Smalley Blog

January 27, 2020	Wave Spring vs. Coil Spring What's the difference between a wave spring and a coil spring? Custom or standard, Smalley takes great pride in its unparalleled dedication to delivering quality wave spring solutions for a variety of industries. Both wave springs and traditional coil springs fall under the category of compression springs. While the primary function of a compression spring is to provide axial load, wave springs... Read More>>
January 14, 2020	Top 6 Advantages of a Wave Spring Wave washers, coil springs, disc springs, the list goes on – these are all traditional springs that work well in many engineering applications. However, adding a wave spring to your design toolkit can open up a world of new and innovative possibilities. Knowing when to use a wave spring and understanding the value it brings can take your designs to the next level. So when should you use a wave... Read More>>
January 10, 2020	Wave Spring Guide: A Brief Overview While finding the best possible design solution can be challenging, knowing what options are available can make it easier for you. One option Smalley provides is a wave spring. A wave spring, a type of compression spring, is a solution that optimizes space concerns while providing form, fit, and function. So what is a wave spring? Let’s start by defining what a spring is. Most people have used... Read More>>
December 16, 2019	Smalley's CAD Library Smalley leads the way in designing and manufacturing retaining rings and wave springs. We know how important it is to visualize your design, so we offer CAD models for our entire product line. All of our standard parts are available for immediate download from our interactive, parametrically drawn CAD library. If you're looking at a custom design, you can always request a custom CAD model when... Read More>>
November 20, 2019	Smalley Wins GM Supplier Quality Excellence Award for 7th Consecutive Year 4,000+ GM suppliers worldwide 432 Recipients of the Supplier Quality Excellence Award 13 Specific quality requirements showing above standard performance 0 Defects in parts and components 1 Smalley Lake Zurich, IL, November 13, 2019 - Smalley was presented the General Motors Supplier Quality Excellence Award for the year 2018. This marks the 7th consecutive year that Smalley has received this... Read More>>
November 4, 2019	#1 Reason for Retaining Ring Failure and How to Overcome It Drills, saws, sanders, and grinders - what do all of these power tools have in common? Retaining rings keep them from falling apart. A retaining ring’s function is to hold components or assemblies in place. For a retaining ring in a power tool, this is no easy feat as it is regularly exposed to high axial and vibrational force. The retaining ring must maintain its integrity, despite the various... Read More>>
October 21, 2019	Ask the Expert - Retaining Ring Interchange and Stock Material Welcome back to the Ask the Expert Blog, where our engineers answer commonly asked retaining ring and wave spring design questions. This week, our experts field some questions about interchangeable retaining rings and Smalley's stock material. What are the differences between a Spirolox® retaining ring with an RR/RS part number and a Smalley WH/WS part number? Are they interchangeable? They are... Read More>>
October 7, 2019	Smalley Applications – Athletic Shoes and Wave Springs When examining potential uses for Smalley's versatile wave springs, usually Aerospace, Automotive, and Medical applications come to mind. Granted, there are probably thousands of designs where wave springs are a viable solution, but that only scratches the surface of the capabilities of these innovative products. One of the most unique uses for wave springs is as the shock-absorbing component of... Read More>>
September 23, 2019	Top 4 Advantages of Edgewinding over Stamping Edgewinding, also known as the Smalley No-Tooling-Cost™ process, is the only manufacturing solution Smalley engineers trust to deliver precise yet flexible solutions to meet your retaining ring and wave spring needs. So what is edgewinding? Edgewinding has been the standard Smalley manufacturing process for over 50 years. Edgewinding is a precision forming process that involves coiling flat wire... Read More>>
September 9, 2019	How to Control Corrosion: Material Selection Welcome back to the Ask the Expert blog. The blog is designed to help educate you on all things retaining rings and wave springs. This week, we talk about what corrosion is and why it’s an important factor to consider when choosing the appropriate material for retaining ring and wave spring design. What is Corrosion and Why Does it Matter for my Application? Corrosion is a naturally occurring... Read More>>