The snap ring, also known as a retaining ring or circlip, is a type of hardware fastener. There are many types of snap rings, and they are mainly installed in the shaft grooves or holes of machines and equipment. Many people often confuse snap rings with elastic retaining rings. So what is the difference between snap rings and elastic retaining rings?
In simple terms, it serves to prevent axial movement of components on the shaft or in the hole.
A snap ring is an important component, belonging to a type of small equipment part, with specifications generally being very small. The shape of a snap ring is usually circular, but it has a notch at one end. By fitting the snap ring onto the equipment that needs to be fixed and then locking the notch with a screw, the equipment can be kept stable. This is the function of the snap ring. In CNC lathes, the spindle snap ring is commonly used as a fixture for clamping parts. Due to the good structure and precision of the spindle snap ring, it is widely used in the manufacturing field. However, in the specific production process, the snap ring lacks an axial positioning device and can only rely on the end face of the snap ring and a specific tool for positioning. The specific operation is to move the tool to a fixed position set by the program, then open the machine door to loosen the snap ring, pull the end face of the part to be processed to fit against the tool face, and then clamp the spindle snap ring and close the machine door.
The current positioning method is complex to operate and has low positioning accuracy, which cannot meet the precision of parts, the large size differences of batch parts, and cannot satisfy the quick switching and processing of various types of parts during production.
Due to the addition of process holes, snap rings are easier to disassemble and assemble, but the space occupied by the protrusions at the installation process holes is relatively large. Both hole-type and shaft-type snap rings have the problem of occupying a large space.
Compared to snap rings, elastic retaining rings have a multi-layer structure, commonly using 2 layers and 3 layers, etc., without protruding parts. Elastic retaining rings are very similar to key rings, except that there are notches at the ends of the retaining ring wire for gripping, which do not interfere with other adjacent components during assembly, making them more convenient to use. Now, for situations that do not require frequent disassembly, the advantages of elastic retaining rings are more obvious. In addition, Smalley's elastic retaining rings are formed by winding flat wire, and after heat treatment and surface treatment, they exhibit excellent elasticity and toughness.
In summary: Elastic retaining rings have equal cross-sections, uniform stress, and reduce stress concentration phenomena. The inner and outer edges are smooth and complete, without interference from ears with mating parts, and there are no burrs on the inner and outer diameters, making disassembly and assembly convenient. The number of layers can be adjusted to meet different needs, and there is no need to make molds. By changing the thickness of the material, it can be easily made into light load, medium load, and heavy load types. The production cycle is short, and a wide range of materials can be selected, including spring steel, stainless steel, copper, and other metal materials.
