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AFC Europe Ltd
About us
AFC Europe is the European division of AFC Industries, providing Vendor Managed Inventory, Product Sourcing and Technical design and supply services to manufacturing throughout the UK and Europe. As exclusive partner to Smalley, the AFC team also have decades of experience in the design and application of Wave Springs and Retaining Rings.
Our teams operate from a network of service centres covering the UK, Germany and Czech Republic, facilitating the supply of components and materials to manufacturing businesses using VMI solutions. This consolidates your supply base into one channel, reduces your on-hand stock holding, streamlines administrative processes which save you time and money.
Amidst this extensive service, our design engineering teams can directly support your Spring, Retaining Ring, Quick Connector, Seal and O-Ring and Retaining Ring application needs based on our deep relationship with manufacturing partners like Smalley and ARaymond and the extensive knowledge from TFC businesses such as EAP International and Supaseal.
Our global sourcing has access to a vast network of manufacturing partners that provide high quality, competitive and reliable sources for all of your fastener, seals, spring and other c-part level components. We can source customised, turned parts or "custom engineered components" to help you fulfil your design with cost effective manufacturing and supply.
Our VMI systems deploy Kanban methodology and state of the art technology to facilitate managing your stock for you, making sure you have only what you need, when you need it. Using our own teams based in local service centres, we hold reserve stock and feed it into your business based on demand and usage.
We act as an extension to your business, taking the stress out of managing your supply chain, ensuring you have the right products and the best products at the right price and on-time.
Products
'Smalley Wave Springs'
๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐จ๐ฅ๐ง๐๐ฃ๐๐จ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ค๐ ๐๐ค๐ข๐ฅ๐ง๐๐จ๐จ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐จ๐ฅ๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ข๐๐๐ ๐ค๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ฉ ๐ฌ๐๐ง๐. They are manufactured by coiling on edge, also known as edgewinding. The name โwave springโ comes from the multiple waves per turn. The Crest-to-Crest design can offer the same spring force as a traditional coil spring but at a reduced operating height. A reduction in the spring operating height also decreases the spring cavity and, therefore, the overall assembly size. Significant cost savings may be realized with a smaller, more lightweight assembly. The wave spring technology is utilized across many different industries and various applications. From rockets, and preloading bearings, to consumer products like smartwatches, wave springs are the trusted, precision-engineered solution for tight axial spaces. As always, our TFC engineering team can assist you. Come find us on โจ Stand G130โจ TFC Ltd, an AFC Industries Company.
*Smalley Retaining Rings*
๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ถ๐ ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ๐๐๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐ณ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ต๐ผ๐น๐ฑ๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐น๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ด๐ฒ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ. Used as an alternative to machining a shoulder, retaining rings eliminate complex machining processes, ultimately saving time, weight, and production cost for a more efficient production process. Smalley retaining rings are a trusted solution because of their unique configuration, reliability, and convenience. From the watch dial on your wrist to a wind turbine, few applications are too small or too big for a retaining ring to secure. From small to large diameters, light to heavy-duty loads, carbon steel to exotic materials, Smalley rings are versatile enough to be utilized in over 25,000 applications. We have five standard types of retaining rings, 30 configurations, and several thousand rings in stock. As always, our TFC engineering team can assist you. Come find us on โจ Stand G130 โจ TFC Ltd, an AFC Industries Company.
#ARaymond Quick Connectors
Appearing in the majority of the fluid transfer lines in the automotive market, ๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐๐บ๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ค๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ป๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ provide solutions adapted to the constraints and requirements of todayโs industries. Quick connectors bring many technical solutions for fluid connections in HVAC (Heating, ventilation and Air-Conditioning) and Sanitation, responding to the applicable standard requirements of these sectors. As always, our TFC engineering team can assist you. Come find us on โจ Stand G130โจ TFC Ltd, an AFC Industries Company.
Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI)
Mแดษดแดษขษชษดษข สแดแดส ษชษดแด แดษดแดแดสส ษชs แด สแดสแดษดแดษชษดษข แดแดแด. You need to maintain full availability of the parts and products you need without wasting time, space or money. As a partner for outsourced purchasing, TFC Ltd serve a large and diverse base of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and assembly plants. TFC simplify your inventory processes by managing multiple vendor relationships on your behalf, helping you secure better pricing and avoid bottlenecks in your production process. Our inventory-management services make parts management more efficient and economical. TFC doesnโt just look at C-part costs; we view inventory through the lens of your entire business and apply our trusted expertise to analyse your existing processes. We negotiate directly with other manufacturers, eliminating that task from your domain. The aim is to create a holistic, solutions-based inventory management solution for your supply chain. Come find us on โจ Stand G130 โจ TFC Ltd, an AFC Industries Company.
Smalley Revolox
๐๐ค๐ฉ๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐๐ก ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ฉ๐ฎ ๐ง๐๐ฆ๐ช๐๐ง๐๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐จ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐ข๐ค๐๐๐ง๐ฃ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ก๐๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐จ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐ซ๐๐ง, especially in electric motors, gearboxes, and automotive transmissions. As the market leader for innovative retaining ring solutions, Smalley has been continually investing in ongoing research and development to meet the demand for high RPM requirements. Smalley's latest retaining ring innovation, the revolutionary Revolox Self-Locking Ring, features a 'dimple and slot' design that safely and efficiently secures your application at high speeds. The top five advantages of Revolox Self-Locking Ring include: โ Significantly higher RPM capacity over an equivalent non-locking retaining ring Revolox Self-Locking Rings were tested and optimized for superior and secure high RPM performance. Contact Smalley Engineers to discuss RPM capabilities in your application. โ Ease of installation The sturdy 'dimple and slot' design is not easily damaged during installation. โ Lightweight With a part weight approximately half the weight of a typical retaining ring, the lower part weight reduces rotating mass and therefore increases efficiency in the application. โ Automated installation capabilities Automated installation capabilities make Revolox Self-Locking Rings an ideal solution for high production volumes. โ Inherently better-balanced than snap rings Revolox Self-Locking Rings have an inherently better-balanced design that helps decrease vibration. As always, our TFC engineering team can assist you. Come find us on โจ Stand G130โจ TFC Ltd, an AFC Industries Company.
"Smalley" Single-Turn Wave Springs are designed with your bearings in mind
๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐น๐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐น๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐น๐ผ๐ป๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐น๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ. Using a spring for preload is critical for high-precision or high-speed applications, as it essentially eliminates the need for holding tighter tolerances and helps withstand high operating speeds. Benefits โ Axial and radial play control Ball complement and bearing races mate reliably and take up dimensional variation. โ Less wear on bearing Greater load sharing between bearings due to wave design. โ Vibration and noise reduction Quieter assemblies, even in high-vibration applications. โ Eliminate ball skidding Constant force is applied for smooth movement. โ Precise shaft positioning Wave spring keeps shaft centred for optimal centrifugal distribution. Every application is unique, making selecting the proper wave spring important. Itโs essential to consider overall tolerances, as placing too much preload on the bearing can reduce longevity, while too little can cause higher noise output in high-vibration systems. We have over 300+ standard parts available in carbon steel and stainless steel to match popular bearing sizes. Find your size by checking out the bearing cross-reference table. If youโre looking for higher force applications, a Nested spring is another type of spring we offer that can accommodate higher preload requirements. Come find us on โจ Stand G130 โจ - TFC Ltd, an AFC Industries Company.
@Space saving wave springs
Smalley wave springs are a type of compression spring made of flat wire, manufactured using a precision forming process that involves coiling flat wire on edge. โข Reduction of spring height by 50% โข Same force and deflection as ordinary springs โข Wave springs fit tight radial and axial spaces โข Over 4,000 standard springs in carbon and stainless steel โข No-Tooling-Chargesโข for special designs โข Exotic Alloys available
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How and why you should use a wave spring for bearing preload
Smalley Single-Turn Wave Springs are designed with your bearings in mind.
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