Metal Shims
The term shim refers to any type of material that is used to fill a space, balance an opening, or adjust clearances. In many cases, shims may be made from any type of handy available material designed for temporary use. High-quality shims are manufactured and produced from metal for more complex and intricate applications that require precision and care.
Although all shims have a purpose and function, metal shims traverse the common uses of shims and take their use to a higher level. The key factor with metal shims is their durability in the face of designs and assemblies that demand precise measurements.
Regardless of the type and kind of metal shims, they are a vital part of various manufacturing applications such as motor mounting, shaft alignment, and reducing the distance between parts using a differential shim. The materials used to produce a shim are dependent on the environment where they will be used. Materials can range from plain wood to carbon steel and stainless steel.
Quick links to Metal Shims Information
The Shim Manufacturing Process
Shims are one of those tools that are vital, essential, and unseen. They fill in unwanted space, create balance, and fill gaps. For a metal shim to work properly, it must be shaped, cut, and tooled to exact specifications to make adjustments, position equipment, and ensure proper machine operation.
- Stamping
- Stamping is a sheet metal forming process that converts flat metal sheets into predetermined and designed shapes. It includes a variety of processes including blanking, punching, bending, and piercing. When manufacturing shims, a steel rule die is used to cut shims from sheet metal.
- Stamping involves feeding coiled metal into a stamping machine that cuts the shape of the shim from the coil with several tons of force. Stamping machines come in several different sizes. Each size offers a different amount of force to cut through metal coil.
- CNC Cutting
- Computer numerical control (CNC) cutting is a fully automated process that uses information from various types of design software to guide cutting tools over a sheet of metal. Once data is downloaded into a CNC machine, it is converted to various programmed codes that align the shapes of the designs to diminish waste and increase productivity.
- CNC milling is used to make metal shims in various sizes, shapes, and configurations. A rotating tool moves along a preprogrammed path to cut a sheet of metal and remove material. The CNC process produces high precision shims with exceptional tolerances.
- Water Jet Cutting
- Water jet cutting uses an abrasive material, such as aluminum oxide, silica sand, silicon carbide, and garnet, that is suspended in water and forced, under pressure, against a piece of metal. The abrasive and high pressure removes metal from the workpiece and leaves the shape of the shim. The process of water jet cutting is exceptionally accurate, precise, and is capable of producing complex and intricate geometries. A major benefit of water jet cutting is the limited amount of waste it produces.
- Unlike other cutting processes, water jet cutting is able to shape metals that are sensitive and do not react well to high temperatures. As with CNC cutting, water jet cutting is able to cut shims with exceptionally high tolerances and does not affect the microstructure of the cut piece.
Aside from their many sizes and shapes, shims come in an assortment of common industrial metals. Each metal is designed to meet the needs of a specific application. Since shims are a necessary part of industrial operations, shims are produced to be adjustable and adaptable to fit several types of conditions and environments.
- Aluminum Shims
- Aluminum shims are lighter, corrosion-resistant, and come in different sizes and shapes. The manufacture of aluminum shims includes the use of several grades of aluminum. The key features of aluminum shims is their lightweight, excellent strength, and resistance to cracking under pressure. Aluminum shims can be laminated for easy adjustment to the size of an opening.
- Steel Shims
- Steel is an alloy of iron with a carbon content of 0.08% up to 0.13%, which varies according to the grade of steel. It is widely used as shim material due to its strength and low cost. Steel comes in low, medium, or high carbon, with high-carbon steel being harder and less ductile. Shims made of steel are designed for indoor use due to steel's tendency to rust and corrode without being galvanized.
- Stainless Steel Shims
- Stainless steel has properties that make it one of the most versatile shim materials. It has a balance of strength, durability, hardness, and corrosion resistance. Shims made of stainless can be used for outdoor projects and marine applications. The types of shims made from stainless steel include shim plates, alignment shims, bearing shims, and shim spacers.
- The three metals named above are a few of the metals used to produce shims. Nearly all forms of metal are used to produce shims and include titanium, copper, brass, spring steel, bronze, and nickel silver. The varied choices of metals make it possible for shim manufacturers to customize shims to precisely meet customer needs.
The unseen common shim is designed to fill the gaps between components, elevate materials, align parts, and provide a measure of balance. Regardless of their size and invisibility, they are an essential part of the operations of several industries.
- Aerospace:
- The main purpose of shims in the aerospace industry is to achieve tight tolerances to position components. The nature of the applications in the aerospace industry requires that shims be exceptionally sturdy and corrosion-resistant.
- Automotive:
- Shims are used in every aspect of the auto industry from manufacturing processes to the maintenance and upkeep of machinery. They are used for valve clearances, spacing of parts, and electric vehicle applications.
- Oil and Gas:
- There is a great deal of stress placed on equipment in the oil and gas industry, which requires shims to absorb tolerances in pumps and motors, align components, and use as thrust washers.
- Medical devices:
- In medicine, shims serve a very critical function in regard to implants and prosthetics, where they are used to pinpoint needed tolerances. Additionally, shims are used to align imaging equipment and surgical robots.
- Marine:
- Much like the oil and gas industry, shims are used in the marine industry to align and position equipment. The types of shims for marine use are required to be corrosion-resistant metals such as stainless steel and brass.