What are retaining ring

A retaining ring is a fastener that holds components or assemblies onto a shaft or in a housing/bore when installed in a groove. Once installed, the exposed portion acts as a shoulder which retains the specific component or assembly. Circlips are a type of retaining ring.

It is a mechanical device that is used to hold two or more components or assemblies on a shaft or in housing or bores. The retaining ring is installed in a groove, thus creating a shoulder whose function is to hold the assembly. In applications where there is no groove, a form of self-locking retaining rings are used.

The retaining rings are generally produced from materials, such as carbon steel, beryllium copper, or stainless steel. These substances provide the rings with a significantly higher amount of strength and stain resistance. The retaining ring manufacturers of India might also use corrosion protection layers if the usage environment demands so.

Retaining rings come in primarily three types, namely, axially assembled, radially assembled, and self-locking. Retaining ring suppliers report that out of these three, axially assembled rings are most popular. The axially assembled retaining rings are used to install into external and internal machined grooves. The retaining ring manufacturers in India create this form of the ring along with lug holes, which are used to install or remove the rings.

The other form of retaining rings that retaining ring suppliers have is radially assembled rings. These rings are installed on a shaft by placing them into machined grooves. These rings have to be installed with the assistance of an applicator because unlike axially assembled rings, they do not have any lug holes.

Another form of retaining ring is called self-locking retaining rings. These rings are installed on a staff which does not have groove machine on it. Since there are no lugs on these rings, it is impossible to take them out without destroying or warping them.

The retaining rings have to function under extreme conditions and this necessitates the inclusion of certain protective measures. One of such measure is applying one of the following protective finishes on the surface of the rings: zinc plating, oil, cadmium plating, passivation, or phosphate coating.