Not so many years ago a circlip as a locating device was something of a rarity, not inspiring full confidence in engineers. Some thought it likely to work loose or jump out of its groove in use, to break from vibration, or soften or distort when subjected to heat with more or less disastrous results. Some circlips did, in fact, give trouble, from wrong material, wrong application or fitting. But modern examples are among the simplest and most reliable locating devices, if a few simple rules are followed. Circlips, like split pins, are advisedly regarded as expendable items and used only once. Where side thrust is likely to be encountered, they should be of rectangular section, seating properly in accurate square sided grooves. Round section types in half round grooves may compress or expand (depending on the application) and push out. Such circlips should always be sunk in their grooves to at least half the diameter of their section. With circlips of soft material, which have to be squeezed into grooves, care must be taken to do this properly.
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