ASTM A229/A229M-18

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Designation: A229/A229M − 17 A229/A229M − 18
Standard Specification for
Steel Wire, Quenched and Tempered for Mechanical
Springs
This standard is issued under the fixed designation A229/A229M; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year
of original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.
A superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
This standard has been approved for use by agencies of the U.S. Department of Defense.
1. Scope*
1.1 This specification covers two classes of commercial quality round and shaped quenched and tempered steel spring wire
intended especially for the manufacture of mechanical springs and wire forms. The quality level is lower than specialty spring
quality (Specification A1000/A1000M) or valve spring quality (Specification A230/A230M).
1.2 The values stated in either SI units or inch-pound units are to be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each
system are not necessarily exact equivalents; therefore, each system shall be used independently of the other. Combining values
from the two systems can result in non-conformance with the standard. Within the text, the inch-pound units are shown in brackets.
1.3 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization
established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued
by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
2. Referenced Documents
2.1 ASTM Standards:
A230/A230M Specification for Steel Wire, Oil-Tempered Carbon Valve Spring Quality
A370 Test Methods and Definitions for Mechanical Testing of Steel Products
A510/A510M Specification for General Requirements for Wire Rods and Coarse Round Wire, Carbon Steel, and Alloy Steel
A700 Guide for Packaging, Marking, and Loading Methods for Steel Products for Shipment
A751 Test Methods, Practices, and Terminology for Chemical Analysis of Steel Products
A941 Terminology Relating to Steel, Stainless Steel, Related Alloys, and Ferroalloys
A1000/A1000M Specification for Steel Wire, Carbon and Alloy Specialty Spring Quality
E8/E8M Test Methods for Tension Testing of Metallic Materials
E29 Practice for Using Significant Digits in Test Data to Determine Conformance with Specifications
E1077 Test Methods for Estimating the Depth of Decarburization of Steel Specimens
3. Terminology
3.1 For definition of terms used in this specification, refer to Terminology A941.
3.2 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:
3.2.1 commercial quality wire, n—a grade of wire that is fairly common quality and intended for applications that are primarily
static in nature, or not involving significant fatigue loading.
3.2.2 equivalent round diameter, n—diameter of a round wire having equivalent cross sectional area to a given shaped wire.
3.2.3 shape factor, n—a value used to obtain cross sectional area for shaped wires when multiplied by measured width and
measured thickness.
This specification is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee A01 on Steel, Stainless Steel and Related Alloys and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee A01.03
on Steel Rod and Wire.
Current edition approved Sept. 1, 2017Sept. 1, 2018. Published September 2017September 2018. Originally approved in 1939. Last previous edition approved in 20122017
as A229/A229M – 12.A229/A229M – 17. DOI: 10.1520/A0229_A0229M-17.10.1520/A0229_A0229M-18.
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM Standards
volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on the ASTM website.
*A Summary of Changes section appears at the end of this standard
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
A229/A229M − 18
4. Ordering Information
4.1 It shall be the responsibility of the purchaser to specify all requirements that are necessary for material under this
specification. Such requirements may include, but are not limited to, the following:
4.1.1 Quantity (mass or weight),
4.1.2 Name of material (quenched and tempered steel mechanical spring wire) and class (Table 1 or Table 2),
4.1.3 Dimensions (Section 10),
A
TABLE 1 Tensile Requirements, SI Units
Class I Class II
Diameter, mm Tensile Strength, MPa Tensile Strength, MPa
min max min max
0.50 2050 2250 2230 2450
0.50 2050 2250 2230 2450
0.55 2020 2220 2220 2440
0.55 2020 2220 2220 2440
0.60 2000 2200 2210 2430
0.60 2000 2200 2210 2430
0.65 1950 2150 2190 2410
0.65 1950 2150 2190 2410
0.70 1950 2150 2170 2390
0.70 1950 2150 2170 2390
0.80 1900 2100 2140 2360
0.80 1900 2100 2140 2360
0.90 1850 2050 2100 2320
0.90 1850 2050 2100 2320
1.00 1800 2000 2060 2280
1.00 1800 2000 2060 2280
1.10 1780 1980 2030 2240
1.10 1780 1980 2030 2240
1.20 1750 1950 2000 2210
1.20 1750 1950 2000 2210
1.40 1700 1900 1950 2150
1.40 1700 1900 1950 2150
1.60 1650 1850 1900 2100
1.60 1650 1850 1900 2100
1.80 1620 1820 1860 2060
1.80 1620 1820 1860 2060
2.00 1600 1800 1820 2020
2.00 1600 1800 1820 2020
2.20 1580 1780 1790 1990
2.20 1580 1780 1790 1990
2.50 1550 1750 1750 1950
2.50 1550 1750 1750 1950
2.80 1520 1720 1710 1900
2.80 1520 1720 1710 1900
3.00 1500 1700 1690 1880
3.00 1500 1700 1690 1880
3.50 1450 1620 1640 1830
3.50 1450 1620 1640 1830
4.00 1400 1580 1600 1780
4.00 1400 1580 1600 1780
4.50 1380 1550 1560 1740
4.50 1380 1550 1560 1740
5.00 1350 1520 1520 1700
5.00 1350 1520 1520 1700
5.50 1320 1500 1500 1680
5.50 1320 1500 1500 1680
6.00 1300 1480 1480 1660
6.00 1300 1480 1480 1660
7.00 1280 1450 1450 1630
7.00 1280 1450 1450 1630
8.00 1250 1430 1430 1610
8.00 1250 1430 1430 1610
9.00 1220 1400 1410 1590
9.00 1220 1400 1410 1590
10.00 1200 1380 1400 1580
11.00 1180 1350 1380 1560
12.00 1150 1320 1360 1540
14.00 1120 1300 1340 1520
16.00 1120 1300 1320 1500
A
Tensile strength values for intermediate diameters shall be interpolated.
A229/A229M − 18
TABLE 2 Tensile Requirements, Inch-Pound Units
Class I Class II
A
Diameter, in. Tensile Strength, ksi Tensile Strength, ksi
min max min max
0.020 293 323 324 354
0.023 289 319 320 350
0.026 286 316 317 347
0.029 283 313 314 344
0.032 280 310 311 341
0.035 274 304 305 335
0.041 266 296 297 327
0.048 259 289 290 320
0.054 253 283 284 314
0.062 247 277 278 308
0.072 241 271 272 302
0.080 235 265 266 296
0.092 230 260 261 291
0.106 225 255 256 286
0.120 220 250 251 281
0.135 215 240 241 266
0.148 210 235 236 261
0.162 205 230 231 256
0.177 200 225 226 251
0.192 195 220 221 246
0.207 190 215 216 241
0.225 188 213 214 239
0.244 187 212 213 238
0.250 185 210 211 236
0.312 183 208 209 234
0.375 180 205 206 231
0.438 175 200 201 226
0.500 170 195 196 221
0.562 165 190 191 216
0.625 165 190 191 216
A
Tensile strength values for intermediate diameters shall be interpolated.
4.1.4 Restrictions to the allowed chemical composition range beyond those specified in Table 3, if required,
4.1.5 Packaging (Section 16),
4.1.6 ASTM designation and date of issue.
NOTE 1—A typical metric ordering description is as follows: 10 000 kg quenched and tempered steel mechanical spring wire, Class I, 8.00 mm
diameter, in 250-kg coils to ASTM A229M – xx, or for inch-pound units, 20 000 lb quenched and tempered steel mechanical Spring Wire, Class I 0.315
in. diameter, in 500-lb coils to ASTM A 229 – xx. A229 – xx.
4.2 The purchaser shall have the option to specify additional requirements, including but not limited to:
4.2.1 Requirements for certifications, reporting of heat analysis or test reports (see Sections 15 and 7),
4.2.2 Special packing, marking, and loading requirements, and
4.2.3 Other special requirements, if any.
5. General Requirements
5.1 Material furnished to this specification shall conform to the applicable requirements of Specification A510/A510M.
6. Materials and Manufacture
6.1 The steel may be made by any commercially accepted steel-making process. The steel shall be fully killed.
6.2 The finished wire shall be free of detrimental pipe and undue segregation.
TABLE 3 Chemical Requirements
Element Composition, %
Element Composition, %
Carbon 0.55–0.85
Manganese 0.30–1.20
Phosphorus, max 0.040
Sulfur, max 0.050
Silicon 0.15–0.35
A229/A229M − 18
6.3 The wire shall be quenched and tempered to produce the desired mechanical properties.
7. Chemical Composition
7.1 The steel shall conform to the requirements for chemical composition prescribed in Table 3.
7.2 Cast or Heat Analysis—Each cast or heat of steel shall be analyzed by the manufacturer to determine the percentage of
elements prescribed in Table 3. This analysis shall be made from a test specimen preferably taken during the pouring of the cast
or heat. When requested, this shall be reported to the purchaser and shall conform to the requirements of Table 3.
7.3 Product Analysis—An analysis may be made by the purchaser from finished wire representing each cast or heat of steel. The
chemical composition thus determined, as to elements required or restricted, shall conform to the product analysis requirements
specified in Table 7Table 3 of Specification A510/A510M.
7.4 For referee purposes, Test Methods, Practices, and Terminology A751 shall be used.
8. Mechanical Properties
8.1 Tension Test:
8.1.1 Requirements—The material as represented by tension test specimens shall conform to the requirements prescribed in
Table 1 or Table 2. Tensile strength of shaped wires shall conform to either table based on the conversion to equivalent round
diameter.
8.1.2 Number of Tests—One test specimen shall be taken for each ten coils or fraction thereof, in a lot. Each heat in a given
lot shall be tested.
8.1.3 Location of Tests—It shall be permissible to take test specimens from either end of the coil.
8.1.4 Test Method—The tension test shall be made in accordance with Test Methods and Definitions A370. For shaped wires,
cross sectional area shall be calculated either by using the procedure in Test Methods E8/E8M for uniform but nonsymmetrical
cross-sections, or by measuring width and thickness and multiplying by a shape factor.
8.1.4.1 Upon agreement between purchaser and supplier, the shape factor for the cross section design provided by the wire mill
shall be permissible to be adopted for use. In other situations if the shape factor is not available from the wire mill, the shape factor
shall be calculated by measuring the cross sectional area in accordance with Test Methods E8/E8M and dividing by the width and
thickness.
8.2 Wrap Test:
8.2.1 Requirements—Wire 4.00 mm [0.157 in.] and smaller in diameter shall wind on itself as an
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