Operations and maintenance engineers are familiar with the problem of compression set in metal coil springs that support vibrating, crushing and screening equipment used in food processing.
As metal springs become tired, they can suffer permanent compression well below their original design height.
This means they don’t perform to their original specifications, making the vibrating equipment they support potentially unstable and prone to breakages, because spring set doesn’t always happen evenly.
One side of a screen or crusher may become more worn than another, for example, affecting dynamic stability, imposing uneven loads and even leading to breakages and production interruptions as workers have to crawl through potentially hazardous spaces to make repairs and install replacements.
Rubber-and-fabric Marsh Mellow springs from Firestone, distributed and backed by Sydney pneumatic actuation and isolation company Air Springs Supply, suffer minimal compression set over the life of the part.
This means they can be changed in and out of different sets of springs without upsetting the dynamic balance of the whole set.
Marsh Mellows have a high tolerance to wash-down and other liquids used in production processes and can’t break, splinter or fragment like a metal spring, according to the company.
Marsh Mellows give consistent performance regardless of changing loads, while offering high lateral stability and compact size.
