15-5 spring temper

[wbrokow1]

Is anyone using 15-5 stainless as a spring?
Since 17-7 is tough to get, I was wondering if anyone has had success & if they have a hardening and tempering process
to get the material to RC44-51. The spring is low deflection
(.015") max and is flat.
Thanks for any help.

 

[TVP]

Type 631 (17-7 PH) should be more common than Type XM-12 (15-5 PH). Have you tried suppliers like Somers Thin Strip (part of Olin Brass) or Ulbrich Specialty Strip? As an alternative for flat springs, Type 301 is quite common, and can achieve the necessary spring temper due to strain hardening during the cold rolling of the strip. It obviously has some limitations relative to Type 631, but may be suitable for your application. The same suppliers produce this grade as well.