What are Retaining Rings?
Types of Retaining Rings: Definition, Uses, Advantages & Disadvantages :- Retaining rings, which are widely also regarded as circlips or snap rings are fasteners made out of metal which are installed into a groove which is present on a shaft, or in a bore or housing to retain an assembly. The devices hold the parts in their place using a lightweight, compact design which does not require a huge amount of machining operations compared to the other fastening techniques. ( Types of Fasteners )
Engineers usually differentiate the retaining rings based on their applications:
Installation and removal requirements
Expected force load(s) on the ring
Conditions and operating environment
Cost
Rotational speed
The size of retaining rings can vary from 1mm to 1m in diameter. A variety of combinations of shape, style, size and material may even result in designs that perform efficiently in a variety of applications and industries. Taking example of a standard automobile, for example, can have as many as 50 retaining rings in systems which consists of steering, safety equipment, powertrain, etc.
Retaining rings also find their use in several other things, such as wind turbines, fitness equipment, bearing retention, doorknobs, bicycles, gas pumps, in office furniture, and many others.
The main reason behind the usage of a retaining ring is to give a base or simply give a shoulder to stop the assemblies or sub-components coming off a housing bore or a shaft.
Types of Retaining Rings
Retaining rings exist in many forms which include;
Spiral Retaining Rings
Push-On Retail Rings
Tapered Retaining Rings
Constant Section Retaining Rings
Custom Retaining Rings
1. Spiral Retaining Rings
Spiral retaining rings can be of two types: either single-turn or multi-turn, depending upon the needs and situation. Spiral-wound, Multi-turn retaining rings most commonly comprise of two or more curvatures of wire material with rounded edges which is in-house rolled flat. The edge of the material is coiled to give a gapless ring with an angle of retention of as much as 360º. Since there are no assembly lugs which are present in tapered retaining rings, spiral rings offer space savings in a radial direction.
2. Push On Retaining Rings
Push-On Rings are usually described as a retaining ring which is self-locking that tries to apply force (frictional) against a housing or a shaft so as to hold any equipment or component (mechanical) tightly in its place. Usually, to be found in those self-locking designs which are both external and internal, Push-On Rings do not show any sort of requirement whatsoever of grooves or additional machining so as to be secured in its place rightly.
They are excellent for securing parts which involve lighter duty applications and are not subject to substantial heavy thrust loads. They fit on the outside of your application or shaft. The prongs or teeth each “push” against the external portion of the shaft to stay in its position. In other words, they produce mutual force on each other so as to maintain their respective position. Not only do these Push-On Retaining Rings possess no requirement of groove in the shaft, they are also the absolute perfect choice for jobs involving lower forces.
