Retaining Rings for Industrial Fastening Applications
Rotor Clip Co., Inc., Somerset, New Jersey
Jun 01 2007
Page 2 of 2
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Figure 1. The Constant Section Ring originally used in this transmission cooling valve did not have lug holes, making it impossible to remove from the assembly without damaging the groove.
The following application illustrates how the particular requirements of an application will dictate what type of retaining ring to specify. A customer selected a constant section retaining ring to retain a transmission cooling valve located in radiators found in most police cars. This valve, which regulates the oil temperature, is installed in the radiator after an oven brazing operation. A constant section ring was found to be the most economical and effective choice for the application (Figure 1).
Figure 2. Using a Tapered Internal Retaining Ring in the transmission cooling valve, the lug holes allow the ring to be removed without damaging the groove.
However, if a leak is detected in testing, the radiator must go through the brazing operation a second time. Since the valve might melt during this process, it must be removed. The customer would pry the constant section ring off, but this often ruined the groove, causing many valves to be scrapped. In this case, the customer switched to a tapered retaining ring (Figure 2), since the lug holes could be used to easily remove the ring, if necessary. Also, this particular ring featured lugs that are reversed, ensuring there would be enough clearance so the lugs would not interfere with the operation of the valve.
Figure 3. The Spiral Retaining Ring is ideal for the gear/axle assembly, which requires 360-degree contact with the shaft.
In contrast to the above, a ring that will provide uninterrupted, 360-degree contact is preferred to withstand the rotational speeds of this gear/axle assembly. Removal of the ring is also not a significant consideration. In this instance, a spiral retaining ring is the most cost-effective and logical choice (Figure 3).
To meet today’s stringent standards for cost reduction and value-added design, the designer must consider all options. This includes retaining rings and the flexibility afforded by the different styles when searching for an appropriate fastener to accomplish a given task. Matching this task to the appropriate ring can help you meet your cost reduction targets without sacrificing quality or performance.
This article was written by Craig Slass, Vice President of Sales, at Rotor Clip Co., Inc. For more information, e-mail
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, or visit http://info.hotims.com/10970-122.
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