About Springs

A spring is an elastic object that stores mechanical energy. Springs are made from a variety of elastic materials, the most common being spring steel. Spring connections are used to couple a force with a relative displacement.

When a conventional spring is compressed or stretched from its resting position, it exerts an opposing force approximately proportional to its change in length. A conventional spring has a constant (linear) stiffness value. This value is called the spring constant, which is defined as the change in the force it exerts divided by the change in displacement of the spring. An extension or compression spring's constant is expressed in units of force divided by distance (for example, N/m or lbf/in).

You use a spring to connect a face, edge, or point on one part to a face, edge, or point on another part. You can also connect a single part to ground using a spring.

Spring features are used to model actual physical springs as well as idealizations of other axial components or more complex connections. They can also model restraints to prevent rigid body motion.