Secondary Operations and Finishing Services
Complete Spring and Wire Form Solutions
Manufacturing a quality spring or wire component often requires more than forming the material to print. Gilco Spring coordinates a range of secondary operations and finishing services to help customers receive parts that are ready for assembly, installation, or final production.
From precision grinding and shot peening to plating, coating, and specialized packaging, we help manage the additional processes required to meet your dimensional, performance, appearance, and corrosion-resistance requirements.
Our team works closely with qualified processing partners when specialized outside services are required, helping simplify purchasing and reduce the number of suppliers involved in your project.
Spring Grinding
Grinding is commonly used on compression springs to create flat, stable bearing surfaces at one or both ends of the spring.
Depending on the application, ground ends can help:
- Improve spring stability
- Distribute the load more evenly
- Maintain proper alignment during compression
- Reduce the risk of buckling
- Meet solid-height or squareness requirements
- Improve seating against mating components
Gilco Spring can provide compression springs with closed and ground ends based on your drawing and application requirements. We evaluate spring geometry, end configuration, tolerances, and production volume to determine the appropriate grinding process.
Shot Peening
Shot peening is a mechanical surface treatment used to improve the fatigue life of springs exposed to repeated loading, vibration, or high operating stresses.
During the shot peening process, small media particles impact the surface of the spring and create a layer of compressive residual stress. This can help reduce the development of fatigue cracks and improve durability in demanding applications.
Shot peening is frequently specified for springs used in:
- Automotive systems
- Industrial equipment
- Defense and military applications
- High-cycle assemblies
- Heavy-duty mechanical equipment
- Vibration-sensitive components
Process requirements can be coordinated to meet customer drawings, industry specifications, and application-specific performance needs.
Plating and Corrosion-Resistant Finishes
Gilco Spring can coordinate a variety of plating and coating options to improve corrosion resistance, appearance, electrical performance, wear resistance, or compatibility with surrounding components.
Available finishes may include:
- Zinc plating
- Cadmium plating
- Nickel plating
- Tin plating
- Black oxide
- Phosphate coatings
- Passivation
- Electropolishing
- E-coating
- Zinc-aluminum flake coatings
- Proprietary finishes such as Magni® or Geomet®
- Additional customer-specified coatings
The appropriate finish depends on the base material, environmental exposure, salt spray requirements, operating temperature, dimensional tolerances, and end-use application.
Our team can review your drawing and help determine whether the specified coating is compatible with the spring design and material.
Stress Relieving and Heat Treatment
Forming wire or strip material can create internal stresses that may affect spring performance or dimensional stability. Stress relieving is commonly used after forming to help stabilize the component and improve its mechanical properties.
Additional heat-treatment processes may also be required depending on the material and application, including:
- Stress relieving
- Age hardening
- Tempering
- Precipitation hardening
- Hydrogen embrittlement relief
- Application-specific thermal processing
Heat-treatment requirements are evaluated based on the material specification, wire size, spring geometry, finish, and performance requirements.
Deburring and Edge Conditioning
Stamped, formed, and four-slide components may require additional edge conditioning to remove sharp edges, reduce burrs, or improve handling and assembly.
Secondary deburring options may include:
- Mechanical deburring
- Vibratory finishing
- Tumbling
- Edge breaking
- Polishing
- Cleaning
The selected process depends on the component geometry, material, tolerance requirements, and the acceptable surface finish.
Cleaning and Passivation
Cleaning processes may be used to remove manufacturing oils, debris, residues, or surface contamination before plating, assembly, or shipment.
For stainless steel components, passivation may be specified to remove free iron from the surface and improve corrosion resistance.
Cleaning and passivation requirements can be coordinated according to customer specifications and applicable industry standards.
Painting, Powder Coating, and Specialty Coatings
For applications requiring additional environmental protection, identification, appearance, or surface performance, Gilco Spring can coordinate specialty coating services.
Options may include:
- Powder coating
- E-coating
- Dry-film lubricants
- Protective sealers
- Color-coded identification coatings
- Flocking
- Application-specific specialty finishes
Because coatings can affect dimensions, flexibility, friction, and spring movement, our team reviews coating requirements early in the quoting process whenever possible.
Presetting and Load Testing
Presetting, also known as scragging, may be used to intentionally compress or load a spring beyond its normal operating condition before shipment. This helps reduce permanent set during the spring’s initial use and can improve load consistency.
Gilco Spring can also perform or coordinate inspection and testing services such as:
- Load testing
- Height testing
- Torque testing
- Dimensional inspection
- Spring-rate verification
- Solid-height verification
- Functional testing
- Customer-specific inspection requirements
Inspection methods are selected based on the print, tolerance, application, and production volume.
Sorting, Inspection, and Special Packaging
Some applications require additional inspection, sorting, counting, or packaging before shipment. Gilco Spring can support requirements such as:
- 100% inspection
- Automated or manual sorting
- Lot traceability
- Controlled quantities per container
- Layered or compartmentalized packaging
- Bulk packaging
- Individual packaging
- Barcoding and customer-specific labeling
- Returnable containers
- Vendor Managed Inventory programs
Proper packaging is especially important for springs and formed components that may tangle, distort, scratch, or become mixed during transportation.
One Supplier for a Complete Component
Managing multiple outside processors can add time, communication challenges, and administrative work to a project. Gilco Spring helps coordinate the complete manufacturing process so customers can purchase a finished component from a single source.
Our team manages the primary manufacturing operation, secondary processing, inspection, and packaging requirements while maintaining communication throughout the project.
Whether you need a compression spring with ground ends, a shot-peened torsion spring, a plated wire form, or a heat-treated four-slide component, Gilco Spring can help develop a reliable production process that meets your requirements.
Request a Quote
Send us your drawing, material specification, annual usage, and secondary-operation requirements. Our team will review the application and provide a quote for a complete, production-ready spring or formed component.