STAINLESS STEEL WAVE WASHERS DIN 137B

Wave Washers DIN 137B — Where DIN 137A stores its spring force in a single dish, 137B spreads the same idea across several waves pressed around the washer's circumference. Deflecting at multiple points rather than one lowers both the installed height and the peak spring force for a given size, so a wave washer tends to behave more like a distributed, even preload spring than a locking device - useful for taking up axial end-float and absorbing thermal expansion in bearing and shaft assemblies, where an uneven single-point load would be a problem rather than a benefit. That even distribution is the main reason wave washers turn up specifically in bearing housings and rotating assemblies, whereas the single-curve DIN 137A is more common in simpler, static mechanical fixings. Neither form should be relied on for resistance to loosening under vibration: a wave washer's job is axial spring force, not anti-rotation, so where a joint genuinely needs to resist working loose, a toothed or split lock washer is the correct specification instead. Material choice generally follows the mechanical assembly it sits in - carbon spring steel for dry, enclosed bearing and gearbox applications where corrosion is not a factor, A2 (304-equivalent) stainless where the assembly is exposed to moisture, washdown, or general outdoor conditions, and A4 (316-equivalent) reserved for equipment operating in marine, coastal, or chemically aggressive settings, where chloride attack on a stainless spring component would otherwise be a recurring failure point. Specifying correctly starts with confirming the shaft or bolt diameter, checking the number of waves and free height suit the axial clearance the assembly needs to take up, and confirming DIN 137B rather than 137A is genuinely the right form - multi-wave for distributed bearing preload, single curve for simpler general fixings.

FAQs
How does DIN 137B differ from DIN 137A?
DIN 137A has a single curve and provides a simpler, less evenly distributed spring action, while DIN 137B's multiple waves spread the load more evenly around the washer, which is preferable in rotating or bearing applications.

Are wave washers suitable for locking against rotation?
No. Wave washers provide axial spring force rather than a locking or anti-rotation function; they are not a substitute for a toothed or split lock washer where resistance to loosening is required.

Can wave washers be stacked to increase spring force?
Yes, they are sometimes stacked in series or parallel similarly to disc springs, though for a precisely engineered spring-rate requirement, a dedicated disc spring to DIN 2093 gives more predictable, published load-deflection data.