Mechanical Components Reference Materials

Description: Packing may fail for a variety of reasons. Beside improper installation, packing failures are often due to worn or faulty equipment, shaft misalignment, uneven take-up on the gland bolts, and other ...

Description: Many medical device manufacturers are realizing the need to push responsibility for certain elements of the process further down the supply chain. Frequently, this can result in project management ...

Description: Providing an ideal bonding solution for fabrics, heat seal tapes are offering manufacturers advantages such as high bonding strength, flexibility, durability, and solvent resistance. ...

Description: Automobile assemblies today utilize a wide variety of adhesive materials in numerous applications: seats and linings, headers, dashboards, exterior emblems, and more. The effort to lower vehicle ...

Description: Thermoplastic, Heat Seal and Hot Melt Adhesives are redefining cut and sew solutions for the textile industry. This new technology replaces the need for stitching in a wide range of garments and soft ...

Description: We are back with another Ask the Expert Blog entry. This week, our retaining ring, spring and snap ring experts answer a couple questions about Linear Springs and Laminar Seal Rings. If you have your ...

Description: Welcome back to the Smalley Ask the Expert Blog, where our engineers answer commonly asked retaining ring and wave spring questions. This week, our engineers answer questions about snap ring and ...

Description: Infographic: The Nine Habits of Highly Successful Mechanical Engineers. ...

Description: Tie rods in forklift steering are traditionally metal-on-metal, which requires periodic re-greasing and leads to a shortened lifespan. They also include a coil spring and two cups behind the ball ...

Description: A threaded insert is a threaded metal cylinder that is inserted into an existing hole to provide a threaded pathway for a fastener such as a screw or bolt ...

Description: In the process industries, such as oil, gas, and petrochemicals, the selection of the right fastener in the right application can be critical. The bolts used to connect companion flanges, for example, ...

Description: Welcome back to the Smalley Ask the Expert Blog. This week, our engineers answer questions about corrosion resistant plating and titanium retaining rings and wave springs. ...

Description: Welcome to the Ask the Expert Blog, where our engineering experts answer questions about retaining ring and wave spring design and performance. This week, our engineers answer questions about Hoopster ...

Description: Welcome back to the Ask the Expert Blog, where our engineers answer commonly asked retaining ring and wave spring design questions. This week, our experts field some questions about Spirolox retaining ...

Description: We are back this week with another Ask the Expert Blog, where Smalley experts answer difficult questions about retaining ring and wave spring design. This week, our engineering experts answer some ...

Description: Welcome back to the Ask the Expert Blog, where our engineers answer commonly asked reataining ring and wave spring design questions. This week, our experts take some questions about retaining ring ...

Description: Welcome back to the Ask the Expert Blog, where our engineers answer commonly asked ring and spring design questions. This week, our experts field some questions about interchangeable retaining rings ...

Description: Welcome back to the Ask the Expert Blog, where our engineers answer commonly asked ring and spring design questions. This week, our experts field some questions about ring alterations, ring materials, ...

Description: We are back this week with another Ask the Expert Blog, where Smalley engineering experts answer difficult questions about retaining ring, snap ring and wave spring design. This week, our engineering ...

Description: Welcome back to the Ask the Expert Blog, where Smalley engineers answer commonly asked retaining ring and wave spring design questions. This week, our engineering experts answer some questions about ...

Description: If you have never heard of edgewound fasteners or are not familiar with the edgewinding process, you might want to keep reading. This little known but very interesting process is not even a topic ...

Description: The most common wave-spring configurations are single-turn and multiturn "Crest-to-Crest" springs. Single turn springs describe a single circle with a gap or slightly overlapped ends. When compressed ...

Description: Highly exacting manufacturing techniques and design tolerances are needed to meet the demanding performance specifi cations for these applications. ...

Description: Benefits of precision metal bellows as spring replacements in mechanical and electrical applications. ...

Description: While metal may seem like a more durable material than plain old plastic, igus® is proving that misconception false with its iglide® plastic bearings. Learn the truth about plastic and its ...

Description: A disc spring (sometimes called a "Belleville washer" after the inventor) consists primarily of a convex disc supported at the outer periphery by one force and an opposing force on the center of the ...

Description: Extension springs are designed to resist a pulling force, returning to a tightly wound coil when the force is removed. ...

Description: Like any device subject to judgment in design, or to human error during installation, O-ring seals are liable to failure. ...

Description: The chart matches the general rubber properties required in most O-ring applications with the capabilities of commonly used elastomers. Since no one elastomer is rated "excellent" for all properties, ...

Description: (Standard Materials and Specifications) A description and chart of the physical properties(temperature range, colour, hardness range) of the elastomers used in seals and o-rings ...

Description: The chart matches the general rubber properties required in most O-ring applications with the capabilities of commonly used elastomers. Since no one elastomer is rated "excellent" for all properties, ...

Description: To achieve optimum sealing performance and to maximize the longevity of the seal it is important to start with the correct elastomer for your particular application. ...

Description: As a result of excessive use, shearing and damage can occur to equipment causing undetectable product contamination. Metal detectables can eliminate product recall, lower product loss and decrease the ...

Description: Groove design table for o-ring installation. ...

Description: In all dynamic applications, proper lubrication and good heat dissipation are essential to long seal life and performance. In pneumatic applications, supplemental lubrication should be provided. ...

Description: Storage life varies with resistance of each synthetic elastomer to normal storage conditions. Use this reference chart as a guideline as to how long an O-ring can be stored. ...

Description: As a bearing suppler, we have seen our share of long-term agreements (LTA). And, we've learned a few things about what makes some more successful than others. Below is 20 years of insight on how to ...

Description: Original equipment manufacturers are constantly looking to reduce costs and streamline production. One way to accomplish both goals is through bearing assemblies. A bearing assembly is when two or ...

Description: One of the chief difficulties in traditional bushing design is lowing friction and preventing premature wear, despite lubrication. This lifecycle concern comes as no surprise given that efficient ...

Description: A bushing's load and dynamic speed condition create heat through high surface interaction that generates friction. Heat, if not properly adjusted, will cause a bearing to fail. Lubrication is the key ...

Description: Lubrication is a key element in a bearing's performance and life. It aids in preventing wear and lowering friction, along with protection from extreme temperatures, corrosion and oxidation. Depending ...

Description: In semiconductor manufacturing, particle contamination throughout the whole process flow is a significant threat to yield and hence profitability. It's also not just a matter of limiting the total ...

Description: This is a common question for bearing manufacturers and refers to ISO and/or TS certification. These acronyms have been tossed around for so long that newer buyers know to ask the question, but may be ...

Description: It may seem counterintuitive to source new vendors during a less-than-stellar market, but it's actually the optimal time to bridge new relationships. The greatest gains can be found in: Testing ...

Description: Bearings design has sometimes led and sometimes reacted to changes in technology. One thing that hasn't changed is that wear on bearings has, and always will be the single biggest problem the ...

Description: A prospective customer was having sourcing, quality, assembly and maintenance issues with some of the ball joint components used on the front suspension of rugged utility vehicles. ...

Description: An industrial sweeper OEM was encountering a subtle noise variation within a fan assembly. The occasional noise vexed engineers so their design engineer reached out to CCTY Bearing for help. After ...

Description: A new bulldozer design required an array of aluminum bronze bushings measuring from 3-1/2 to 5-1/2 inches. CCTY Bearing reviewed the application, its loads and the mating components of the requested ...

Description: Bushings play an important role forklift tilt cylinders. This diagram shows where the bushings are placed within tilt cylinders. The components include: ...

Description: There are a great deal of causes for bearing failures, ranging from improper lubrication to excessive loads to contamination and corrosion. When you have a business to run and jobs that need to get ...

Description: A recreational vehicle OEM requested standard spherical plain bearings (SPBs) for a newly designed steering system. During the testing phase, the SPB showed signs of wear and it was determined that ...

Description: Ever wonder what the inside of a ball bearing looks like? We pulled one apart to show the interior components. The balls are held within cages and rotate along the inner ring and raceway, which is on ...

Description: Whether it's on your car or in a bearing, rust is never a good thing. Corrosion is caused by environmental factors such as water, salt water, acid/alkaline solutions or chemical intrusion. Most rod ...

Description: Issue: Rust generated on a bearing in a hinge assembly prevents servicing. The bearing and housing sits within an air-conditioning unit above a door. Condensation from the AC leaks into the bearing ...

Description: Bushings are the bearing with multiple uses and names - bushing, bushes and often times just the term bearing is used. Bushings by definition are usually a removable cylindrical part for an opening or ...

Description: Bearings play an important role in just about everything that moves - from fans and roller skates to ATVs and hospital beds. As a manufacturer, CCTY Bearing fields a lot of questions about bearings ...

Description: Bushings by definition are usually a removable cylindrical part for an opening or bore (as of a mechanical part). They are used to limit the size of the opening, support a load, protect other mating ...

Description: Although bearings are the workhorses in motion, they need to be treated with kid gloves during shipping. Why? The slightest nick can damage the bearing's performance. Here are five questions you ...

Description: How to properly specify weld studs for steelwise use with the drawn arc stud welding process in structural applications. ...

Description: Each country or region has their own "Bearing Steel Standard." Based on where the company is located and where its bearings are manufactured, the steel is coded ...

Description: A comprehensive load calculation that accounts for multiple force components. Included in these components are: weight of the sliding mechanism (vertical), weight of the sliding mechanism multiplied ...

Description: A load that is parallel to the centerline of the screw shaft and equally distributed around the mounting surface. It is the recommended method of attaching the load to the nut. ...

Description: There are often misconceptions surrounding the availability of contacting, polymeric rotary shaft seals. Much of this misunderstanding comes from assumptions made by comparing contacting, polymeric ...

Description: A persistent problem faced while aluminum reduction cells are sealed is creating and maintaining a hermetic seal for the entire service life of the reduction cell where the cathode bars penetrate the ...

Description: SECC Oil & Gas is a global supplier of couplings and connectors to the oil and gas industry, specializing in connection and disconnection solutions across the sector with special emphasis on subsea ...

Description: Spacers are unthreaded cylindrical fasteners fabricated from a variety of materials including brass, stainless steel, and nylon. Similar to standoffs, spacers differ in that they are unthreaded. ...

Description: Standoffs are fasteners used to create space between printed circuit board (PCB) assemblies and are the standard fastener for mounting PCBs to prevent electrical shorts. Standoffs are similar to ...

Description: A major Scandinavian steel producer with global operations recently installed the first section of a new roller cooling bed, for which it turned to GGB Bearing Technology for a bearing solution. ...

Description: Auto Industry Trends As a leading supplier of automotive industry applications for seals, retaining rings, bushings, and protective caps, we're constantly exploring the fast paced auto industry and ...

Description: There is a great future for elastomer sealing solutions with a particular emphasis on fugitive emissions for valves and how more advanced materials will be able to reduce these emissions due to a ...

Description: Sanitary gaskets and o-rings are integral parts used across numerous industries. They help to create tight connections, and to seal off systems to ensure that nothing goes in or out. This helps to ...

Description: It's been a question long asked by professionals in the energy sector; how can we make wind power a more attractive alternative? The potential of green or sustainable energy is considerable and the ...

Description: Everyone thinks of the oil and gas industries as rough and tough jobs - and much of it is. However, some of the equipment used in these jobs can be sensitive ...

Description: Classes of thread fit is one of three factors one must consider when deciding what type of thread is best for a given fastener application. The other 2 are thread form and thread series. We will ...

Description: Can you explain some basic screw and thread terms? ...

Description: I have been using hardware made of 303 stainless steel and when exposed to a salt atmosphere, the parts begin to rust. I need to stay with stainless material. Is there another type of stainless steel ...

Description: I have some fasteners that have mating threads, internal and external. Often, I have a problem loosening and separating the parts. Why is this happening, and how can it be avoided? ...

Description: What are the pros and cons of selecting a "coarse" vs "fine" thread for a fastener? ...

Description: Recently we had a problem with a plated product, and I overheard someone in Quality Control talking about "tin whiskers". What are "tin whiskers", and what can I do about this? ...

Description: Welded metal bellows are suitable for extreme temperatures and corrosive environments. ...

Description: What is RoHS? RoHS, lead-free legislation, also known as the "European Directive 2002/95/EC on the Restriction of the use of certain Hazardous Substances in electrical and electronic equipment", will ...

Description: I want to use your threaded standoff, Part Number 12040RSS???-12 for a panel thickness of 10 GA sheet steel. I don't want to swage it, and after flaring, the shank must be flush to under-flush. How do ...

Description: Gothenburg, Sweden, 10 November, 2015: SKF has supplied magnetic bearings for use in the world’s first subsea gas compression system at the Ã...sgard gas field off the Norwegian coast. As part ...

Description: Gothenburg, Sweden, 13 April, 2015: SKF has recently in cooperation with SJ, the Swedish national rail operator, started to run SKF Insight on a railway vehicle. This pilot will demonstrate the ...

Description: Bearing lubrication methods are typically provided by either an oil or grease. Each lubrication method has specific cases where its use is preferred. Sean P. Kelly, Field Applications Engineer for NMB ...

Description: Modern Linear products incorporate the benefits of guide roller technology. Guide roller benefits are numerous compared to competing technologies. They are smooth, fast, quiet, and extremely durable. ...

Description: The torsional spring rate and load capacity of C-Flex bearings is dependent upon length, width, and thickness of the internal flat spring beams. High angles of rotation require thin springs to reduce ...

Description: Fasteners are in virtually every industry, application and even most products. Manufacturers are forced to decide which fastener might be best for their specific product. If they do not make the right ...

Description: Stainless steel screws come in many different shapes and sizes, one type of screw is the self-tapping screw. These screws are designed in a way where their threading allows them to be placed into a ...

Description: Smalley engineers have seen and heard it all when it comes to retaining rings, so who better to ask about the best ring for your application than the experts themselves. From materials, to size, ...

Description: Spirolox retaining rings are used to serve as a removable shoulder within an assembly. These rings not only work to retain components in an assembly when installed in a groove, they are also designed ...

Description: Smalley retaining rings eliminate the protruding ears that can interfere with the assembly while providing a 360-degree retaining surface. Their unique design means no special tools are required. ...

Description: Smalley wave springs offer the unique advantage of space savings when used to replace coil springs. ...

Description: Welcome back to the Ask the Expert Blog, where our engineers answer commonly asked ring and spring design questions. This week, our experts field some questions about wave spring available deflection ...

Description: Welcome back to the Ask the Expert blog, the blog is designed to help educate you on all things rings and wave springs. This week, the expert fields some questions about the performance of gap type ...

Description: Welcome back to the Ask the Expert Blog, where our engineers answer commonly asked ring and spring design questions. This week, our experts field some questions about groove geometry and dimensions. ...

Description: Unlike salespeople, Sales Engineers are engineers first. Smalley Sales Engineers use their technical expertise to steer you in the direction of the products that will best suit your needs instead of ...

Description: Welcome back to the Ask the Expert Blog, where our engineers answer commonly asked ring and spring design questions. This week, our experts field some questions about Spirolox retaining rings, ...

Description: Welcome back to the Ask the Expert Blog. This week, our experts answer some questions about retaining ring gaps and improving the performance of a retaining ring in a high RPM application. ...

Description: Welcome back to the Ask the Expert Blog, where our engineers answer commonly asked ring and spring design questions. This week, our experts field some questions about retaining rings. Specifically, ...