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Standoffs & Spacers · Trade series (inch shim) · Application guide

What Are Round Shims, Inch Series Used For?

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

Round Shims, Inch Series are used for setting bearing preload, gear backlash and shaft end float in assemblies dimensioned in inches. They are manufactured to Trade series (inch shim), and selection is driven by the screw size, the fit and tolerance the assembly requires, and the service environment.

Primary duty
Setting bearing preload, gear backlash and shaft end float in assemblies dimensioned in inches
Governing standard
Trade series (inch shim)
Screw size range
1 to 3/4
Category
Standoffs & Spacers

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

What Are Round Shims, Inch Series Used For? application image

Application guide for Round Shims, Inch Series to Trade series (inch shim). The core duty of the type is setting bearing preload, gear backlash and shaft end float in assemblies dimensioned in inches. The typical industries, the how-to-specify checklist, assembly practice and the exclusion cases are set out below. Stocked across roughly 1 to 3, they cover light-duty and instrument-scale work.

Typical Applications for Round Shims, Inch Series

The most common settings where these are specified:

  • 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.
  • Enclosures & panels: spacing a fascia, guard or label plate off the surface behind it.
  • Machine alignment: setting and correcting the height of a component on its mounting.

How to Specify Round Shims, Inch Series for Your Application

  • Size: Select on screw size, and confirm it against the mating feature in the assembly. This product spans 1–3; 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 is a trade-series article rather than one covered by a published dimensional standard, so dimensions can differ between manufacturers. Quote the dimensions you need — or the part you are replacing — rather than a standard number.

Where Round Shims, Inch Series 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 round shims, inch series 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 1/4 Round Shims, Inch Series to Trade series (inch shim). Side view and top view, drawn to the dimensions in the table below and redrawn for any size selected.
Outer diameter (in)
1/2
Thickness (in)
0.001
Thickness (mm)
0.025
Tolerance
±0.0002
Material
Stainless 302
Typical use
Bearing preload
Stack step
0.001"
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 (Trade series (inch shim))

Bore (in)Outer diameter (in)Thickness (in)Thickness (mm)ToleranceMaterialTypical useStack step
1/41/20.0010.025±0.0002Stainless 302Bearing preload0.001"
1/41/20.0050.127±0.0005Stainless 302Bearing preload0.005"
3/85/80.0020.051±0.0003Stainless 302Gear backlash0.002"
1/27/80.0050.127±0.0005Stainless 302Gear backlash0.005"
1/27/80.0100.254±0.001Stainless 302Pulley alignment0.010"
3/41-1/40.0100.254±0.001Stainless 302Pulley alignment0.010"
11-1/20.0200.508±0.001Stainless 302Shaft end float0.020"
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

Are Round Shims, Inch Series made to a recognized standard?

Yes — they are manufactured to Trade series (inch shim), so dimensions are interchangeable between suppliers when you quote the standard on your order.

What are Round Shims, Inch Series used for?

Setting bearing preload, gear backlash and shaft end float in assemblies dimensioned in inches. They are supplied to Trade series (inch shim).

Which industries use Round Shims, Inch Series?

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

How do I choose the right size of Round Shims, Inch Series?

Select on screw size and on the fit the assembly requires. This product is available from 1 to 3; the full dimension table on this page lists each size.

Can I get a quote for Round Shims, Inch Series 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.