--- title: "What Are Cam-Lock Furniture Connectors Used For?" description: "Cam-Lock Furniture Connectors (Trade series (cam-lock furniture connectors)) are used for joining flat-pack panels through a cam nut, mating screw and dowel…" url: https://engineeringhardware.com/applications/cam-lock-furniture-connectors/ source: Engineering Hardware & Fasteners --- # What Are Cam-Lock Furniture Connectors Used For? Rivets · Trade series (cam-lock furniture connectors) · Application guide Typical applications, the industries that specify cam-lock furniture connectors, and how to choose the right size, material and finish for the joint. Cam-Lock Furniture Connectors are used for joining flat-pack panels through a cam nut, mating screw and dowel set. They are manufactured to Trade series (cam-lock furniture connectors), and selection is driven by the size designation, the fit and tolerance the assembly requires, and the service environment. - **Primary duty:** Joining flat-pack panels through a cam nut, mating screw and dowel set - **Governing standard:** Trade series (cam-lock furniture connectors) - **Category:** Rivets Application notes are general engineering guidance. Verify the property class and any approval requirement against your own design calculation. ![What Are Cam-Lock Furniture Connectors Used For? application image](https://engineeringhardware.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Cam-Lock-Furniture-Connectors.webp) Cam-Lock Furniture Connectors (Trade series (cam-lock furniture connectors)) are specified where the joint requires joining flat-pack panels through a cam nut, mating screw and dowel set. The sections below cover the typical end-uses by industry, the size and material decisions for each, assembly practice, and the applications this fastener type is not suited to. ## Typical Applications for Cam-Lock Furniture Connectors The most common settings where these are specified: - **Flat-pack furniture:** Cam locks assemble panels from the visible face with a blind connector joint. - **Cabinet production:** Cam nuts and screws permit knock-down shipping and assembly. - **Retail fixtures:** Wood dowels align the panels while the cam provides clamp. - **Furniture repair:** Replacement kits restore a hidden panel connector. 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Quoting the standard on your order guarantees interchangeable dimensions between suppliers. ## Installation & Assembly Practice - Drill the hole 0.1 mm over the nominal rivet diameter and deburr both sides before setting. - Grip range must match the total joint thickness — a rivet set outside its grip range clamps poorly and works loose. ## Common Selection Mistakes with Cam-Lock Furniture Connectors - Setting a rivet outside its grip range, which leaves the joint loose from day one. - Using aluminum rivets on steel sheet outdoors — galvanic corrosion eats the rivet. ## Where Cam-Lock Furniture Connectors Are Not the Right Choice Not where the joint must later be disassembled, and not for high-tension structural connections. Custom manufacturing · Made to drawing ## Need a cam-lock furniture connectors outside the standard range? Grip range is what a special usually changes — a joint thickness that falls between two standard rivets. Made by cold heading or drawing. Minimum order from 2,000 pieces; samples within 7 days of drawing approval. [Custom rivet manufacturing](https://engineeringhardware.com/custom/rivets/)[Send a drawing](https://engineeringhardware.com/custom/rivets/#rfq) ## Technical Drawing Dimensioned line drawing of cam-lock kit Cam-Lock Furniture Connectors to Trade series (cam-lock furniture connectors). Side view and top view, drawn to the dimensions in the table below and redrawn for any size selected. - **Cam nut diameter (mm):** 12~15 - **Cam screw options:** M6×35 / M6×40 / M6×45 - **Wood dowel diameter (mm):** 6 or 8 - **Quantity example:** 12 cam nuts + 12 screws + 24 dowels - **Joint:** flat-pack furniture and blind-hole panels ## Dimensions & Specifications (Trade series (cam-lock furniture connectors)) | Connector set | Cam nut diameter (mm) | Cam screw options | Wood dowel diameter (mm) | Quantity example | Joint | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | cam-lock kit | 12~15 | M6×35 / M6×40 / M6×45 | 6 or 8 | 12 cam nuts + 12 screws + 24 dowels | flat-pack furniture and blind-hole panels | Inside the plant ## Manufactured in our own plant This part is cold-formed, threaded, heat-treated and finished in-house. The stages below are where its class and finish are actually decided. 1. ![Wire rod feeding into a cold heading machine](https://engineeringhardware.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/09-wire-rod-feed-cold-heading-machine.webp) 01 **Cold heading** Wire rod is drawn to size and cold-formed into blanks. Forming rather than cutting keeps the grain flow continuous around the head, which is where a bolt is most likely to fail. Head dimensions and under-head radius checked at set-up and per shift. 2. ![Thread rolling machine producing bolt threads](https://engineeringhardware.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/03-thread-rolling-machine-bolt-production.webp) 02 **Thread rolling** Threads are rolled between hardened dies rather than cut. Rolled threads are stronger in fatigue than cut threads and hold pitch and flank angle far more consistently across a batch. Go / no-go ring gauges to ISO 965 tolerance class 6g. 3. ![Baskets of bolts staged for heat treatment](https://engineeringhardware.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/05-heat-treatment-baskets-black-bolts.webp) 03 **Heat treatment** Quench-and-temper brings carbon and alloy steel to the property class ordered — 8.8, 10.9 or 12.9 — with the furnace charge tracked so a finished lot can be traced back to it. Core hardness and tensile tested per lot to ISO 898-1. 4. ![Zinc plated bolts in a treatment basket](https://engineeringhardware.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/23-zinc-plated-bolts-treatment-basket.webp) 04 **Surface treatment** Zinc, zinc-nickel, hot-dip galvanizing, black oxide, phosphate and Dacromet, selected against the service environment rather than against the price list. Coating thickness and neutral salt spray hours to ISO 9227. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How do I choose the right size of Cam-Lock Furniture Connectors? Match the size to the mating part using the dimension table on this page. ### Can Cam-Lock Furniture Connectors joints be taken apart? No — rivets form a permanent joint and must be drilled out to remove. Use a bolt or screw where you need to disassemble the joint later. ### What material should Cam-Lock Furniture Connectors be for outdoor use? For damp, coastal or chemical environments specify A4 (316) stainless or a suitably coated steel. For indoor or dry use, A2 (304) stainless or zinc-plated steel is normally adequate. ### Are Cam-Lock Furniture Connectors made to a recognized standard? Yes — they are manufactured to Trade series (cam-lock furniture connectors), so dimensions are interchangeable between suppliers when you quote the standard on your order. ### Can I get a quote for Cam-Lock Furniture Connectors in the size and material I need? Yes. Use the technical drawing and quote form on this page to set the size and options, then send the exact configuration to our team for pricing and lead time. ## Related Pages Product page: [Cam-Lock Furniture Connectors — specifications & sizes](https://engineeringhardware.com/fastener/cam-lock-furniture-connectors/) ### Cam-Lock Furniture Connectors Specification Guides ### Related Fastener Applications