Answer
The thrust capacity of a retaining ring assembly is often limited by the groove material rather than the ring itself. The groove thrust capacity $P_g$ is calculated as $P_g = \frac{D \cdot d \cdot \pi \cdot S_y \cdot K}{S_f}$, where $D$ is the shaft/bore diameter, $d$ is the groove depth, $S_y$ is the yield strength of the groove material, $K$ is a reduction factor (usually 1.0 for rigid materials and 0.5 for soft materials or rounded edges), and $S_f$ is the safety factor (typically 2). If the groove yields, the ring will 'dish' or 'cock' in the groove, leading to a wedge-action failure where the ring is ejected axially. This is especially critical in subsea applications where housings are made of softer Duplex or Super Duplex steels compared to the 17-7PH ring.
