How to find the right Aluminum Shims & Shim Stock AI guide
Written by an AI model from its trained knowledge.
What the AI looks for in Aluminum Shims & Shim Stock
- Thickness and tolerance
- Buy stock with the nominal thickness and tolerance stated in thousandths of an inch or millimetres, and verify it with a micrometer A shim's only job is a precise gap. Unstated tolerance makes thin stock unreliable.
- Alloy and temper
- 1100 or 3003 in soft temper for forming and conforming. 6061 or hard tempers for flat, springier spacers Soft tempers bend and cut easily but crush more. Harder alloys hold flatness and thickness under load.
- Form factor
- Use rolls or sheets for custom cutting, precut slotted shims sized to the bolt for machinery alignment, and laminated (peelable) shims for adjustable stacks Precut slotted shims save time and give consistent stacks. Laminated shims let you peel layers to fine-tune height.
- Load and creep
- Use stainless rather than aluminum for heavy, vibrating machine-foot alignment under motors and pumps Aluminum is softer and can creep or crush under sustained heavy compression, which loses the alignment.
- Flatness and burrs
- Stock should be flat, with edges deburred after cutting Curl or burrs add false thickness and break the precision you are shimming for.
Brands that matter
- Precision Brand: Long-established maker of shim stock in rolls, sheets and assortments.
- Lyon Industries: Shim stock in many metals and thicknesses.
- Artus: Precision shims, including laminated and custom-cut parts.
- SPI: Shim stock assortments and precision measuring tools.
What to avoid
- Shim stock sold without a stated thickness tolerance
- Aluminum shims under heavy, vibrating machinery where stainless is the norm
- Stacking many thin shims when one thicker shim or a laminated shim would do, since each layer adds error and compliance
- Pairing aluminum shims with steel in wet environments without considering galvanic corrosion
Questions
Why choose aluminum over brass or steel shim stock?
Aluminum is light, easy to cut and non-sparking. Brass and stainless resist crushing better, and stainless resists corrosion better.
What is laminated shim?
It is stock made of thin bonded layers that peel apart, so one piece can be adjusted to the exact thickness on site.