Retaining rings support an eco racing challenge

With over 6 years of experience in the design and development of solar-powered vehicles, CUER's aim is to win the race against stiff competition from universities and companies from around the globe using cutting edge technology to harness the power of the sun. Their latest vehicle launched in November 2012 is a radical departure from their old designs and incorporates space-grade solar panels with sun-tracking capability and a light, highly aerodynamic outer shell. TFC's Spirolox Retaining Rings are being used in two locations on the car – the drive motor where the rings secure the main motor bearings to the non-rotating axle and the front suspension where they hold spherical bearings in place in the wishbone assembly. Alex Robinson, part of the 60 strong design and development team at CUER says "the compactness, weight and load bearing aspects of TFC's Spirolox rings made them an ideal choice for both applications. The low profile of the rings which have no lugs to interfere with mating components allowed us to keep the dimensions to a minimum and assist in the critical aspect of weight loss." The rings are manufactured by coiling from flattened round wire and have many advantages over conventional die-stamped circlips or retaining rings as there is no gap – full 360° retaining surface – and no protruding lugs to interfere with mating component. They are economically produced in stainless steel and offer easy installation and removal. An added bonus is that there are no tooling charges on custom designs and the components are available in a wide range of exotic materials and finishes and can be supplied with special end configurations to suit specific applications, boasts TFC.