Custom shims in 304, 316L, and 17-4PH, with other grades on request. Solid, slotted, and ring shims stamped or cut to your outline and thickness, in metric and inch sizes, made to your drawing or sample.
Applications: Machine Tool and Spindle Alignment, Bearing Preload and End Play, Motor and Pump Mounting, Gears and Shaft Positioning.
A shim is only as accurate as its thickness tolerance, and the tolerance grows with thickness. These are typical values for 18-8 stainless steel shim stock. Thicker shims and any outline are made to your drawing. Catalogue values for 18-8 stainless shim stock. The tolerance on your shim is set on your drawing.
| Thickness | In Millimetres | Typical Tolerance |
|---|---|---|
| 0.001 in | 0.025 mm | ±0.0001 in |
| 0.002 in | 0.051 mm | ±0.0001 in |
| 0.003 in | 0.076 mm | ±0.00015 in |
| 0.004 in | 0.102 mm | ±0.0002 in |
| 0.006 in | 0.152 mm | ±0.0003 in |
| 0.008 in | 0.203 mm | ±0.0004 in |
| 0.009 in | 0.229 mm | ±0.00045 in |
Each layer in a stack adds its own thickness tolerance, so one thicker shim holds a gap more closely than many thin ones.
| Form | Shape | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
| Solid shim | Flat sheet in any outline, with or without holes | Under a bolted bracket, a motor foot, or a bearing housing |
| Slotted shim | A U-shaped slot opens to one edge | Slides in around a bolt, so the bolt stays in place when the gap is adjusted |
| Ring shim | A flat ring with a center bore | Around a shaft or in a bore, to set end play or bearing position |
| Shim stack | Several thin shims used together | Builds a thickness that no single sheet gives, and allows later adjustment |
| Custom outline | Stamped or cut to your shape | Parts that follow a bracket, a flange, or a frame |
Send a drawing, a DXF file, or a sample. Our engineers review the dimensions and the tolerance before cutting metal, and we CNC machine the part ourselves, so you deal directly with the factory.
We stamp thin shims and CNC machine thicker ones, so the outline and the holes stay flat and burrs stay low. Thickness is checked against your drawing.
Salt, moisture, washdown chemicals, and load drive the choice between 304, 316L, and 17-4PH. We confirm the grade against your drawing before production, and tiered pricing is available on larger orders.
A shim fills a small gap or sets the alignment between two faces. It is placed between the faces and clamped by the bolts, so it carries the clamping load.
Choose a solid shim when the bolts can be removed. Choose a slotted shim when the bolt must stay in place, because the slot lets the shim slide in around it.
Each layer in a stack adds its own thickness tolerance, and the layers can shift under load. One shim of the full thickness holds the gap more closely.
Choose 316L where the shim sees salt, chlorides, or chloride-based cleaning chemicals, because it resists pitting better than 304. Choose 304 for indoor, dry, or mildly humid service, where it costs less.
A quote request needs the thickness and its tolerance, the outline, the hole sizes or slot width, the grade, the hardness if it matters, and the quantity. A drawing or a sample speeds it up.
If you already have drawings, email them to [email protected].
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