the life of the record.
• Wire is handled, stored, and processed to prevent damage before coiling begins.

Once in production, our CNC coiling, grinding, and presetting processes protect the integrity of the material. The wire’s mechanical properties stay consistent from the first part to the millionth.

Depth of Expertise in Material Behavior

The same alloy can behave differently depending on the wire diameter, the index of the coil, and the method used to grind the ends. AWP’s focus on ground compression springs — and only ground compression springs — has built an uncommon depth of knowledge in how those factors interact.

Our customers benefit from that experience in practical ways:

• Faster, more accurate material recommendations.
• Reduced risk of redesign due to material performance issues.
• Springs that perform consistently for the full life of the assembly.

When a project calls for corrosion resistance, we can explain exactly how a 302 stainless will behave compared to a 316 in your specific environment. When load consistency matters, we know which chrome silicon variation will keep the tolerance band tightest after presetting.

Takeaways

AWP’s material library includes more than 300 wire types, each selected for specific performance, environmental, and cost considerations. Material selection is built into our design process from the very beginning, ensuring the final spring delivers the strength, consistency, and durability the application demands. Every coil of wire is certified, traceable, and processed to the highest standards, giving customers complete confidence in both the product and the process behind it. Connect with our team to discuss your project and discover the difference the right material can make for your next spring design.