ital in modern mechanical applications, springs provide controlled force, motion control and durability in industry sectors
ranging from aerospace, automotive and medical, to nuclear. To meet customer demands, William Hughes delivers end-to-end support from concept through to full-scale manufacture, using state-of-the-art CNC coiling equipment, quality assurance processes and automation strategy, to deliver its products. The company is recognised for its expertise in
producing high-accuracy springs and spring assemblies for demanding applications and is a trusted Tier 1 supplier to OEMs at assembly level. Each component produced by William Hughes therefore fully complies with customer requirements for load characteristics, free length, fatigue life andmaterial specifications.
The William Hughes 7,000 square metre factory in Dorset is home to wire form and spring manufacture – compression, torsion and tension springs along with many other types including wire forms with spring functionality. Facility and experience are suited to specialist use cases and complex manufacturing requirements. Whether for actuation, compression, suspension or torsion, springs are manufactured to customer drawings or full design support is provided based on functional requirements.
The company uses
advanced simulation tools, Institute of Spring Technology design software, in house fatigue testing facilities and CNC coiling capabilities. It can therefore reduce time-to- prototype while maintaining full control over the physical dimensions and load profiles. Emma Burgon, engineering director, commented: “Every spring is defined not only by geometry, but by its behaviour in application. That’s why we collaborate closely with R&D and procurement leads across the automotive, medical and aerospace sectors to design prototypes with mechanical integrity, consistent repeatability and the best possible cost-to-performance ratio. “Using our CNC coilers and closed-loop vision
systems, we can produce springs with sub- millimetre accuracy, sorting components in real- time with SPC (Statistical Process Control) technology. Whether designing for fatigue, rebound, corrosion resistance or magnetism, we’ll ensure our customer’s specification is both feasible and manufacturable at scale.”
According to the company, its investment in automation goes beyond material testing and fatigue analysis – it extends into prototyping methodology, robotic automation, and precision digital inspection. The prototyping process blends CNC coiling with automated length and load testing, providing statistically significant validation data before committing to scaleup. “A customer recently approached us with a
high-volume spring part used in an industrial assembly, a multi-function component with specific loading characteristics,” commented Burgon. “Originally designed with a complex dual- diameter body, the spring was costly to manufacture, prone to variation, and difficult to source in quantity. “Our engineering team
proposed a redesign that would simplify the coil profile while maintaining all functional parameters.
We provided a working prototype within a short lead time and supported the customer through performance benchmarking and yield analysis”. The revised design reduced raw material
usage, improved load predictability and ultimately cut costs by over 40%, all without compromising safety or performance. This case illustrates how William Hughes can not only suggest improvements to technical specifications but also engineers for commercial viability.
Once manufactured, every spring undergoes dimensional and performance checks at multiple stages of the process. CNC coilers are equipped with laser-guided length measurement, load cell feedback and in-line defect detection, and any components that do not meet statistical thresholds are automatically rejected or quarantined for rework. For critical applications, the Company provides
100% load and length testing, fatigue life analysis, and traceability documentation. This SPC approach enables trends to be detected before they become defects, essential for customers in the medical and aerospace sectors. Also offered are PPAP submission, gauge R&R studies and full dimensional inspection reports to support customer validation processes and regulatory compliance. With robotic welding, CNC forming, clean
room packaging and dedicated R&D support, William Hughes can provide end-to-end manufacturing underpinned by continuous innovation and rigorous quality control. Summing up, Emma Burgon concluded: “Whether a customer is scaling production or prototyping a next-gen part, our experienced engineering team is ready to help.”
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