Lee Spring Meets Environmental Standards

Lee Spring was the first U.S. spring manufacturer to support and comply with the stringent European Union’s environmental directives. All Lee Spring Stock Products, with the exception of Cadmium Plated MIL-SPEC Springs, comply with the RoHS Directive. RoHS (European Directive 2002/95/EC on Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances) is European legislation that restricts the levels of Lead, Mercury, Cadmium, Hexavalent Chromium, Polybrominated Biphenyls (PBB) and Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDE) present in electrical and electronic equipment sold in the European Union.

REACH (Regulation on Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals) refers to European Union Regulation No 1907/2006. The aim of REACH is to ensure a high level of protection of human health and the environment from the risks that can be posed by chemicals. All Lee Spring Stock Products, with the exception of Cadmium Plated MIL-SPEC Springs, comply with this regulation.

ENVIRONMENTAL ADVANTAGES OF LEE SPRING STAINLESS STEEL PRODUCTS
Stainless steel is 100% recyclable and has a high scrap value. In addition, there is no need for coatings, which can out-gas, contaminate the environment or production lines as they deteriorate, and make recycling more difficult and expensive. There are also no corrosion products to contaminate the environment. These characteristics make stainless steel a green material.

LEE SPRING PASSIVATES STAINLESS STEEL SPRINGS WITH ENVIRONMENTAL CONSCIOUSNESS
Passivation maximizes the corrosion resistance of stainless steel springs. It can make the difference between satisfactory performance and premature failure. While many other companies continue to use environmentally harmful nitric acids, Lee Spring has switched their process to use citric acid, which produces the same performance but without the environmentally hazardous side effects of nitric acid.

LEE SPRING KEEPS THE AIR CLEAN
Lee Spring has changed their dust collection system to control any potential environmental migration of dust particles crated in the manufacturing process.

INNOVATIVE LEE SPRING PRODUCT INTRODUCTIONS
Lee Spring has introduced a number of customer-centric solutions to the Stock Spring offering. Lee Spring was the first spring manufacturer to offer Type 316 Stainless Steel Stock Compression Springs. This innovation offers customers advanced corrosion resistance with the enhancement of Ultra-sonic cleaning; this process produces springs with superior cleanliness, greater product purity and exceptional visual integrity required by many industries including medical, pharmaceutical, food processing and aerospace.

The Lee Spring Catalog has always offered springs with relatively low rates, but the diameter was often too small to give the required pressure level or to accommodate assembly requirements. Lee Spring’s solution is a unique new line of low pressure, high index Lite Pressure â„¢ Stock Springs. Some common applications for these soft springs include syringes, relief valves, check valves, dispensers and pistons. This Series is offered ONLY in passivated, ultrasonically cleaned Type 316 Stainless Steel to satisfy most potential requirements.

As application requirements for smaller size components increased so did Lee Spring’s response. In addition to the expansion of Compression and Wave Springs to include smaller sizes, Lee Spring introduced BANTAM Mini Compression Springs with outside diameters starting at .025” (.64 mm) and free lengths as small as .050” (1.27 mm). These miniature springs are produced in Elgiloy®, a cobalt-nickel alloy performing well in corrosive environments and at high temperatures (up to (850 degrees Fahrenheit). Applications include telecommunication devices, pharmaceutical delivery systems, petro-chemical processes and marine industries.

In 2010, Lee Spring responded to the need for springs that combined the strength of metal with the special attributes of high performing thermoplastics. The result was LeePâ„¢ Plastic Composite Compression Springs, a revolutionary innovation in the history of spring technology. This unique product line is non-corrosive, non-magnetic and non-contaminating. Applications include marine and saline environments, imaging and x-ray machines, food processing and water purifications systems.

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