What are the primary factors influencing the operating stress at a specific work height?

Operating stress $S$ is calculated using $S = \frac{3 \pi P D_m}{4 b t^2 N^2}$. This formula accounts for the load $P$ at the work height. Stress is most sensitive to the material thickness $t$ and the wave count $N$. Increasing $N$ significantly reduces the stress for a given load but increases the spring rate. For high-cycle applications, the maximum operating stress should not exceed $50-70\%$ of the minimum tensile strength of the material to ensure fatigue resistance. In 17-7PH CH900 stainless steel, the tensile strength typically reaches 200-240 ksi, allowing for higher operating stresses than standard 302 stainless.