The engineering world has been gravitating towards retaining rings, also known as snap rings, instead of threaded fasteners. Retaining rings are metal fasteners installed into a groove on a shaft or in a housing or bore. They create a shoulder that retains an assembly.
The rings eliminate threading, tapping, drilling and other machining operations associated with traditional fasteners like nuts, screws, bolts, cotter pins and washers, among others.

Engineering operations favour retaining rings because they can help reduce production costs as the grooves can be machined with other production processes. A retaining ring is typically a thin, flat band with a gap or break in the material, allowing for easy installation and removal with specialised tools. This design helps to reduce production costs and improve efficiency.

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Applications of Retaining Rings

Retaining rings have become a part of everyday life. Their applications are extensive and cut across various industries and fields. Industries that use retaining rings include:

• Medical
• Oil and gas
• Automotive
• Windpower
• Aerospace
• Consumer industrial
• Off-highway and heavy machinery

Types of Retaining Rings

We have different types of retaining rings to suit various applications and industries. Each ring has varying features, making it ideal for its purpose. Some of the types of retaining rings we have include;

Circlips

We are a leading supplier of circlip retaining rings. They come in standard DIN and imperial circlip sizes, as well as internal and external circlips.

External circlips

External retaining rings, also known as external snap rings or shaft rings, are mounted on the outer diameter of a shaft and fit into a groove or recessed area. They expand or contract to secure components by applying outward radial force against the groove walls.

Our range of external circlips for shafts includes:

• Light Duty Spirolox® – Series XVSM (Metric)
• Light Duty Spirolox® – Series XVS (Imperial)
• Aerospace Spirolox® – Series XES (Metric)
• DIN 471 Spirolox® – Series XDNS (Metric)
• Hoopster® – Series XHSM (Metric)
• Hoopster® – Series XHS (Imperial)
• DIN 471 Snap Rings – Series XFS (Metric)
• Medium Duty Spirolox®– Series XWS (Imperial)
• WaveRing® – Series YWSW (Imperial)
• Medium Heavy Duty Spirolox® – Series XWST (Imperial)
• Heavy Duty Spirolox® – Series XWSM (Imperial)
• Snap Rings – Series XFSE (Imperial)
• Snap Rings – Series XXAS (Imperial)
• Snap Rings – Series XXDS (Imperial)

Internal circlips

Internal retaining rings, also called internal snap rings or bore rings, are installed inside a bore or housing. They fit into a groove or recessed area on the inner diameter, creating inward radial force that presses against the groove walls to prevent the component from moving outward.
Our range of internal circlips for a bore or housing includes;

• Spirolox (metric)
• Spirolox (Imperial)
• WaveRings
• Self-locking rings
• DIN472 Snap rings (metric) – XFH series
• Snap rings (imperial) – XFHE series

We have a vast range of options – Learn More

E Clips

Our range also features a variety of e-clips. This type of retaining ring helps to restrict the loosening of the components due to rapid rotational motion. Our selection of e-clips retaining rings includes;

• Standard series E Clips-Metric
• Standard series E-Clips imperial
• Crescent-type circlip – metric
• Crescent type circlip imperial
• Reinforced E clips
• Bowed E clips imperial

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Push On & Push In Circlip Retainers

Push-on retainers are retaining rings designed to protect threaded fasteners in assemblies from loosening or slipping. The slide over the shaft of a threaded fastener.
Push-on and push-in circlip retainers are easy to install and inexpensive, and they do an excellent job of keeping the fasteners coming out of the assemblies. They also hold the assemblies together. You can choose between push-on or push-in circlip retainers depending on the application.

Talk to us about your retaining ring requirements

Snap Rings

Snap rings, also known as a Constant Section Retaining Ring, are a type of fastener that holds a bearing in place. The ring snaps into a circular grove inside the bore housing or on the shaft, hence the name ‘Snap ring.’ Snap rings have a high tensile strength, making them snap into the radial groove and stay in place.

Like our other types of retaining rings, there are many types of snap rings, but they can be classified into two categories: external and internal snap rings.
External snap rings are retaining rings that wrap around a shaft to retain the shaft assemblies. They are used in many applications, including retaining bearings on axles and in gear assemblies inside the transmission. Here is the range of our most comment external snap rings:

• DIN 471 Snap Rings – Series XFS (Metric)
• Snap Rings – Series XFSE (Imperial)
• Snap Rings – Series XXAS (Imperial)
• Snap Rings – Series XXDS (Imperial)

Internal snap rings are installed inside the bore. They are compressed to install, remove, and make contact with their external circumference. Here is the range of our most comment internal snap rings:

• DIN472 Snap rings (metric) – XFH series
• Snap rings (imperial) – XFHE series

Our Technical Team would be happy to answer your questions

Hoopster Rings

Hoopster rings are a type of retaining ring that works the same way as a barrel hoop. They are featured in medical devices, surgical tools, and other tiny equipment. They are commonly used to hold two radial parts together. AtAFC, we supply different types of Hoopster rings, including external and internal Hoopster rings of various configurations.

WaveRings

WaveRings are like a constant section ring but with added compression. This type of ring keeps the assembly from loosening due to vibration under stable pressure. Besides keeping the assembly together, the rings reduce the vibration caused by the high radial speeds and eliminate the tolerance stack of components in an assembly.

No matter the applications or the operating environment, we have a vast range of options that cater to the vast majority of needs and application requirements.

Do you have some further questions? Please contact us!