Standard Springs vs Special Springs
Finding the right spring can be as easy as selecting a standard catalog item. A Smalley engineer can help you choose from over 4000 standard parts available from stock in carbon and stainless steel. Smalley’s “no-tooling” method of manufacturing provides the utmost in flexibility and quality. Whether the requirement is for 1 spring or 1,000,000 consider Smalley for your special spring requirements.

Defining the Spring Requirements

Although wave spring applications are extremely diverse, there is a consistently basic set of rules for defining spring requirements. Those requirements are used to select a stock/standard spring or design a special spring to meet the specifications.
Working Cavity

The working cavity usually consists of a bore the spring operates in and/or a shaft the spring clears. The spring stays positioned by piloting in the bore or on the shaft. The distance between the loading surfaces defines the axial working cavity or work height of the spring.
Material Cross-Section

Material cross-section plays an important role in wave spring design. The most economical materials are those used in manufacturing Smalley standard springs and retaining rings. In addition, many other material cross sections are commonly used in special spring manufacture designs. Smalley engineering can provide assistance in selecting an economical alloy and cross section.

For Overlap Type Wave Springs and multiple turn Spirawaves, the radial wall must be sufficient to prevent misalignment between adjacent layers. For springs with a narrow radial wall, radial misalignment can occur during handling or during operation if the spring is not contained or closely piloted.

Solutions to this problem include dimensioning the spring to pilot closely on the I.D. and/or O.D. or designing the spring as a single turn Gap Type.

Shaft Pilot
For springs that pilot on a shaft, the inside diameter can be toleranced to provide a minimum clearance from the shaft. Since wave springs expand during compression, interference with the shaft is generally not a concern.

Bore Pilot

For springs that pilot in the bore, the bore and shaft diameters should be included in the spring specifications. The actual spring diameter is then developed at time of manufacture to provide the best fit and prevent binding due to expansion.

For Gap Type and Overlap Type Springs, the outside diameter can be specified because binding is not a concern. The outside diameter can be toleranced to provide a minimum clearance in the bore or provide cling in the bore, as do the Smalley Bearing Preload Springs.

Load Requirement

The load requirement is defined by the amount of axial force the spring must produce when installed at its work height. Some applications require multiple working heights, where loads at 2 or more operating heights are critical and must be considered in the design. Often minimum and/or maximum loads are satisfactory solutions, particularly where tolerance stack-ups are inherent in the application.
Operating Environment
High temperature, dynamic loading (fatigue), a corrosive media or other unusual operating conditions must be considered in spring applications. Solutions to various environmental conditions typically require selection of the optimal raw material and operating stress.

All information from: http://www.smalley.com/engineering/spring_design_introduction.asp