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TFC Talks Smalley: Spirolox Ring Installation Insights
Simon Ward
Simon Ward
Simon leads the UK technical team and specialises in the design and development of Smalley wave springs and spiral retaining rings. With over 25 years of experience, Simon develops bespoke parts for major clients around the world and across a wide range of industry sectors. He is now widely considered the leading authority on Smalley products.
~Discussing replacing external circlips with Spirolox retaining rings and addressing typical expansion limits~
Welcome back to Smalley Talk, where our engineers answer commonly asked retaining ring and wave spring questions. This week, our Product Manager, Simon Ward discusses the topic of Spirolox Ring installation.
I’m currently using external circlips in my assembly, I seem to be having over-stretch issues during the installation process. Could your Spirolox retaining rings be a good replacement?
Installation stress is a design parameter that needs to be considered for all types of retaining rings and circlips. As with any metal component, if the ring is bent beyond the yield point of the material, it will plastically deform. Spirolox retaining rings may be easier to use than circlips because they just need to be spiraled on to install them and do not need to be stretched larger than the component they are being fitted on. However, if the Spirolox ring is stretched too far, they could still be deformed. Our engineers are willing to work with you to determine if this will be an issue for your application.
What are typical expansion limits for the installation of a two turn Spirolox retaining ring over a tapered plug?
There is not a general rule of thumb for how far a ring can be expanded during installation because there are many variables that come into play when calculating installation stress. Ring material, wire cross-section, and ring diameter are all variables in the installation stress formula. We can work with you to determine the maximum diameter the ring can be expanded to during installation. If installation stress exceeds the material yield strength, the part may take a set and not cling properly in the groove.
That’s all for now, check back next time when the team will answer more Smalley product related questions. You can see more blog entries and other application examples on our technical articles page.