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Standoffs & Spacers · DIN 988 · Application guide

What Are Precision Round Shims Used For?

Typical applications, the industries that specify precision round shims, and how to choose the right size, material and finish for the joint.

Precision Round Shims are used for setting and holding a fixed distance between two parts, loaded in compression rather than clamping a joint. They are manufactured to DIN 988, and selection is driven by the nominal size, the fit and tolerance the assembly requires, and the service environment.

Primary duty
Setting and holding a fixed distance between two parts, loaded in compression rather than clamping a joint
Governing standard
DIN 988
Nominal size range
3 mm to 20 mm
Category
Standoffs & Spacers

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

What Are Precision Round Shims Used For? application image

Precision Round Shims (DIN 988) are specified where the joint requires setting and holding a fixed distance between two parts, loaded in compression rather than clamping a joint. 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. Stocked across roughly 3 mm to 20 mm, they cover general to heavy-duty work.

Typical Applications for Precision Round Shims

The most common settings where these are specified:

  • Machine alignment: setting and correcting the height of a component on its mounting.
  • General machine building: fastening covers, brackets, motors and sub-assemblies on production equipment.
  • Maintenance & repair (MRO): a stocked size for servicing existing plant where the original fastener spec must be matched.
  • Fabrication & metalwork: bench and on-site assembly of steel frames, enclosures and weldments.
  • Electronics assembly: holding boards off a chassis and stacking multiple boards at a fixed pitch.

How to Specify Precision Round Shims for Your Application

  • Size: Select on nominal size, and confirm it against the mating feature in the assembly. This product spans 3 mm–20 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 DIN 988. Quoting the standard on your order guarantees interchangeable dimensions between suppliers.

Where Precision Round Shims Are Not the Right Choice

Match the fastener to the load, environment and whether the joint must be reopened; the wrong class or style is the usual cause of joint failure.

Custom manufacturing · Made to drawing

Need a precision round shims outside the standard range?

Dimensions, material, finish and form are specified from the drawing — a standoff & spacer outside the standard range is a variation on existing tooling rather than a new design. Made by tapping or turning.

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

Custom standoff & spacer 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 3 Precision Round Shims to DIN 988. Side view and top view, drawn to the dimensions in the table below and redrawn for any size selected.
Outer diameter d2 (mm)
6
Thickness s (mm)
0.1
Thickness tolerance (mm)
+/-0.01
Material
1.4310 stainless
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 (DIN 988)

Bore d1 (mm)Outer diameter d2 (mm)Thickness s (mm)Thickness tolerance (mm)MaterialReference standard
360.1+/-0.011.4310 stainlessDIN 988
360.2+/-0.011.4310 stainlessDIN 988
480.1+/-0.011.4310 stainlessDIN 988
480.3+/-0.021.4310 stainlessDIN 988
5100.1+/-0.011.4310 stainlessDIN 988
5100.5+/-0.021.4310 stainlessDIN 988
6120.1+/-0.011.4310 stainlessDIN 988
6120.3+/-0.021.4310 stainlessDIN 988
8140.1+/-0.011.4310 stainlessDIN 988
8140.5+/-0.021.4310 stainlessDIN 988
10160.2+/-0.011.4310 stainlessDIN 988
10160.5+/-0.021.4310 stainlessDIN 988
12180.2+/-0.011.4310 stainlessDIN 988
12180.5+/-0.021.4310 stainlessDIN 988
16220.3+/-0.021.4310 stainlessDIN 988
20260.3+/-0.021.4310 stainlessDIN 988

Video: What Are Precision Round Shims Used For? in use

Third-party video, selected automatically for this topic. It is not produced by Engineering Hardware and is not a specification source — use the tables on this page for dimensional data.

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

Which industries use Precision Round Shims?

They are commonly specified in maintenance & repair (mro), fabrication & metalwork and electronics assembly, among other sectors.

How do I choose the right size of Precision Round Shims?

Select on nominal size and on the fit the assembly requires. This product is available from 3 mm to 20 mm; the full dimension table on this page lists each size.

What material should Precision Round Shims 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 Precision Round Shims made to a recognized standard?

Yes — they are manufactured to DIN 988, so dimensions are interchangeable between suppliers when you quote the standard on your order.

Can I get a quote for Precision Round Shims 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.