Precision metal shims, spacers & shim washers

We manufacture a wide variety of precision metal shims, spacers and shim washers which can be supplied flat or formed to your design specification.

What are precision metal shims?

Shims are used as spacers between mechanical parts to absorb impact, reduce ‘play’ and protect a material surface in precision applications.

Some of the typical thin metal shims we supply include:

• Precision shims for Formula 1
• Steel shims for automotive fuel injection
• Shims for nebulisers
• Ultra-thin titanium shims for cryocoolers
• Brazing foil shims for plate heat exchangers

Economical precision and accuracy

From simple spacer washers to complex steel shims for racing engines, our precision metal shim etching service is accurate to ±0.020mm, producing flat-and burr-free shims with no rough edges that could interfere with other mating components.

The flexibility of chemical etching means complex shim designs can be manufactured quickly using low-cost digital tooling.

Metal shim materials

We etch over 2,000 material types, including all grades of stainless steels, non-ferrous sheet metals, and hard to etch metals including Inconel and titanium, a material often specified for aerospace, medical, automotive and sanitary ware shims due to its strength, corrosion resistance and biocompatibility.

We produce medical shims for nebulisers and glucose monitoring as small as 200μm, and brazing foil shims to 1500mm long for heat exchanger plates used in photolithography cooling systems.

Shim thicknesses can range from 0.010mm to 1.5mm.

Forming and finishing

Three-dimensional, lipped or formed shims can be produced in-house.

A comprehensive range of finishing technologies – including passivation, electropolishing and electroplating – ensures finished components can be supplied from a single source.