Smalley Blog

November 16, 2016	Ask the Expert - Wave Spring Design Modifications We are back this week with another Ask the Expert Blog, where Smalley engineering experts answer difficult questions about retaining ring, snap ring, and wave spring design. This week, our engineering experts answer some questions about wave spring design modifications. Are you able to develop a wave spring that goes through an arc of about 250° instead of a full circle? Yes! Since our... Read More>>
September 29, 2016	Custom Fasteners made STRONGER If you have never heard of edgewound fasteners or are not familiar with the edgewinding process, you might want to keep reading. This little known but very interesting process is not even a topic included in the five million+ articles on Wikipedia. Over the past few decades, innovations in fastener manufacturing processes and technologies have helped shape this industry and the end products they... Read More>>
August 25, 2016	Ask the Expert - Hoopster Applications and Stacking Wave Springs Welcome to the Ask the Expert Blog, where our engineering experts answer questions about retaining ring and wave spring design and performance. This week, our engineers answer questions about Hoopster retaining rings and single turn wave springs. Can you use a Hoopster retaining ring without a groove? Will friction be enough to keep it in? Hoopster retaining rings, just like any retaining ring,... Read More>>
August 11, 2016	Ask the Expert - Replacing Snap Rings and Coil Springs We are back this week with another Ask the Expert Blog, where Smalley experts answer difficult questions about retaining ring and wave spring design. This week, our engineering experts answer some questions about snap ring and coil spring replacement with Smalley products. I'm currently using snap rings in my assembly, and am having over-stretch issues during the installation process. Could your... Read More>>
July 26, 2016	Ask the Expert - Wave Washer Replacement and Overlapping vs. Gap Type Wave Springs Welcome back to the Ask the Expert Blog, where Smalley engineers answer commonly asked retaining ring and wave spring design questions. This week, our engineering experts answer some questions about wave washer replacement and the difference between overlapping and gap type wave springs. Does Smalley have a product that can replace stainless steel wave washers? In my application, the washers are... Read More>>
July 8, 2016	Material Selection Guide Choosing the Right Material After finding the right retaining ring or wave spring for your application you would think you had made all the hard decisions. Wrong! Now you need to choose the right material for your application! Specifying the correct material for your application can prevent additional cost and failure in your operation down the road. Luckily, Smalley is here to help! Identifying... Read More>>
June 23, 2016	Bearing Preload Series Expansion Smarter Solutions for Smaller Applications Smalley is pleased to announce the expansion of our Bearing Preload Series. Smalley continues to push the limits in coiling innovation. The expansion of our popular bearing preload (SSB) series adds diameters ranging from 9 mm to 13 mm. Now over 300 SSB springs are stocked in carbon and stainless steel with free samples available to test in your... Read More>>
May 23, 2016	Design FAQ - Miniature Wave Springs Download our new Design FAQ that answers commonly asked questions about designing with small diameter wave springs. Smalley and Machine Design have partnered to develop a comprehensive FAQ to assist in navigating the different types of wave springs and the materials that are available with our new small capabilities. Here is a preview: What wave-spring configurations are available? The most... Read More>>
May 12, 2016	Ask the Expert - Retaining Ring Design and Wave Spring Performance in Extreme Temperatures It's time to answer commonly asked retaining ring and wave spring design questions through the one and only, Ask the Expert Blog. This week, our experts talk about retaining ring design and wave spring performance in extreme temperatures. What is the ideal groove corner radius to balance retaining ring fit versus stress risers? The recommended groove corner radius for a retaining ring with a... Read More>>
April 29, 2016	Spirolox® Retaining Ring Tooling Guide Smalley now offers “standard” assembly tooling for the installation of Spirolox retaining rings. Each Assembly Tool is designed to facilitate loading a specific ring size ring in a housing or on a shaft and tools are available incrementally for retaining ring sizes up to 2 in or 49 mm in diameter. The Smalley Advantage By being an industry leader in the retaining ring field, Smalley... Read More>>