Description
Stainless Steel Shims, Stainless Steel Shim Washers – Manufacturer, Supplier & Exporter India
Stainless Steel Fittings India manufactures a comprehensive range of stainless steel shims, shim washers, shim stock rolls and sheets, slotted shims, laser-cut shims, and photo-chemically etched shims in SS 304, SS 316, and SS 301 grades. Designed for precision machinery alignment, bearing and coupling gap correction, flange gap take-up, and instrumentation calibration where dimensional accuracy of a few microns is required. Supplied to electrical OEMs, EPC contractors, power utilities, and industrial distributors worldwide. Price: US$ 11.50/Kilogram
Stainless steel shims and shim washers are thin, precision-thickness spacers used to fill gaps, correct misalignment, and set precise clearances between mating machine components. Manufactured by precision slitting, laser cutting, photo-chemical etching, and cold rolling of SS 304 and SS 316 strip, these shims maintain tight thickness tolerances and flatness required for rotating equipment alignment, bearing preload setting, and flange gap correction in critical industrial assemblies.
Precision Stainless Steel Shims (Slotted, Flat, U-Shaped)
Flat, slotted, and U-shaped SS shims are precision cut from cold-rolled SS 304 and SS 316 strip in thicknesses from 0.025 mm to 3 mm. Slotted shims allow installation and removal around a bolt or shaft without full disassembly of the machine, widely used in motor foot alignment, pump baseplate levelling, and bearing housing gap correction.
Stainless Steel Shim Washers
Shim washers are precision-stamped flat washers held to tight thickness tolerance, used for fine adjustment of bolt preload, bearing endplay, and gear backlash. Supplied in standard metric and imperial bolt sizes from M3 to M48, stacked in incremental thicknesses to achieve a specified total gap correction.
Stainless Steel Shim Stock Rolls & Sheets
Shim stock is supplied in roll and sheet form in thicknesses from 0.025 mm to 1 mm for field fabrication of custom shim shapes by maintenance and machining personnel. Standard roll widths from 50 mm to 600 mm are stocked in SS 304 and SS 316 dead-soft temper for easy hand cutting and forming.
Laser-Cut & Photo-Etched Shims
Laser-cut shims provide fast turnaround for simple profiles up to 3 mm thickness, while photo-chemical etching produces burr-free, stress-free shims with complex geometries and thicknesses down to 0.025 mm without inducing thermal distortion. Photo-etched shims are preferred for gas turbine, aerospace, and precision instrumentation applications requiring tight flatness across intricate profiles.
Stainless Steel Alignment Shims for Machinery
Motor and pump alignment shim packs in graduated thicknesses (0.05 mm, 0.1 mm, 0.2 mm, 0.5 mm, 1 mm) are supplied for precision shaft alignment per laser alignment procedures. Full-size and slotted foot shims are stocked in standard sizes for common motor frame sizes (56 to 400 frame) and custom-cut for non-standard baseplates.
Stainless Steel Bearing & Coupling Shims
Precision bearing shims correct axial endplay and preload in rolling-element and plain bearing assemblies, while coupling shims correct angular and parallel misalignment between shaft-mounted couplings. Both applications demand tight thickness tolerance and consistent flatness to avoid introducing new alignment error during installation.
Stainless Steel Shims for Flange Gap Correction
Flange alignment shims correct parallelism and gap irregularities in piping flange connections before gasket installation, preventing gasket crush non-uniformity and flange bolt overload. Supplied as split-ring or full-ring shims sized to standard ANSI and DIN flange bolt circles.
Key Features
- Comprehensive range: slotted shims, shim washers, shim stock, and photo-etched shims
- Thickness range from 0.025 mm to 3 mm with tolerances to ±0.005 mm
- SS 304, SS 316, and SS 301 dead-soft temper for easy field cutting
- Laser cutting and photo-chemical etching for burr-free, stress-free parts
- Standard motor frame and flange bolt circle sizes stocked
- Custom thickness stacks engineered to specified gap correction
- Competitive pricing from US$ 11.50/kg with volume OEM discounts
- EN 10204 3.1 Mill Test Certificates and thickness inspection reports available
Thickness Tolerance & Precision Grinding
Shim thickness tolerance is held to ±0.005 mm for precision alignment applications through precision cold rolling and, where required, surface grinding. Consistent thickness across the shim area is critical — variation introduces angular error in bearing and coupling alignment that compounds over the machine’s operating envelope.
Material Selection: SS 304 vs SS 316 vs SS 301
SS 304 shim stock suits general indoor machinery alignment. SS 316 is specified for chemical processing, marine, and offshore machinery where corrosion resistance to process fluids or saltwater spray is required. SS 301 in half-hard and full-hard temper is used for spring-shim applications requiring higher mechanical strength and spring-back resistance.
Slotted vs Solid Shim Design
Slotted shims allow installation around a fixed bolt or shaft without full machine disassembly, at the cost of slightly reduced load-bearing area compared with solid shims. Solid shims provide maximum bearing surface and are preferred where the shim can be installed during initial assembly or complete teardown.
Laser Cutting vs Photo-Chemical Etching
Laser cutting is cost-effective for simple profiles above 0.1 mm thickness but introduces a small heat-affected zone at the cut edge. Photo-chemical etching produces zero heat-affected zone, zero burr, and zero mechanical stress, essential for shims used in high-precision instrumentation, aerospace, and gas turbine applications where cut-edge integrity affects fatigue life.
Surface Finish & Flatness Control
Shim stock is supplied in bright annealed, 2B mill finish, or polished finish depending on the application. Flatness is controlled through tension-levelling during slitting to prevent coil-set curvature that would introduce measurement error during installation.
Application in Rotating Machinery Alignment
Precision shims are the standard method for correcting vertical and angular misalignment identified during laser or dial-indicator shaft alignment procedures on motors, pumps, compressors, and turbines. Incremental shim packs allow alignment technicians to achieve alignment tolerances within manufacturer-specified limits, reducing bearing and seal failure rates.
Technical Specifications
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Material | SS 304, SS 316, SS 301 (dead-soft to full-hard temper) |
| Thickness Range | 0.025 mm – 3 mm |
| Thickness Tolerance | ±0.005 mm to ±0.02 mm depending on thickness |
| Standard Roll Width | 50 mm – 600 mm |
| Cutting Methods | Precision slitting, laser cutting, photo-chemical etching |
| Surface Finish | Bright annealed, 2B mill finish, polished |
| Standards | ASTM A666, ASTM A240, ISO 9001:2015 |
| Price | US$ 11.50 / Kilogram |
Material Grade & International Equivalents
| Grade | UNS | EN/W.Nr. | DIN | JIS | BS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SS 304 | S30400 | 1.4301 | X5CrNi18-10 | SUS 304 | 304S31 |
| SS 316 | S31600 | 1.4401 | X5CrNiMo17-12-2 | SUS 316 | 316S31 |
| SS 301 | S30100 | 1.4310 | X10CrNi18-8 | SUS 301 | 301S21 |
Product Types / Variants
| Type | Thickness Range | Format | Application |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slotted Alignment Shim | 0.05mm–3mm | Standard motor frame sizes | Motor/pump foot alignment |
| Shim Washer | 0.1mm–2mm | M3–M48 bolt sizes | Bolt preload, bearing endplay |
| Shim Stock Roll/Sheet | 0.025mm–1mm | 50mm–600mm width | Field fabrication, custom shapes |
| Photo-Etched Shim | 0.025mm–0.5mm | Custom profile | Precision instrumentation, aerospace |
| Coupling/Bearing Shim | 0.05mm–1mm | Custom / standard OD-ID | Coupling and bearing alignment |
| Flange Gap Shim | 0.5mm–3mm | ANSI / DIN bolt circle | Flange parallelism correction |
Applications in Industry
| Industry | Application |
|---|---|
| Power Generation | Turbine and generator shaft alignment, bearing shims |
| Oil & Gas / Petrochemical | Pump/compressor alignment, flange gap correction shims |
| EPC / Industrial Machinery | Motor foot alignment, baseplate levelling shims |
| Electrical OEM | Precision instrumentation calibration shims |
| Aerospace & Precision Engineering | Photo-etched shims for turbine and instrument assemblies |
| Marine & Offshore | Shaft and coupling alignment shims, corrosion-resistant applications |
Manufacturing Process
SS coil is slit to width and cold rolled to precise thickness with tension levelling for flatness control. Shims are produced by precision blanking, CNC laser cutting, or photo-chemical etching depending on thickness and geometry complexity. Photo-etched shims are produced by applying a photoresist mask, exposing the pattern, and chemically etching through the material without mechanical stress. All shims undergo thickness measurement at multiple points, flatness inspection, and batch traceability marking before packing in protective interleaved packs.
Quality Standards & Certifications
- ASTM A666 – Austenitic stainless steel sheet, strip, plate, and flat bar
- ASTM A240 – Chromium and chromium-nickel stainless steel plate, sheet, and strip
- ISO 9001:2015 – Quality Management System
- EN 10204 3.1 – Mill Test Certificates
- Thickness and flatness inspection per batch with certified micrometer reports
Why Choose Us
- Comprehensive range: slotted shims, shim washers, shim stock, and photo-etched shims
- Thickness tolerances to ±0.005 mm with certified inspection reports
- SS 304, SS 316, and SS 301 materials in dead-soft to full-hard temper
- Competitive pricing from US$ 11.50/kg with volume OEM discounts
- EN 10204 3.1 MTCs and thickness certification with every shipment
- Active export to USA, UK, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Germany, South Korea, Singapore
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the thinnest shim thickness available?
Photo-chemically etched shims are available from 0.025 mm thickness with tight flatness and no burr.
What is the difference between laser-cut and photo-etched shims?
Laser cutting is faster and economical for simple profiles but leaves a small heat-affected zone; photo-etching produces burr-free, stress-free parts ideal for precision and fatigue-critical applications.
Do you supply slotted shims for motor alignment?
Yes. Slotted alignment shims in standard motor frame sizes and custom dimensions are stocked in graduated thicknesses from 0.05 mm to 3 mm.
Which grade should I use for marine machinery shims?
SS 316 is recommended for marine and offshore machinery due to superior chloride and pitting corrosion resistance.
Can shim stock be supplied in roll form for field cutting?
Yes. Shim stock rolls and sheets from 0.025 mm to 1 mm in widths from 50 mm to 600 mm are available in dead-soft temper for hand cutting.
What thickness tolerance can you hold?
Tolerances of ±0.005 mm to ±0.02 mm are achievable depending on thickness and cutting method.
Do you supply flange gap correction shims?
Yes. Split-ring and full-ring shims sized to ANSI and DIN flange bolt circles are available for flange parallelism correction.
Are thickness certification reports provided?
Yes. Certified micrometer inspection reports and EN 10204 3.1 Mill Test Certificates are supplied with every order.
Can custom shim shapes be manufactured to drawing?
Yes. Laser cutting and photo-chemical etching accommodate custom profiles to customer drawings or DXF files.
What is your minimum order quantity?
MOQs vary by thickness and format; both project-volume and distributor-stock quantities are supported. Contact us for a specific quotation.
Equivalent Terms in Other Languages
Spanish: Cuña de acero inoxidable, Arandela de ajuste inox, Lámina calibradora inoxidable, Suplemento de acero inox
Russian: Прокладка из нержавеющей стали, Регулировочная шайба, Лента для регулировки зазора, Биметалл нержавеющая
French: Cale d’épaisseur inox, Rondelle de calage inoxydable, Feuillard de calage acier inox, Cale de réglage inox
Portuguese: Calibre de aço inox, Arruela calibradora inoxidável, Lâmina calibradora inox, Suplemento de aço inoxidável
Italian: Spessore in acciaio inox, Rondella calibrata inox, Lamina calibrata inossidabile, Spessimetro in acciaio inox
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Contact Stainless Steel Fittings India for competitive pricing and technical specifications for stainless steel shims and shim washers. Price from US$ 11.50/kg. Precision thickness tolerances to ±0.005 mm; custom laser-cut and photo-etched shims available. OEM and project volume inquiries invited.
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