Back to the Basics: What are Shim Washers and How Do They Work?

Every mechanical equipment with moving parts, from motors to pumps, require a special focus on precision for optimal performance. Every component, be it the shaft, sprocket, or pneumatic fittings, must fit well and run consistently for optimal performance. To achieve these attributes and guarantee you high performance, we turn to washers and shims. Keep reading to learn more about shims and how they work. 

What is a Shim?

The name shim is used to refer to any material (rubber, metal, silicon, etc.) that is primarily used as a space-filler to help align parts, reduce wear, or make equipment fit. A shim is considered an excellent way to cut costs in industrial environments and enhance the safety of the equipment. For example, if two surfaces rub against each other and wear critical parts, the lifespan of the equipment, be it a pump or conveyor belt, is reduced significantly. They could even result in injuries. To avoid these challenges, you can use a shim washer. 

Shims help to fill space and even replace it when a part of a machine wears thin. Ultimately, they can help to save your enterprise thousands of dollars that could have gone into acquiring replacement parts or entire machinery. This is because it is way cheaper to buy and use shims than to replace the whole equipment. 

Comparing Shims to Standard Washers 

        Shims                               Standard Washers 

Shims and washers play the same role of enhancing the efficiency of equipment and machinery. However, their designs are slightly different. Shims help to level space for equipment, provide increased support and fill excess space, while washers help to maintain consistent temperatures and alter drag precision with pressure. 

Shims also differ from washers in materials and design. In most cases, shims are fabricated in the shape of a wedge and tapered to fill spaces between surfaces. Therefore, they are used to create a level surface, adjust the fit between two surfaces, and provide more support. The commonest base materials used for shim manufacturing are metal, rubber, plastic, layered paper and aluminium. 

Calibrated foil shims are used to provide coating thickness standards on a surface or material substrate. If you want to adjust thickness for calibration, precision foils might come in handy. The calibration foil shims are individual foils or laminated in several layers. They are particularly common in construction site equipment, such as conveyor belts, laboratory machinery, and some test equipment.

How to Select the Right Shim

Now that you know how shims work, it is time to pick the perfect model for your equipment. Here are some useful tips to consider when selecting the shims to use: 

• Understand the nature of the equipment that you are using. 
• Go for the shims designed by top brands. 
• Select shims that guarantee higher durability. 
• Consider working with an expert or technician when selecting the shin washers for your equipment. 

If you have and use machinery, from conveyor belts to material handling equipment in industrial or home settings, it is important to ensure they are running according to the manufacturer's recommendations. Particularly, you should have multiple shim washers to help optimize the efficiency of your equipment. In addition, your machines should be maintained in top condition all the time for top-notch performance.