Taper Pins are used primarily for precise location and light shear duty between two parts. This page lists the industries and assemblies where they are specified, the selection criteria that matter for each application, installation practice, and the cases where a different fastener type is the correct choice. Parts are supplied to ISO 2339 / DIN 1. Stocked across roughly 0.6 mm to 50 mm, they cover general to heavy-duty work.
Typical Applications for Taper Pins
The most common settings where these are specified:
- Machine alignment: dowelling mating housings so they reassemble in the same position.
- 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.
- Jigs & fixtures: precise location of tooling plates and locating features.
How to Specify Taper Pins 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 2339 / DIN 1. 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 Taper Pins
- 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 Taper Pins Are Not the Right Choice
Not for carrying significant tensile or repeated heavy shear loads — use a bolt or a keyed joint for that.

