Bearing Mount
Tolerance Rings can prevent the loss of retention experienced when mounting steel bearings to a housing with a different rate of thermal expansion.
Bushings and Sleeves
A tolerance ring’s unique wave properties provide a secure grip for holding bushings (i.e., bronze, plastic) and sleeves both firmly and gently in place. Torque and axial retention requirements are met while cushioning them from thermally induced stresses from adjacent components.
Torque Transfer
Tolerance Rings can be used to transmit torque from one cylindrical component to another, without the need for costly splines or expensive keyways. Gears, pulleys, disks, sprockets, flywheels, rollers, impellers are a sample of the many torque transmitting components that can be mounted with tolerance rings. Unlike a keyway’s tolerances which result in backlash with a change in rotational direction, the tolerance ring provides zero backlash.
Slip Clutch
A tolerance ring can act as a mechanical ‘circuit-breaker’, triggering a slip at an overload point. This protects the mechanical components from damage, and will reduce the number of parts needed in an assembly.
Stator Mount
A tolerance ring can act as a mechanical ‘circuit-breaker’, triggering a slip at an overload point. This protects the mechanical components from damage, and will reduce the number of parts needed in an assembly.
Fastening/Joining
Tolerance rings are well suited for fastening and joining different or dissimilar materials. To allow for future repair or removal, they provide an alternative when a permanent bond is not desired. Faster assembly can be achieved without the use or curing time of messy adhesives.
REPAIR WORN OR OVERSIZED HOUSING BORES
Tolerance rings can be used to reclaim worn housing bores or bearing pockets which have been accidentally machined oversized. By adjusting the inside diameter with additional machining to accommodate the Tolerance Ring, the original intended (or alternate) ball bearing size can be installed. AN-style rings for popular ball bearing sizes are packaged individually and sold as TR packs in the aftermarket.
GLASS-FILLED MOLDED PLASTIC HOUSINGS
The ring’s waves expand and contract to accommodate thermal expansion of the housing. Glass is needed as a hardener to prevent the ring from wallowing its way (creeping) into the housing. Typically, there is no need for an insert ring or any secondary machining operations.
ZINC-DIECAST BEARING BRACKETS
Since draft angle on these brackets is minimal, they normally require no secondary machining opera- tion. Oftentimes ANL or light duty AN-style rings are used to keep assembly forces low to avoid barrelling the bearing during assembly. Whereas glue and rubber boots trap heat, airflow around the rings may allow the bearing to run cooler.
TORQUE TRANSFER
Tolerance rings often mount ball bearing outer races to retain the bearing in thermal growth applications. Similarly, the rings can be used in high temperature applications involving dissimilar materials such as steel shafts to plastic glass filled fan hubs or impellers.
HANDLES & KNOBS
Quickly assembling a handle or knob onto a shaft reduces production time and labor costs. Using epoxy or adhesives can be messy and doesn’t allow for future replacement. A tolerance ring rapidly attaches handles or knobs onto shafts and still allows for future repair or replacement.
Bushings and Sleeves
A tolerance ring’s unique wave properties provide a secure grip for holding bushings (i.e., bronze, plastic) and sleeves both firmly and gently in place. Torque and axial retention requirements are met while cushioning them from thermally induced stresses from adjacent components.
