A variety of Motion Control systems make use of circlips and wave springs. From actuators and gearboxes, to motors, pumps and sensors, circlips and wave springs are used to securely fasten or preload components to ensure that motion control assemblies function reliably.
Circlips frequently retain bearings or gears in housings or on shafts. Design engineers are presented with a large selection of circlip types and making the correct choice for the varying application requirements can be daunting at times. At the beginning of the design stage it is important for design engineers to partner with a knowledgeable circlip supplier. Axial and radial tapered section circlips, self-locking types, snap rings, and spiral rings all offer unique performance attributes to the end user. Specifications such as load requirements, radial clearance, rotational speeds, axial endplay, operational environment, preferred installation method, just to name a few, have a bearing on what type of circlip is best suited to meet the application requirements. A supplier that manufactures all types and styles of circlips will have the expertise and industry experience to provide guidance and ultimately the ideal circlip solution for any given motion control application.
This holds equally true for wave springs, which are coiled from a flat wire with waves added to give them a spring effect. There a several wave spring types suitable for a multitude of applications, load ranges and work height requirements. Single-turn wave springs are particularly suited to fit narrow radial wall dimensions and low clearances and are often used to pre-load bearings. Multi-turn wave springs are particularly suitable for medium and heavy duty applications or designs requiring high thrust load capacity. These springs are a great alternative to traditional coil springs when axial space is limited, as they only take up 50% of the space required by conventional coil springs while providing an equal or higher load performance. Again it is important to work with a trustworthy supplier to ensure that one receives a spring component that maximizes the performance of the final assembly. Providing expert spring design calculations, prototyping, product testing, and knowledge sharing are essentials in a quality wave spring supplier.
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