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Washers · Trade series (cam wedge-lock pair) · Application guide

What Are Wedge-Lock Washer Pairs Used For?

Typical applications, the industries that specify wedge-lock washer pairs, and how to choose the right size, material and finish for the joint.

Wedge-Lock Washer Pairs are used for joints under vibration or dynamic load, locked by a cam angle greater than the thread lead rather than by friction. They are manufactured to Trade series (cam wedge-lock pair), and selection is driven by the nominal bolt size, the fit and tolerance the assembly requires, and the service environment.

Primary duty
Joints under vibration or dynamic load, locked by a cam angle greater than the thread lead rather than by friction
Governing standard
Trade series (cam wedge-lock pair)
Nominal bolt size range
M6 to M20
Category
Washers

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

What Are Wedge-Lock Washer Pairs Used For? application image

The primary duty of Wedge-Lock Washer Pairs is joints under vibration or dynamic load, locked by a cam angle greater than the thread lead rather than by friction. Below: the sectors that specify them in volume, the checklist used to select the right size and material for the application, installation notes, and the known limits of the type. Stocked across roughly M6 to M20, they cover general to heavy-duty work.

Typical Applications for Wedge-Lock Washer Pairs

The most common settings where these are specified:

  • Vibration applications: spring and serrated types that maintain tension under cyclic load.
  • Timber & soft materials: large-OD types that prevent pull-through.
  • 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.

How to Specify Wedge-Lock Washer Pairs for Your Application

  • Size: Match the nominal size to the mating thread or hole. This product spans M6–M20; check the full table below for the exact dimensions of each size.
  • Type & OD: Select flat for load spreading, spring/serrated for anti-loosening, or fender/large-OD for soft or oversized holes.
  • 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 Trade series (cam wedge-lock pair). Quoting the standard on your order guarantees interchangeable dimensions between suppliers.

Installation & Assembly Practice

  • Place the washer under the rotating element (usually the nut) so tightening does not score the surface.
  • Chamfered-hole side of a hardened washer faces the bolt head fillet.
  • On serrated-flange hardware, do not add a plain washer — it defeats the serrations.

Common Selection Mistakes with Wedge-Lock Washer Pairs

  • Relying on a spring washer for locking on class 8.8+ joints — at high preload it flattens and adds nothing.
  • Choosing an OD too small for soft material, so the head pulls through or embeds.

Where Wedge-Lock Washer Pairs Are Not the Right Choice

A washer does not replace a locking feature on its own in severe vibration, and a spring washer adds little clamp on high-strength joints.

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.

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 (cam wedge-lock pair))

For bolt sizeInner diameter d1 (mm)Outer diameter d2 (mm)Thickness of pair t (mm)Cam angleFits property class up toMaterialRe-use
M66.410.82.5approx. 12u00b012.9Hardened steel, Delta ProtektYes, teeth permitting
M88.713.53.4approx. 12u00b012.9Hardened steel, Delta ProtektYes, teeth permitting
M1010.716.63.4approx. 12u00b012.9Hardened steel, Delta ProtektYes, teeth permitting
M1213.019.54.0approx. 12u00b012.9Hardened steel, Delta ProtektYes, teeth permitting
M1617.025.44.6approx. 12u00b012.9Hardened steel, Delta ProtektYes, teeth permitting
M2021.430.75.2approx. 12u00b012.9Hardened steel, Delta ProtektYes, teeth permitting
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 Wedge-Lock Washer Pairs 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 Wedge-Lock Washer Pairs made to a recognized standard?

Yes — they are manufactured to Trade series (cam wedge-lock pair), so dimensions are interchangeable between suppliers when you quote the standard on your order.

What are Wedge-Lock Washer Pairs used for?

Joints under vibration or dynamic load, locked by a cam angle greater than the thread lead rather than by friction. They are supplied to Trade series (cam wedge-lock pair).

Which industries use Wedge-Lock Washer Pairs?

They are commonly specified in fabrication & metalwork, bolted structural joints and vibration applications, among other sectors.

Can I get a quote for Wedge-Lock Washer Pairs 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.