Retaining Rings & Snap Rings

What Makes Smalley Retaining Rings Different?

Unlike a die-stamped circlip/retaining ring, a Spirolox^® Retaining Ring (a spiral retaining ring) and a Constant Section Retaining Ring (snap ring) are coiled on edge to the exact diameter required. Spirolox Retaining Rings have a uniform cross-section (or to use our terminology, No Ears to Interfere® within an assembly) and are free of burrs. Spirolox Retaining Rings meet military and aerospace specifications and are found in thousands of mechanical products around the world. Smalley offers spiral retaining rings and snap rings for both internal and external ring applications.

Retaining Ring Solutions

As the leader and innovator in the retaining ring market and inventor of the spiral retaining ring, Smalley offers thousands of retaining rings to meet any application requirements. Smalley retaining rings are available off the shelf in carbon steel, 302 stainless steel, and 316 stainless steel.

Smalley also manufactures Laminar Seal Rings.  A Smalley Laminar Seal Ring is a metallic labyrinth seal consisting of multiple rings in a groove. This arrangement of the rings and the specific orientation of the rings are dictated by the application and the severity of the environment.

Custom retaining ring designs can be manufactured in as little as two weeks. With Smalley's No-Tooling-Cost™ edgewinding manufacturing process, customs, from prototyping to low or high volume requirements, are an affordable alternative if the retaining ring you require is not available. A wide variety of special alloys and finishes are available including Inconel, Elgiloy, A286, Beryllium Copper, and more.

Retaining Ring Advantages

• Over 6,000 standard retaining rings (0.250" to 16", 6 mm to 400 mm diameters) in Carbon Steel and Stainless Steel 
• Spirolox Retaining Rings have No Ears to Interfere^® with mating components 
• Smalley Constant Section Snap Retaining Rings are Circular-Grain®, coiled not stamped 
• 30 series available. Request free samples to test in your application
• Internal retaining ring (housing) and external retaining rings (shaft) are available
• No Tooling Charges™ on custom retaining ring designs (.118" to 120", 3 mm to 3000 mm diameters) 
• Exotic alloys available
• Smalley retaining rings are easy to install and remove when compared to a standard retaining ring or snap ring
• Self-locking retaining rings are ideal for High RPM applications ​
• Smalley has been a retaining ring manufacturer for over 100 years.

Retaining Ring Applications in Your Industry

From everyday consumer products like the smartwatch on your wrist to life-saving medical devices such as robotic surgical instruments, retaining rings are trusted all over the world across every industry.

They can be found in extreme environments like oil wells deep under the Earth's surface to as high as the rover on Mars. The only limit retaining rings have is your imagination.

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Personalized Application and Engineering Support

• Take your application designs further than you thought possible with our unparalleled technical expertise and commitment to engineering excellence
• Experienced Engineering Team ready to find or design the right retaining ring for you and your application

Quick Delivery

• Over 6,000 standard rings in stock in carbon and stainless steel
• Standard size range from 0.250" to 16", 6 mm to 400 mm diameters

Optimize Your Design with Easy Customization 

• Work with a Smalley Engineer to design a retaining ring specific to your application requirements
• No-Tooling-Charges™ on custom designs from .118" to 120", 3 mm to 3000 mm diameters
• Over 40 material options are available to perform in any environment

Found your Retaining Ring?