rotor clip bulk of spiral rings

Retaining Rings: Snap Rings, Circlips & Spiral Rings

The Only Manufacturer of Every Retaining Ring Style

Every Ring, Every Style, One Manufacturer™

For over 65 years, Rotor Clip has been the only manufacturer of every retaining ring style (snap rings/constant section rings, circlips/tapered section rings & spiral rings), setting us apart from the competition. With our precision manufacturing capabilities in the US and Europe, we offer over 20,000 standard parts, as well as custom parts in sizes ranging from 0.040″ to 47″ (1 mm to 1200 mm) in Inch, DIN, ANSI metric, and JIS. Rotor Clip retaining rings guarantee high-quality performance every time, no matter the industry or environment.

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Retaining rings, including snap rings and circlips, are essential for secure fastening in industries like automotive, military, medical, and aerospace. These versatile parts offer a reliable and cost-effective alternative to cotter pins and bolts, with minimal surface preparation and reduced mass. Ideal for a range of thrust loads, retaining rings can prevent unwanted movement, ensuring precise alignment and take-up endplay in a range of applications.

Choosing the right retaining ring involves a variety of factors including assembly type, available space, load, and installation and removal. Rotor Clip’s engineering team will work in collaboration with you to assess your requirements to ensure the right circlip, snap or spiral ring, is selected for the right application.

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Detailed 3D render of a high-quality external retaining ring, also known as a snap ring or circlip, designed for secure axial positioning on a shaft

Retaining Rings Engineered For You

Billions of retaining rings flow through Rotor Clip factories annually, either coiled from wire sections or stamped from strip. Our fully flexible processes cater for both mass production or smaller custom lots, large or small in both standard and special materials – engineered to our customers’ specifications. 

Snap Rings, Circlips, Retaining Clips, Tapered Section Rings, Constant Section Rings —our products go by many names, but they all fall into one of our distinct ring families. Explore our extensive range of retaining ring offerings below.

Custom Parts Engineered to Meet Your Exact Specifications

At Rotor Clip, we work with you from prototype to production, offering customized retaining rings, circlips, snap and spiral rings, engineered to your exact specifications. Whether adjusting wire thickness, diameter, or depth, or modifying end configurations, we’re here to make it happen seamlessly.

Director of Technical Sales at Rotor Clip
Jeff Finkernagel
Director of Technical Sales EngineeringRotor Clip

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Materials & Finishes for Snap Rings & Spiral Rings

Our retaining rings can be manufactured from almost any material that can be stamped or coiled. From stainless steel to exotic alloys including Elgiloy, Hastelloy and more, our expert engineering team leverages their metallurgical expertise to ensure maximum reliability and performance of your retaining rings, snap rings, and spiral rings.

Explore Standard & Custom Retaining Ring Materials and Finishes

 Snap Ring Materials

  • Carbon spring steel (ST)
  • Stainless steel – PH-15-7Mo (SS)
  • Beryllium copper alloy #25 (BC)
  • Stainless steel – DIN 1.4122 (SG)
  • Phosphor bronze alloy #5218 (PB)

Spiral Ring Materials

  • Stainless steel – AISI 302 (SJ)
  • Stainless steel – AISI 316 (SU)

Finishes

  • Phosphate coating (PA), standard
  • Phosphate and oil (PD)
  • Phosphate with sealer (PAL)
  • Heavy phosphate and oil (HPD)
  • Zinc plating (ZD)
  • Zinc bright (ZF)
  • Zinc dichromate with sealer (ZDL)
  • Heavy zinc dichromate with sealer (HZDL)
  • Trivalent chromate over zinc (Z3X)
  • Galvanic zinc plating (GZN)
  • Oil over steel (OIL)

Applications for Retaining Rings

Retaining rings, including circlips, snap rings and spiral rings, can be found in applications across every industry. Here are some examples.

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3D render of an actuator mechanism featuring a retaining ring by Rotor Clip, highlighting the ring's critical role in the secure and precise movement of the actuator components

Actuator with Tapered Section Ring / Circlip

3D render of a rotary union fitted with a spiral retaining ring from Rotor Clip, illustrating the precise application of the ring for secure rotational connections

Rotary Union with Spiral Retaining Ring

3D render of an electric motor (e-motor) featuring an e-clip retaining ring from Rotor Clip, demonstrating the ring's application in securing components within the motor assembly

Electric Motor with E-Ring

A retaining ring (often referred to as a circlip or snap ring) is a fastener that holds components or assemblies onto a shaft or in a housing/bore when installed. Circular push-on retaining rings may be installed in applications where there is no groove. Retaining rings are typically made from carbon steel, stainless steel or beryllium copper and may feature a variety of finishes for aesthetics and corrosion protection depending on the type of environment in which they are used.

Retaining rings can do the same job for a lot less. A simple groove is all that’s needed to accommodate a retaining ring. Other fastener methods, like nuts, require machining threads, which is more costly, and wastes additional materials. Retaining rings will not require periodic re-torquing as a nut and bolt might. Retaining rings are easier to install than fasteners with multiple components, either manually or in automated assembly equipment, reducing labor costs.

We understand that our products are known by various names in the industry, including circlips, snap rings, retaining clips, and more. At Rotor Clip, snap rings are a specific type of retaining ring with a uniform section, designed to snap into a groove on a shaft or bore to secure components. The broader category of retaining rings includes not only snap rings but also other designs like spiral rings and E-clips. In essence, while all snap rings are retaining rings, not all retaining rings are snap rings.

Retaining Ring Installation & Removal

Image showing an array of removal and installation tools by Rotor Clip, designed specifically for handling various types of retaining rings, including circlips and snap rings

For efficient installation and removal of retaining rings, circlips, snap rings, and spiral rings, various methods are available depending on the type and application. Common techniques include using ring pliers for axial retaining rings, an applicator tool for radial retaining rings like E clips, or a tapered mandrel for expanding the ring into position. Trust our expertise in recommending the perfect ring and assembly tools, minimizing damage, protecting surrounding components, and mitigating any potential personnel injury risks.

More On Retaining Ring installation & Removal

Rings Packaged The Way You Want

Our retaining ring packaging is designed for easy handling, simplifying installation, and crafted from fully recyclable materials, aligning with your schedule, cost projections, and sustainability goals. Count on Rotor Clip for exceptional service throughout the entire process.

More on Retaining Ring Packaging

Image showcasing Rotor Clips retaining ring packaging options

Resources

We’ve been in the retaining ring business for over 65 years, and have specified and/or designed parts into nearly every industry and environment, that is why we are the experts. Explore some of our most popular resources about retaining rings, snap rings, and circlips.

More than Parts. A True Partnership.

Our passion is creating the best rings, springs, and clamps. Our mission is to make your work a success. We are here for you.