assortment of different types of smalley wave springs and retaining rings

Materials

Materials

The table below presents the more common materials used by Smalley.
Material Material Thickness (in) Minimum Tensile Strength (psi) Shear Strength (psi) Maximum Recommended Operating Temp.4 (°F) Modulus of Elasticity(psi)
Carbon Steel
Oil Tempered SAE 1070 - 1090 .006 - .014 269,000 153,000 250 30 X 106
.0141 - .021 255,000 145,000
.0211 - .043 221,000 126,000
.0431+ 211,000 120,000
Hard Drawn SAE 1060 - 1075 .006 - .030 230,000 130,000
.0301 - .110 181,000 103,000
.1101 - .220 156,000 89,000
302 Stainless Steel
AMS-5866 .002 - .022 210,000 119,000 400 28 X 106
.0221 - .047 200,000 114,000
.0471 - .062 185,000 105,000
.0621 - .074 175,000 100,000
.0741 - .089 165,000 94,000
.0891+ 155,000 88,000
316 Stainless Steel
ASTM A3131 .002 - .023 195,000 111,000 400 28 X 106
.0231 - .048 190,000 108,000
.0481 - .061 175,000 99,000
.0611+ 170,000 97,000
17-7 PH Stainless Steel
Condition CH900 AMS-5529   240,0002 137,0002 650 29.5 X 106
A-286
AMS-5810   180,0002 105,0002 1000 31 X 106
INCONEL5 Alloy X-750
Spring Temper AMS-56993   220,0002 125,0002 700 31 X 106
NO. 1 Temper "Rc 35 Maximum" AMS-56991,3   136,000 REF 77,000 700
NO. 1 Temper AMS-5698   155,0002 88,0002 1000
INCONEL5 Alloy 718
AMS-55961   180,0002 102,0002 1300 29.6 X 106
ELGILOY5
AMS-58761,3 ≤ .004 300,0002 171,0002 800 30 X 106
.0041 - .019 290,0002 165,0002
.0191 - .025 280,0002 159,0002
.0251 - .100 270,0002 154,0002
Beryllium Copper
Temper TH02 ASTM B1971   185,0002 128,0002 400 18.5 X 106
MP35N⁠®
AMS 57581   260,000 150,000 600 34.1 X 106
 

NOTE: Additional materials available include Phosphor Bronze, C-276, 410 Stainless Steel, MONEL5 K-500, MONEL5 K-400, Waspaloy and others. Please consult Smalley Engineering for further details.

1 Referenced for chemical composition only.
2 Values obtained after precipitation hardening.
3 Conforms to NACE Standard MR-01-75.
4 Exceeding these temperatures will cause increased relaxation. Consult Smalley Engineering for High Temperature applications.
5 ELGILOY is a registered trademark of Combined Metals of Chicago. INCONEL and MONEL are registered trademarks of Special Metals Corporation. HASTELLOY is a registered Trademark of Haynes International.

Standard Materials

Selecting the proper material for an application requires a general knowledge of what is available. Smalley offers over 40 material options. Specifying the correct material can prevent additional costs and failure in operation.

Carbon steel is the most commonly specified material. Stainless steels, although more costly than carbon steel, provide far superior corrosion resistance and have higher temperature operating limits.

Smalley Wave Springs and Spirolox Retaining Rings are available from stock in carbon and stainless steel. Wave springs are stocked in both carbon steel and 17-7 stainless. Spirolox Retaining Rings are stocked in carbon steel as well as 302 & 316 stainless steel. Other alloys and finishes are readily available for production.

CARBON STEEL

Smalley offers two standard carbon steel materials for retaining rings and wave springs. Carbon steel is cost-effective and durable, but has low corrosion resistance. It is highly magnetic and can be a variety of colors such as blue, gray, or black. Smalley’s carbon steel products are oil-dipped for protection during shipment and shelf storage.

OIL TEMPERED

SAE 1070-1090 high carbon spring steels are oil tempered and are Smalley’s most commonly used carbon steels. Tensile and yield strength are maximized because of the oil tempered martensitic structure.

HARD DRAWN

SAE 1060-1075 high carbon cold drawn spring steels receive their strength from cold rolling. In either temper, carbon steel is suited for use in a protected environment, as it corrodes if not oiled and sealed from the elements. Additional corrosion protection can be added with custom finishes. Rings and springs are normally supplied with an oil dip finish providing protection during shipment and for shelf storage.

STAINLESS STEEL

Smalley offers three stainless steel materials for retaining rings and wave springs. 302 and 316 are standard materials for retaining rings and 17-7 PH is the standard material for wave springs. Stainless steel, although more costly than carbon steel, is more corrosion resistant and able to withstand higher temperature limits. It is slightly magnetic and can be a variety of colors such as blue, brown, and silver. Smalley’s stainless steel products usually undergo ultrasonic cleaning and vapor degrease finishing processes.

302 STAINLESS STEEL

302 is specified because of its combination of corrosion resistance and physical properties. 302 stainless steel gains spring temper condition by cold working. Although it is categorized as a nonmagnetic stainless, 302 becomes slightly magnetic because of the cold working. It cannot be hardened by heat treatment.

  • 302 has a silver-gray color.

316 STAINLESS STEEL

316 is nearly identical in physical properties and heat resistance to 302. It provides more corrosion resistance because of the addition of molybdenum, particularly against pitting. As with 302, the magnetism of 316 increases as the wire is cold reduced. It cannot be hardened by heat treatment. 316 is generally used in food, chemical and sea water applications.

  • 316 has a silver-gray color.

17-7 PH CONDITION CH900 STAINLESS STEEL

17-7 PH Condition CH900 is similar in corrosion resistance to 302 and offers both high tensile and yield strength. In fatigue and high stress applications, 17-7 outperforms even the finest grade of carbon steel. Spring properties are achieved by precipitation hardening Condition C to Condition CH900. As a result, the material may be subjected to a temperature of 650˚ F without a loss of spring properties. Its magnetism is similar to carbon steel.

INFOGRAPHIC: KEY FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN SELECTING RING AND SPRING MATERIAL

Non-Standard Materials

OVER 40 CUSTOM MATERIALS FOR WAVE SPRINGS AND RETAINING RINGS

Select a standard material from stainless and carbon steel, or design your ring and spring to withstand the harshest of environments from over 40 material options, including Inconel⁠®, Elgiloy⁠®, and MP35N⁠® stocked and available.
 
Smalley’s No-Tooling-Cost⁠™ manufacturing process allows us to coil materials quickly and efficiently with nearly no material waste, making custom materials more economical for you. 
 
Smalley offers the following Super Alloys.

SUPER ALLOY

Smalley offers super alloys when carbon and stainless steels do not meet an application's unique requirements. Super alloys maintain material properties in extreme operating conditions. These materials exhibit no magnetism and can be blue, brown, or silver in color.

Materials may be heat treated in open-air or in an atmosphere-controlled furnace. Open-air heat treatment may produce scale, which often results in a dark residue. An atmosphere-controlled environment eliminates scale and produces a part with a brighter finish.

INCONEL⁠®1 X-750

Inconel X-750 is a nickel-chromium alloy and precipitation heat treated to a spring temper condition. In this state, it has temperature resistance up to 700˚ F. Additional temper methods are available to achieve slightly different physical properties. Smalley also offers NACE (The National Association of Corrosion Engineers) approved materials to meet your requirements. This nickel-chromium alloy is used most commonly in high temperature and corrosive environments. Two commonly specified tempers of Inconel are described below.

  • Rings and springs manufactured from this grade of Inconel have a blue/silver-gray color and exhibit no magnetism.

A286 ALLOY

A286 is a nickel-iron-based alloy that exhibits similar properties to Inconel X-750, but with additional heat resistance of up to 1000˚ F. Its spring temper condition is obtained by precipitation hardening.

  • This material exhibits no magnetism and has a blue/silver-gray color.

ELGILOY⁠®2

Elgiloy is a cobalt-based alloy known for its high strength and excellent corrosion resistance. It can be used in environments up to 800˚ F. Elgiloy shows improved resistance to sulfide stress cracking over other NACE-approved materials.

  • Elgiloy exhibits no magnetism and is blue-brown in color as a result of heat treatment.

MP35N⁠®3

MP35N is a nickel-cobalt-based alloy known for its high strength and corrosion resistance. It can be used in environments up to 600˚ F. It is often specified for oil and gas applications.

HASTELLOY⁠® C-276

Commonly used in chemical processing industries, Hastelloy C-276 is a nickel-based alloy with proven performance in corrosive applications. Similar to other nickel-based alloys, it is ductile, easy to form, and has excellent resistance to stress corrosion cracking in chloride solutions. It can be used in environments up to 750˚F.

MONEL⁠®1 K-500

Monel K-500 is a nickel-copper-based alloy known for its excellent corrosion resistance, strength, and hardness properties. It can be used in environments up to 550˚ F.

1 INCONEL X-750 and MONEL are registered trademarks of Special Metals Corporation.
2 ELGILOY is a registered trademark of Combined Metals of Chicago.
3 MP35N is a registered trademark of SPS Technologies Inc.
4 HASTELLOY is a registered trademark of Haynes International.

COPPER

When magnetism or conductivity is important to your application, Smalley offers a range of copper materials as a custom material option.

BERYLLIUM COPPER ALLOY # 25

Beryllium copper is nonmagnetic and one of the most electrically conductive materials offered by Smalley. Normally specified in a hard temper, it has a combination of low modulus of elasticity and high ultimate tensile strength. The alloy gains its physical properties by precipitation hardening. In contrast to other copper alloys, beryllium copper has the highest strength and is suitable to use at temperatures up to 400˚ F.

PHOSPHOR BRONZE, GRADE A

Phosphor bronze is a nonmagnetic alloy with fair electrical conductivity. It is purchased in a spring temper condition to maximize spring characteristics and can be hardened only by cold working. Phosphor bronze exhibits fair spring properties and is rated a step below beryllium copper in performance.

ADDITIONAL MATERIALS

In addition to the materials listed above, Smalley offers 410 Stainless Steel, Waspaloy, and others. If you have questions about these materials or do not see your desired material listed, please contact Smalley Engineering for more information.

HELPFUL LINKS

 

 

 

 

INFOGRAPHIC: KEY FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN SELECTING RING AND SPRING MATERIAL

Material Finishes

FINISHES, PLATINGS, AND COATINGS FOR WAVE SPRINGS AND RETAINING RINGS

After selecting the appropriate material for your application, adding a finish, plating or coating may be necessary to meet your application requirements. These additional processes can improve the function, look, and performance of the part.

BLACK OXIDE

MIL-DTL-13924, Class 1This finish provides a flat black appearance that is generally used to alter cosmetic appearance instead of an improvement in corrosion resistance.

CADMIUM PLATING

Cadmium Plate, AMS-QQ-P-416, Class 2, Type I
Cadmium Plate w/Chromate Dip, AMS-QQ-P-416, Class 2, Type II
Cadmium plating is used on carbon steel to increase the corrosion resistance of the product. The process of cadmium plating spiral retaining rings is costly and subjects the ring to the possibility of hydrogen embrittlement. Smalley offers stainless steel as the preferable option to cadmium.

OIL DIP

This is the standard finish for all Smalley products produced from carbon steel. The oil provides resistance to corrosion in transport and normal storage. The oil dip finish should not be considered a permanent finish.

PASSIVATION

AMS 2700, Method 1, Type 2, Class 3
Passivation is an optional cleaning operation for stainless steel. It provides a bright finish and increased corrosion resistance. Passivation dissolves iron particles and other substances, which have become embedded in the surface of stainless steel during production. If not dissolved, these foreign particles could promote rusting, discoloration or even pitting.

The corrosion resistance of stainless steel is due to the thin, invisible oxide film that completely covers the surface of the ring and prevents further oxidation. Removing the contaminates prevents breaks in the oxide film for optimum corrosion resistance.

VAPOR DEGREASE / ULTRA SONIC CLEAN

This is the standard cleaning and finish for all products manufactured in stainless steel. The process removes oil and other organic compounds from the material surface by use of a degreasing solvent, which is forced between the turns of the part with ultrasonic waves.

VIBRATORY DEBURR / HAND DEBURR

Although all circumferential surfaces and edges of Smalley products are smooth, sharp corners can be present on the gap ends due to the cut-off operation. To break the sharp corners and achieve a smooth surface finish, parts may be either vibratory or hand deburred to meet your specifications.

ZINC PHOSPHATE

MIL-DTL-16232, Type Z, Class 2
This finish is sometimes referred to as “Parkerizing” and appears gray-black in color. The corrosion resistance of phosphate is superior to black oxide but inferior to cadmium plating or stainless steel. Phosphate cannot be applied to stainless steel.

ZINC PLATING

Zinc Plate, ASTM B633, Type V, Fe/Zn 5, SC1 (Colorless)
Zinc Plate, ASTM B633, Type VI, Fe/Zn 5, SC1 (Colored Passivate)
Zinc plating is used on carbon steel to increase the corrosion resistance of the product. It is sometimes used as a more cost-effective alternative to other plating options or stainless steel. Smalley’s standard
zinc platings, Type V and Type VI, are RoHS compliant. The thickness level of the plating is controlled by the service condition number (SC Number), which should be designated by the customer. Zinc plating does not guarantee coverage between the turns of multiple turn rings and springs. (The process does subject the part to the possibility of hydrogen embrittlement. We offer stainless steel as a preferable alternative.)

HELPFUL LINKS