Argo Spring Manufacturing Co. is a leading supplier of precision products including springs, metal stampings, wireforms, four-slide products, assemblies, and screw machine components. We support many industries in which durability and safety are non-negotiable with critical precision components, including nuclear energy and oil and gas.
Learn about the components we manufacture for these applications, important considerations for material selection, and our capabilities.
Nuclear Industry Applications
In nuclear power generation, specialized metal components keep equipment stable and secure during continuous operations and high temperatures. Argo manufactures these customized components to meet customer requirements for nuclear applications:
- Nuclear fuel rod springs: Springs hold fuel pellets in constant contact with the rod.
- Control rod springs: These are part of rapid shut-down safety mechanisms that force the control rod into the core during an emergency.
- Springs for valves, bearings, and seals: These hold critical components together and maintain tight connections to prevent leaks and seal out contaminants.
Oil & Gas Industry Applications
Springs are used to store and release energy, absorb shock, and provide motion control in many oil and gas industry applications. Argo’s compression, torsion, Belleville, wave, extension, and other types of springs, used singly or in groups, are vital for sealing, actuation, and safety applications. Some specific examples include:
- Downhole drilling: Springs hold sensors to wellbore surfaces, absorb drilling vibrations, and actuate safety valves.
- Wellhead and Christmas tree assemblies: Packs of springs are used for fail-safe closures in underground safety valves and maintain seals for pressure control.
- Offshore Platforms and Underwater Equipment: Springs hold seals on connectors and couplings used in undersea drilling and maintain tension on offshore platform risers.
- Safety Equipment: Subsurface safety valves (SSSVs) and Emergency shutdown Systems (ESDs) incorporate springs to close valves and move actuators into safe positions during emergencies.
Materials Used
Materials used for nuclear or oil and gas applications must be strong and remain durable in high temperatures and corrosive environments. And given the nature of springs, they must also have high yield strength, elasticity, and fatigue resistance to store and create appropriate forces.
We work with high-strength alloys, corrosion-resistant steels, and heat-resistant metals that are compatible with exposure to radiation, pressure, saltwater, and high temperatures. Some of these options include but are not limited to:
- Carbon steel.
- 316 Stainless steel.
- Titanium.
- Inconel 718/625.
- Hastelloy.
- Monel.
- Barillium copper.
- Phosphor bronze.
Argo’s material selection expertise, combined with precision fabrication results in components that maintain structural integrity in the harshest environments.
Why Argo Manufacturing?
Argo Spring has more than 60 years of springmaking, stamping, wireforming, and screw machining experience, and we can accommodate projects from prototyping to full-scale production. We also maintain an in-house tool room to create custom punches and dies using EDM machining.
Our comprehensive services include secondary operations like grinding, passivation, and plating, along with mechanical assembly and customized packaging. We have worked with customers in many industries including nuclear, aerospace, defense, medical, commercial agriculture, oil and gas, and energy.
Certified Compliance in Nuclear
An important consideration when choosing a manufacturing partner is quality assurance and quality control. Argo Spring is ISO 9001:2015 certified for quality management, so customers can rely on consistently defect-free components that comply with applicable industry regulations and standards.
Argo’s Custom Springs for the Nuclear and Oil & Gas Industrie
Argo’s components are engineered for high precision and long-term performance. We bring expertise in material selection and springmaking to every project in order to meet the requirements for each application.
Learn more about Argo Spring Manufacturing Co. on our site to see examples of our work and our capabilities. Please contact us to discuss specific project needs or request a quote to begin an order.