What is a Retaining Ring? Smalley's Retaining Ring, Snap Ring, and Circlip Overview Nails, screws, nuts, bolts, pins- the list goes on. What do these all have in common? They hold things together. When you staple a piece of paper or hang a painting on a wall, you’re joining two things together through the means of a fastener. So if we have many different types of fasteners, how do I know which one to use? Figuring out which fastener to use goes back to the application. Factors ..read more

Would a Standard Wave Spring Made in a Special Material Maintain the Same Spring Rate and Performance? There are many factors to consider when designing a product. Will the product be exposed to high temperatures or high humidity? Perhaps it will frequently come into contact with certain chemicals or harsh environments. Not to mention, how will using a specialty alloy affect the performance of a product? At Smalley, our engineers know the demands called upon by different applications. That is why ..read more

Ask the Expert - Wave Spring Tolerance and Load Over the course of more than 100 years, Smalley has been the industry leader and technological pioneer of retaining rings and constant section rings. And for more than 50 years, Smalley has been revolutionizing the industry with compact wave springs. We got to where we are today without a single salesperson. So how did we do it? With a dedicated team of Sales Engineers. Sales Engineers are ..read more

Smalley Honored with General Motors' 2022 Supplier Quality Excellence Award Lake Zurich, IL, July 17, 2023 – Smalley is proud to announce that it has been awarded the 2022 Supplier Quality Excellence Award (SQEA) by General Motors, making it the 11th consecutive year of receiving this award. This highly regarded recognition is a testament to Smalley's unwavering commitment to delivering exceptional quality and outstanding performance in the automotive industry. The SQEA ..read more

Removing a Tab and Slot Self-Locking Retaining Ring Smalley’s Spirolox® retaining rings can be configured to include different provisions or features to better suit application needs. A popular feature for Spirolox rings is the Tab and Slot lock (Figure 1), which provides a mechanical interference allowing the ring to ‘lock’ in place.   Figure 1. Tab and Slot locking self-locking ring In a Tab and Slot self-locking ring, the tabbed end of the ..read more

Tapered Section Retaining Ring (Circlip): What it is, Advantages, and Installation/Removal What is a Tapered Section Retaining Ring (Circlip)? Tapered Section Retaining Rings, also referred to as circlips, are retaining rings with a tapered radial wall. Tapered Section Retaining Rings can be axially installed into a bore/shaft groove to safely secure assemblies in place. They are designed for high thrust loads and heavy-duty applications. They are called Tapered Section Retaining ..read more

What is a Retaining Ring? Smalley's Retaining Ring Overview Nails, screws, nuts, bolts, pins- the list goes on. What do these all have in common? They hold things together. When you staple a piece of paper or hang a painting on a wall, you’re joining two things together through the means of a fastener. So if we have many different types of fasteners, how do I know which one to use? Figuring out which fastener to use goes back to the application. Factors ..read more

'Tab and Slot' Self-Locking Ring: What is it, How Does it Work, and When Should You Use One? What is a ‘Tab and Slot’ Self-Locking Ring? Spirolox®, a division of Smalley, invented the ‘Tab and Slot’ Self-Locking Ring back in 1958. The innovative design has been proven in thousands of high-speed applications. So, what is it? Let’s first define what a self-locking ring is. A self-locking ring is a custom retaining ring feature that increases a ring’s rotational capacity. They are ..read more

Common Issues with Traditional Fastening Methods for High RPM Capacity Applications and How to Overcome Them Before hearing about Smalley’s high RPM solutions, the most common issues experienced with traditional fastening methods for high rotational capacity applications include: Bulky designs containing additional components Increased development time Increased production and assembly time Higher overall cost Fastening failure, the worst of them all This blog will discuss some of the traditional ..read more

Revolox® ‘Dimple and Slot’ Self-Locking Ring: What is it, How Does it Work, and When Should I Use One? What is a Revolox® ‘Dimple and Slot’ Self-Locking Ring? Let’s first define what a self-locking ring is. Spirolox®, a division of Smalley, invented self-locking rings back in 1958. There are two types of self-locking rings, ‘Tab and Slot’ and ‘Dimple and Slot’. So, what is it? A self-locking ring is a custom retaining ring feature that increases a ring’s rotational capacity. They are typically ..read more