Typically, circlips are a type of fastener in the form of flexible, open-ended rings. They are commonly made from stainless steel and other types of similar metal. There are many other alternative names for circlips like retaining rings, retaining clips, snap rings, etc.
Retaining rings work as a removable shoulder that consists of an assembly to retain components on a shaft or in a bore. An external flat spring rings divide at a certain point so that it can be sprung open and correctly fitted around housing or a bore before closing it into a tightly fitting annular recess which is around the shaft. In contrast, the internal circlip can be held inside a shaft before it goes back into shape to create a shoulder in the casing.
Circlip Pliers
Most of the retaining rings are designed to be suitable to work with the circlip pliers. The E-type clip is the one that is mainly used with the pliers. Circlip pliers are specific pliers that are designed to work with snap rings. These hand tools have been specifically designed to help with the installation and removal of circlips with ease.
There is a wide range of circlip pliers that have been manufactured to be used with retaining rings, but they have some differences. There are two essential types known as internal circlip pliers and external circlip pliers designed with a specific circlip type. There are different circlip pliers available in the market, and they provide great flexibility when some circlip needs to be installed or removed. Circlip Kits consist of various circlip pliers, which will serve your purpose when you need different sized plier approaches.
Types of Circlips
- Internal Circlips
- External Circlips
- Stainless Steel Circlips
- E-Type Circlips
- Tapered Section Circlip
- Inverted Circlip
- Star or K-Circlip
Sizes of Circlip
Circlips and retaining rings are available in various sizes and shapes that offer the great flexibility of using them in different applications. The most commonly used circlips are the small circlips, and the majority of the circlips are less than 50 mm in diameter. However, it is possible to purchase larger circlips more than 400 or even 500 mm in diameter.
It is always crucial to select the right size and type of circlip for the task that needs to be done. Ensure that the retaining ring can fit within the shaft or around the casing or external circlips. If you choose the wrong size of the retaining rings, their installation becomes more complicated, and it may create some problems in the future if left unattended.
How to Install Circlips?
External Circlips
Follow the following instructions to install external circlips:
- First of all, you must have the appropriate circlip pliers that can fit into the circlip end holes.
- Next, you have to insert the tips to fit the pliers into the grips present at the end of the circlip.
- Apply pressure on the handles to squeeze them, which will result in expanding the circlip.
- Lastly, fit the circlip into the circlip groove to end the installation process.
Internal Clips
Installation of internal clips is done as follows:
- Select a suitable pair of pliers to fit the circlip end holes.
- Fit the pliers into the holes at the end of the retaining ring.
- Apply pressure on the plier handles, and contract the circlip to the required size.
- Then guide the ring into the groove of the circlips and leave the pliers.
