Design of Mating Parts

The "tops" of the corrugations (The I.D. on AN style rings, or the O.D. on BN rings) are formed with a rounded contour, which assists as a lead-in edge during assembly. It is very important that the lead-in edge of the mating part is contoured with a generous radius or a shallow (15o) chamfer. Sharp corners on the lead-in edge could dig in and mar the Tolerance Ring, sacrificing performance.

Best results of assembling mating parts are achieved by using an arbor press and fixturing the parts to hold them squarely in place during assembly. Except for very light duty rings, aligning the parts by hand and/or hammering the assembly together jeopardizes alignment and performance. If misalignment occurs during assembly, there is a tendency for the lead-in edge of the mating part to flatten corrugations in one area of the Tolerance Ring, resulting in reduction of ring integrity.
 

When using the centered arrangement, a small radius and adequate groove width should be used to ensure that the Tolerance Ring may be properly seated on the cylindrical surface.