Helical Compression Springs represent the most common spring configuration utilized in today's marketplace. They are found in a wide variety of applications ranging from automotive engines and large stamping presses to major appliances and lawn mowers. They offer resistance to linear compressing forces, and are in fact one of the most efficient energy storage devices available.

Compression springs are typically manufactured from round wire and in a cylindrical shape. However square, rectangular, and other non- round cross section wire can be utilized, and springs can be shaped in barrel, conical, hourglass, or other profiles.

In this way, compression springs can be specifically tailored to applications that have, for instance, solid height restrictions or dynamic resonance conditions that need to be addressed.

Spacing between coils ( pitch ) can also be varied to provide different spring rates throughout the operating range of the spring.

Because of the number of compression spring characteristics that can be tailored to specific circumstances, this type of spring represents an extremely flexible design approach to force resistance and energy storage.