Answer
'Wave Jumping' is a condition where the wave spring loses contact with the mating surface during the return stroke of a high-speed cycle. This happens when the acceleration of the system exceeds the spring's ability to 'push back' (force $F = m \times a$). If the mass of the spring and the associated components is too high, or the spring rate is too low, the spring will lag behind the moving part, causing an impact load when contact is re-established. This results in high-impact fatigue and audible noise (chatter). Troubleshooting involves either increasing the spring's pre-load, reducing the moving mass, or using a nested wave spring to increase the spring rate without significantly increasing the mass, thereby raising the system's dynamic response threshold.
