Welcome back to Smalley Talk. This month TFC’s engineers answer questions about corrosion resistant plating as well as titanium retaining rings and wave springs.

Can you provide your carbon steel rings with a corrosion resistant plating?

Yes. Coatings such as black oxide or zinc phosphate can be applied to Smalley`s carbon steel Retaining Rings, we also have options for zinc, cadmium or nickel plating.
Multiple turn Spirolox rings can be difficult to achieve full plating coverage between the turns, so we also offer stainless steel alternatives. Whether you need a coating, plating, stainless steel or a more specific material, we will work with you to get you the part that will work best for your application.

Is titanium a material that you use regularly? If so, are there any potential issues with using this material?

Smalley’s factory in Lake Zurich, Illinois, USA, has considerable experience in edge coiling parts from titanium, especially for customers in the medical and aerospace industries. Titanium is a lightweight, high strength material, with low tensile properties, so special design considerations need to be made to ensure that any Retaining Rings or Wave Springs made out titanium will function properly. TFC’s engineering team will work with you to make sure that the titanium part will work in your application.

That™s all for now, check back next time when the team will answer more Smalley product related questions. You can see more blog entries and other application examples on our technical articles page.