Hardware Products Blog

Hardware Products Company Is Your One-Stop Shop for Springs

Aside from the fact that a long-run spring house might refuse to take your order because they aren’t set up for the short run, there’s also the possibility that you will end up paying substantially more, and you might not receive your order in time. All because it’s simply not viable for most long-run spring houses to cater to short runs.

Passivation and Citric Acid Cleaning

Passivation is one of the more misunderstood functions of spring manufacturing. Passivation is a process: a spring (after it is formed) is cleaned, dropped in nitric acid, and then dropped in water. The process is intended to remove any of the contaminants picked up during the manufacturing process. This is especially required in custom springs that are manufactured to be used in the food industry.

Hydrogen Embrittlement and the Process of Electroplating Compression Springs

Very frequently – throughout different walks of life – we hear the term “it is plated.” When referring to jewelry, this usually means that it is not really gold but is made of some cheaper material and gold-plated to look like gold. Springs are very often plated for the same reason.

Springs for $150

Established in 1866, Hardware Products Company (HPC) has a long and storied history as one of the leading suppliers of stock and custom spring solutions in the industry. If you’re doing the math, that brings HPC’s tally to 150 years of continuous spring manufacturing, right here in the U.S. We wanted to extend our celebratory excitement to our customers, so we created a 150th Anniversary Special: Springs for $150.

Compression Spring Parameters and Pi

Compression spring design formulas are really only somewhat complicated algebra. They are quite precise and yield very predictable results. However, when compression springs were first becoming widely used during the industrial revolution, neither computers nor calculators existed.

Marking the 150th Anniversary of Chelsea-Based Spring Manufacturer, Secretary of Housing and Economic Development for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Jay Ash, Delivered Keynote Address

Chelsea, MA -- 07/11/2016 --Established in 1866, Hardware Products Company (HPC) has a long and storied history as one of the leading suppliers of stock and custom spring solutions in the industry.

The Evolution of Production Practices 

When compression springs were first invented and manufactured, they were wound on a lathe.  A lathe actually “pulled” the wire around an arbor or mandrel. By today’s standards, that was a crude way to make a compression spring. Mandrels were expensive, so frequently, rather than use the precise mandrel required for the compression spring, the closest mandrel on hand was used. In addition, the space between the coils on the compression spring were developed by the machinist pulling the wire down the mandrel. As a result, the compression spring may well have had varying space between the coils.

Material Selection in Spring Manufacturing Matters

Recently, we wrote about raw material classifications in the steel spring manufacturing industry. These materials are chosen, largely, by their properties and how they will impact the end use. Or think of it inversely: the end use dictates what alloys to choose.

Because steel spring design programs are plentiful and quite easy to use, most engineers know just what they want,

Understanding Material Classifications for Your Next Steel Spring Project

The spring industry, over the years, has divided the common spring materials into different classifications. Some of these classifications have somewhat confusing or misleading names, but are used as jargon within the industry nevertheless.

Honoring this Important Milestone, Hardware Products Launches a New, User-Friendly Website Design

Chelsea, MA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 01/26/2016 --Building on over its 150-year-old legacy of manufacturing custom springs and wire-forming products, Hardware Products Company (HPC) is pleased to announce the launch of its brand new website, featuring enhanced design and increased functionality. The new website brings to life its age-old brand promise, "Spring Manufacturing at its Best," which is represented through its exceptional quality stock spring line, custom made-to-order capabilities, and inventory management program, calledspringLINK.