SPRING 2023

30 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S

30 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK ROTOR CLIP COMPANY INC. 187 Davidson Avenue, Somerset, NJ 08873 TEL 1-800-557-6867 EMAIL info@rotorclip.com WEB www.rotorclip.com WHAT MAKES RETAINING RINGS THE RIGHT SOLUTION? In today’s mechanical motion systems, the vast majority of power transmission is rotational, and, as a result, shafts are often present in everything from motors in UAV drones to 3-D printers. When shafts are assembled into final products, fasteners are placed at the ends or at fixed linear distances along the shaft where components need to be located. Traditional fasteners like screws, nuts, bolts, cotter pins, and washers require threading, tapping, drilling, and other machining operations. Retaining rings are metal fasteners installed into a groove on a shaft or in a bore creating a shoulder that resists thrust loading and keeps the assembly together. Rotor Clip is the only manufacturer of every style of Retaining Ring, ensuring end users receive the most optimal solution for their application. There are three main types of retaining rings: Constant Section Retaining Rings feature a uniform, constant section that provides three-point contact with the groove. Tapered Section Rings grip the entire periphery of the groove along the ring’s edge. Spiral Rings are wound from a single section of flat wire and provide 360-degree axial contact. Retaining rings are used in virtually every industry, supporting primarily automotive, medical, aerospace & defense, oil & gas, and energy sectors. Retaining rings’ light weight, simple, and fast assembly properties make them ideal candidates for product assembly simplification and cost reduction, providing several advantages over traditional fasteners. A single retaining ring can replace multiple pieces of hardware in an assembly. There is no need for complicated shaft or housing preparation such as threading, tapping, and drilling leading to lower fabrication time and costs. As a result, this is an economical fastening solution for manufacturers. Spiral retaining rings are an advanced solution for retaining ring applications that require 360-degree contact with the groove and shoulder of the part being assembled. They are designed not unlike a torsion spring and allow expansion (unwind) to slip over shafts and contraction (wind) to squeeze into bores. Spiral retaining rings require additional force to operate over taper and constant section rings, and, in return, offer a stronger fixing strength for the assembly. These rings are manufactured by coiling a single flat wire and can be single or multiturn; depending on the application requirements giving spiral retaining rings a broad range of standard and custom sizes up to 25 inches in diameter. Key advantages of this manufacturing technique are that there is no stamping waste or edge burrs and no concern about orientation of metal grain. Rolled flat wires have a natural radiused edge making them easier to slide into or onto position. Dedicated tooling is not necessary, making spiral retaining rings attractive for low-quantity custom applications. This manufacturing method avails itself to popular materials such as carbon and stainless steel as well as alloys such as Inconel, Hastelloy, and beryllium copper. TECHNICAL ARTICLE ROTOR CLIP COMPANY INC.