Smalley Spirolox® Retaining Rings

Traditional retaining rings though helpful, are riddled with challenges. For starters, they have “ears” that can interfere with an assembly. Most of them also have burrs and are unsuitable for applications with tight tolerance.

Spirolox retaining springs solve all these challenges. They are coiled on edge to the exact diameter required and engineered to meet military and aerospace specifications. They’ve become increasingly common in their applications and feature in everything from toys to state-of-the-art machinery.

The rings are easier to install and up to 75% less expensive than stamped retaining rings. With Spirolox retaining rings, you can save materials, machining, and assembly labour costs.

What are Spirolox retaining rings?

Smalley Spirolox Retaining Rings are also commonly referred to as spiral retaining rings or spiral snap rings. They are available exclusively from Smalley. The rings have several unique features that distinguish them from traditional retaining rings. The distinguishing features of Spirolox retaining rings are;

• They have a 360-degree retaining surface with no gap
• No protruding ears to interfere with the mating of components and create a uniform cross-section.
• Usually produced in stainless steel, which is more economical because it doesn’t produce scrap.
• The rings are easy to assemble and remove
• The lack of gaps or lugs provides for a functional and more physically appealing ring
• They can operate in an internal and external groove simultaneously

Types of Spirolox Retaining Rings

As a leading Smalley partner, we stock and provide a wide range of Spirolox retaining rings to suit different applications and user requirements. The rings come in various sizes and designs, making it easy for our customers to find the right ring for their applications.

Internal Spirolox® Rings for Bores

Internal Spirolox retaining rings act as a removable shoulder with a bore or housing. We carry the rings in a variety of configurations to suit different applications. Our selection of internal Spirolox retaining rings includes;  

• Self-locking rings – This range of rings is ideal for applications that have high rotational requirements. The self-locking feature allows the ring to function properly at speeds exceeding the recommended rotational capacity.
• DIN 472 Snap rings (metric) – XFH series – These rings are produced through edge-winding and don’t require any custom tooling charges. They have been specified for many years in the strong automotive and strong and heavy equipment industries. The rings are a common choice for engineers.
• Snap rings (imperial)-XFHE series –  These rings are also produced by edge winding with no custom tooling charges. Like the XFH DIN 472 snap rings, these are also highly applicable in the heavy machinery and strong vehicle industries.
• Medium-heavy duty (imperial)-XWHT series – This type of Spirolox retaining ring is known for its ease of installation and load-carrying ratings that are close to the heavy-duty retaining ring designs.
• Light duty (metric)-XVHM series – These rings are specified for light duty and low clearance applications. They are also ideal for applications where axial positioning is the principal function instead of load carrying.
• Light duty (Imperial)–XVH series – This series is also designed for light duty and low clearance applications. This range of rings is economically produced and is easy to use. It is perfect for applications where the thrust loads are light-duty.

We also have other options for internal Spirolox retaining rings like the XWH medium-duty imperial series, the heavy-duty (imperial) XWHM series, the aerospace (metric)-XEH series and the DIN 472 (metric)-XDNH series. Each ring is specially tailored and engineered for its applications to deliver the highest performance in the toughest conditions.

External Spirolox® Rings for Shafts

Our Spirolox range of retaining rings also includes external Spirolox retains. These also come in various configurations with multiple-ring series for varying applications. Some of our assorted external retaining rings include;

• Self-locking rings – The self-locking rings are ideal for high rotational applications. The self-locking feature allows the ring to function properly at speeds that exceed the recommended rotational capacity.
• DIN 471 snap rings (Metric)-XFS series – These Smalley snap rings are commonly used in the automotive and heavy equipment industries. They are highly preferred by engineers. The snap rings are produced by edge-winding with no custom tooling charges.
• Snap rings (imperial)-XFSE series – This range of snap rings are also common in the heavy industrial equipment and automotive industry. They come in over 1,000 stock sizes and are produced by edge-winding with no custom tooling charges.
• Heavy duty (imperial)-XWSM series – These are the best rings for the toughest retaining jobs. The rings are use standard industry groove dimensions and are interchangeable with many stamped retaining rings. The rings can be made from carbon steel or stainless steel alloys and other alternative materials on request.
• Medium duty (imperial) XWS series – This is the most popular series of Smalley’s retaining rings. They come in many standard retaining ring sizes, making it easy for customers to select and order the right rings for their applications.
• Medium-heavy duty (imperial) XWST series – This range of retaining rings has a load-carrying capacity similar to that of the heavy-duty designs, and it is easy to install. Many manufacturers have set groove dimensions specifically for this Spirolox® series.
• DIN 471 (metric)-XDNS series – This retaining ring is equivalent to the European or “Hard” metric retaining ring series. These rings have a 2-turn offset configuration that fits into the grooves established by DIN 471 specifications.
• Aerospace (metric)-XES series – These are Smalley’s standard Spiral retaining rings produced to metric aerospace specifications. They fit grooves designed for 2-turn spiral retaining rings and accommodate light to medium-duty applications.
• Light duty (imperial)-XVS series – This range is for light duty, low clearance applications or applications where axial positioning takes precedence over load carrying capacity. They are economically produced and easy to use. They are also ideal for applications where thrust loads are moderate.
• Light duty (metric)-XVSM series – This range is also specified for light duty, low-clearance applications. They are also economically produced and best-suited for applications where axial positioning is the principal function.