Manufacturers today face many challenges when building machines and equipment that are supposed to run as smooth as possible in order to be efficient, safe and long-lasting. Design engineers are constantly pushing the limits of feasible designs to maintain an edge in the race for higher efficiency and durability. The same is true for Rotor Clip. Not only do we offer several different, standard and custom retaining ring options to reduce NVH or increase overall assembly balance, but we continuously explore new opportunities through research, process innovation, and process optimization to provide design engineers with solutions to maintain that edge.
Design engineers have to account for centrifugal forces when choosing circlips to retain parts on shafts that rotate at high speeds. These forces can become so strong that they unseat the retaining ring from its groove, at which point the ring loses its retaining function, leading to application failure.
One distinct solution, for very high rotational speeds, are spiral retaining rings with locking feature: Standard Multi-turn, spiral-wound retaining rings consist of two or more turns of flat wire material with rounded edges. The material is coiled on edge to provide a gapless ring with 360º of retention and groove contact. Spiral rings offer space savings in a radial direction since there are no assembly lugs as with tapered section circlips. The addition of a locking tab to the standard style prevents the ring from "opening up" during high rpms and unseating from groove on shaft. Theoretically, these rings cannot dislodge from the groove due to the centrifugal forces caused by high RPMs.
Rotor Clip is a global leader and expert in the production of circlips and has assisted design engineers for over 60 years with retaining ring solutions that achieved their ultimate design goals, including the reduction of noise, vibration, and harshness.
