Ask the Expert - Ring Alterations, Ring Materials, and Ring Varieties

Welcome back to the Ask the Expert Blog, where our engineers answer commonly asked ring and spring design questions. This week, our experts field some questions about ring alterations, ring materials, and ring varieties.

For 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. Whether you require a standard or custom solution, our dedicated team of engineers can design a solution for your target application performance.

The removal notches are scratching and digging into the mating component. Can Smalley manufacture different end configurations that would eliminate this from happening?

Smalley can manufacture rings that have radiused, deburred, or reformed ends. These are a few options that have worked in the past for our customers who have had issues with rings scratching a mating component.

Another potential option would be using an installation sleeve to prevent the scratching while still being able to utilize the current Smalley part. Please contact a Smalley engineer to help you choose the best option for your application.

Do you make scarf cut seal rings?

Scarf cut seal rings are usually manufactured out of Teflon and used as a backup to an O-ring. Smalley does not manufacture scarf cut rings, but we do manufacture laminar seal rings. To discuss the differences in more detail, please contact Smalley Engineering.

Can your rings be used in applications without a groove? If not, are there any other alternatives you would recommend for this type of application?

Smalley’s rings are designed to be used in order to retain components using a groove. While Smalley does not offer the push-on type washers that are available in the marketplace, Smalley has other products that may be an option for you. Contact Smalley Engineering to discuss your application further.

That’s all for now.  Do you have your own question to Ask the Expert? Submit it below today!