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Pins · ISO 2338 · Application guide

What Are Parallel Dowel Pins, Unhardened Used For?

Typical applications, the industries that specify parallel dowel pins, unhardened, and how to choose the right size, material and finish for the joint.

Parallel Dowel Pins, Unhardened are used for an unhardened parallel pin for general location and fixing. They are manufactured to ISO 2338, and selection is driven by the nominal diameter, the fit and tolerance the assembly requires, and the service environment.

Primary duty
An unhardened parallel pin for general location and fixing
Governing standard
ISO 2338
Nominal diameter range
0.6 mm to 50 mm
Category
Pins

Application notes are general engineering guidance. Verify the property class and any approval requirement against your own design calculation.

What Are Parallel Dowel Pins, Unhardened Used For? application image

Parallel Dowel Pins, Unhardened are selected when an assembly calls for an unhardened parallel pin for general location and fixing. This application guide to the ISO 2338 type covers concrete end-uses, the specification checklist, correct installation, and where an alternative fastener performs better. Stocked across roughly 0.6 mm to 50 mm, they cover general to heavy-duty work.

Typical Applications for Parallel Dowel Pins, Unhardened

The most common settings where these are specified:

  • Machine building: location of parts.
  • Fixtures: alignment pins.
  • Hinges: pivot pins.
  • Toolmaking: location in soft materials.

How to Specify Parallel Dowel Pins, Unhardened for Your Application

  • Size: Select on nominal diameter, then on the hole tolerance and fit class — the fit, not the diameter alone, determines whether the part locates or slips. This product spans 0.6 mm–50 mm; check the full table below for the exact dimensions of each size.
  • Material: Choose the material and finish for the service environment — plated steel for general use, stainless for corrosion resistance.
  • Environment: For damp, coastal or chemical exposure prefer A4/316 stainless or a suitable coating; indoors, plated steel or A2 is usually sufficient.
  • Standard: This product is supplied to ISO 2338. Quoting the standard on your order guarantees interchangeable dimensions between suppliers.

Installation & Assembly Practice

  • Ream the hole to the specified fit class; a dowel pressed into a drilled-only hole will not locate accurately.
  • Press pins in with steady force rather than hammer blows where possible, and chamfer the hole entry.

Common Selection Mistakes with Parallel Dowel Pins, Unhardened

  • Using a dowel pin as a load-carrying shear bolt — dowels locate, they are not sized for sustained shear.
  • Ignoring the fit class: a locational fit and an interference fit need different hole tolerances.

Where Parallel Dowel Pins, Unhardened Are Not the Right Choice

Not for carrying significant tensile or repeated heavy shear loads — use a bolt or a keyed joint for that.

Custom manufacturing · Made to drawing

Need a parallel dowel pins, unhardened outside the standard range?

Tolerance class is what a special pin usually turns on — a locating pin and a retaining pin want very different fits in the same nominal size. Made by cold heading or turning.

Minimum order from 2,000 pieces; samples within 7 days of drawing approval.

Custom pin manufacturingSend a drawing

Technical Drawing

Customize the parameters below — every spec field is editable, and the drawing redraws to match the values you choose. Changing the size will snap the other fields to that size's standard values; you can then override any individual value.

Dimensioned line drawing of 0.6 mm Parallel Dowel Pins, Unhardened to ISO 2338. Side view and top view, drawn to the dimensions in the table below and redrawn for any size selected.
d (mm)
0.6
c (mm)
0.12
Length range l (mm)
2~6
Sends the selected values to the quote form below.

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The form below follows the current technical drawing configuration. Change the drawing values above and the request details update automatically.

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Specification
Business Information

Dimensions & Specifications (ISO 2338)

Nominal diameter d (mm)d (mm)c (mm)Length range l (mm)Reference standard
0.6 mm0.60.122~6ISO 2338
0.8 mm0.80.162~8ISO 2338
1 mm10.24~10ISO 2338
1.2 mm1.20.254~12ISO 2338
1.5 mm1.50.34~16ISO 2338
2 mm20.356~20ISO 2338
2.5 mm2.50.46~24ISO 2338
3 mm30.58~30ISO 2338
4 mm40.638~40ISO 2338
5 mm50.810~50ISO 2338
6 mm61.212~60ISO 2338
8 mm81.614~80ISO 2338
10 mm10218~95ISO 2338
12 mm122.522~140ISO 2338
16 mm16326~180ISO 2338
20 mm203.535~200ISO 2338
25 mm25450~200ISO 2338
30 mm30560~200ISO 2338
40 mm406.380~200ISO 2338
50 mm50895~200ISO 2338
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
    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
    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
    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
    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

What material should Parallel Dowel Pins, Unhardened 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 Parallel Dowel Pins, Unhardened made to a recognized standard?

Yes — they are manufactured to ISO 2338, so dimensions are interchangeable between suppliers when you quote the standard on your order.

What are Parallel Dowel Pins, Unhardened used for?

An unhardened parallel pin for general location and fixing. They are supplied to ISO 2338.

Which industries use Parallel Dowel Pins, Unhardened?

They are commonly specified in fixtures, hinges and toolmaking, among other sectors.

Can I get a quote for Parallel Dowel Pins, Unhardened 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.