The world's most secret component

The RENCOL^® Tolerance Ring

Have you ever heard of a tolerance ring? That’s because the tolerance ring is one of the world’s most unheard of components.

They are everywhere and used in a huge number of applications from washing machines, to robots and cars. They are incredibly well hidden and we realise that for many people if you can’t see it then why would you know about it?

So what does a tolerance ring do? In simple terms a tolerance ring is an engineered fastener, that fixes two objects or components together. The tolerance ring is made with waves that act as springs to hold the two objects together. The elasticity of the waves mean a tolerance ring can adjust to clearances that might be caused by tolerance stack ups, movement, misalignment, varying load etc between the objects and keeps them in place. How a tolerance ring works can be further explained with an introduction to spring theory.

The waves create a force which hold the mating components in place. The level of force can be controlled by the type and thickness of the material, the number of waves and their structure in the tolerance ring.

If you’re intrigued or curious to find out more here’s a short video explaining the tolerance ring and just a few examples of the wide reaching number of applications where you might find them.

Learn more about RENCOL^® Tolerance Rings

Explore the latest tolerance ring capabilities with our team at Saint-Gobain. Contact us today to discuss recent innovations, such as our Aluclad technology for emotors. Explore with our engineers how we can help you overcome engineering challenges and create customized components. Fill out our online form or email us at makingabigdifference@saint-gobain.com for more information about our sliding bearing products.