For wood screws, DIN 96 defines the dimensions, tolerances and product grades. The sections below describe the scope of the document, the properties it deliberately leaves to companion standards, and the equivalent designations across standards bodies.
DIN 96 — Scope
DIN 96 specifies the dimensions and tolerances of wood screws. Material, property class, surface finish and packaging are governed by separate documents in the same standards family (for example ISO 898-1 for the mechanical property classes of bolts and screws).
Tolerance & Product Grades
DIN 96, alongside the related DIN 96 / DIN 97 / DIN 7997 entries on this site, specifies product grades (typically A or B for fine work and C for general engineering) and tolerance classes for the controlling dimensions. Choose the grade against the precision your application requires.
Dimensions Specified by DIN 96
| Nominal diameter (mm) | Head diameter dk (mm) | Head height k (mm) | Head type | Pilot hole (mm) | Common length range (mm) | Reference standard | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0 | 3.8 | 1.2 | Countersunk | 1.2 | 10~25 | DIN 97 / DIN 7997 | Slotted/cross wood screw, gimlet point |
| 2.5 | 4.7 | 1.5 | Countersunk | 1.5 | 12~30 | DIN 97 / DIN 7997 | Slotted/cross wood screw, gimlet point |
| 3.0 | 5.6 | 1.65 | Countersunk | 1.8 | 12~40 | DIN 97 / DIN 7997 | Slotted/cross wood screw, gimlet point |
| 3.5 | 6.5 | 1.93 | Countersunk | 2.0 | 16~50 | DIN 97 / DIN 7997 | Slotted/cross wood screw, gimlet point |
| 4.0 | 7.5 | 2.2 | Countersunk | 2.3 | 16~70 | DIN 97 / DIN 7997 | Slotted/cross wood screw, gimlet point |
| 4.5 | 8.5 | 2.5 | Countersunk | 2.5 | 20~80 | DIN 97 / DIN 7997 | Slotted/cross wood screw, gimlet point |
| 5.0 | 9.2 | 2.5 | Countersunk | 3.0 | 20~100 | DIN 97 / DIN 7997 | Slotted/cross wood screw, gimlet point |
| 6.0 | 11.0 | 3.0 | Countersunk | 3.5 | 30~120 | DIN 97 / DIN 7997 | Slotted/cross wood screw, gimlet point |
| 8.0 | 14.5 | 4.0 | Countersunk | 5.0 | 40~160 | DIN 97 / DIN 7997 | Slotted/cross wood screw, gimlet point |
Companion Standards
DIN 96 controls only the geometry of wood screws. The mechanical strength is set by ISO 898-1 (bolts and screws) or ISO 898-2 (nuts); the surface finish is governed by separate finish standards (e.g. ISO 4042 for electroplating). For corrosion testing, the relevant document is ISO 9227 (neutral salt spray).
When to Specify DIN 96
DIN 96 is still widely used in European mechanical engineering and as a cross-reference on legacy drawings; its ISO equivalent is preferred for new designs.