Buy Shims & Shim Stocks Online in Australia
What is a shim?
A shim is a thin, precision-thickness piece of material used to fill gaps, adjust clearances, align machinery, level equipment and achieve precise fits between mating components. Shims are stacked or selected to the exact thickness needed for the job. AIMS Industrial stocks shim stock from Precision Brand and Champion in steel, stainless steel and brass — in sheet, roll and slotted formats from 0.025 mm through to 3 mm.
What are shims used for?
Shims are used for motor-to-pump alignment, gearbox and coupling alignment, bearing preload adjustment, clearance setting in valve bodies and gap filling in structural connections. Correct shimming is essential for rotating equipment — soft-foot conditions (where one machine foot does not sit flush on its base) cause a high proportion of premature bearing and coupling wear.
What materials are shims made from?
Carbon steel is the general workshop standard. Stainless steel (304 or 316) is used where corrosion resistance matters — marine, food processing, washdown and outdoor work. Brass is used in electrical applications (non-magnetic) and where a non-sparking material is required in hazardous areas.
Shim Stock Thickness — Quick Reference
Shim stock is precision-rolled material for machinery alignment, levelling, gap setting, and bearing/coupling fits. Selection turns on material (steel/stainless/brass), thickness (0.025 mm — 3 mm), and format (roll for custom cuts, sheet for ready-pack, slotted for shaft/flange work).
| Thickness Range | Common Use | Material Choice |
|---|---|---|
| 0.025 mm – 0.05 mm | Precision bearing preload, instrument alignment, fine gauge work | Stainless or brass — stable, non-corrosive |
| 0.075 mm – 0.15 mm | Motor-to-pump alignment, coupling clearance fine-tune | Stainless preferred (long-term install) |
| 0.2 mm – 0.5 mm | Standard machinery alignment, levelling, gear backlash setting | Steel (general workshop), Stainless (harsh environments) |
| 0.6 mm – 1.0 mm | Machine base levelling, large equipment install, gap shimming | Steel — cost effective for thicker stock |
| 1.2 mm – 3.0 mm | Heavy machinery foundation shims, structural levelling | Steel — load-bearing thickness |
Material selection: Carbon steel for general workshop, stainless 304/316 for corrosion resistance + long-term install, brass for non-sparking + soft-mating applications (precision instruments, electrical). Format: Roll stock for custom cuts on-site (tin snips or shim cutter); pre-cut 150×150mm sheets for assortment packs; slotted shims for shafts, couplings, flanges. Brands: Precision Brand, Champion. Companion: feeler gauges (measuring the gap first), bearings, couplings, feeler gauge guide.
Precision Shims & Shim Stock — Machinery Alignment, Levelling & Gap Setting
Shims and shim stock are thin, precision-thickness material used to fill gaps, adjust clearances, align machinery, level equipment and achieve precise fits between mating components. AIMS Industrial stocks precision shim stock from Precision Brand and Champion in steel, stainless steel and brass — in sheet, roll and slotted formats covering metric and imperial thicknesses from 0.025 mm through to 3 mm.
Browse shims at AIMS:
- Roll shim stock — steel, stainless and brass, 0.025 mm to 3 mm, cut to size on-site
- Sheet shims — pre-cut 150 mm × 150 mm sheets in assorted thickness packs
- Slotted shims — metric slotted shims for flanged shaft, coupling and bearing applications
- Assortment packs — practical thickness ranges for general workshop and maintenance use
Precision Brand Shim Stock
Precision Brand shim stock rolls are available in steel, stainless steel and brass in a comprehensive range of thicknesses from 0.025 mm through to 3 mm. Roll stock allows you to cut custom shim shapes and sizes on-site using tin snips or a shim cutter — the standard approach where machinery alignment requires non-standard shim geometry. Metric slotted shim sets from Precision Brand provide pre-cut slotted shims in assorted thicknesses for flanged shaft, coupling and bearing applications — the slot allows the shim to slide into position without dismantling the assembly.
Champion Sheet Shims
Champion 150 mm × 150 mm sheet shims are available in carbon steel and 304 stainless steel in assorted thickness packs — a practical solution for general machinery levelling and gap-setting in workshops and maintenance environments. Sheets can be stacked to achieve the required gap dimension, with the stack-up tolerance equal to the sum of individual sheet tolerances.
Applications
Common shim applications include: bearing preload adjustment, motor and pump foot levelling, gearbox and coupling alignment, clearance setting in valve bodies and hydraulic components, and gap filling in structural connections. For precision machinery alignment — particularly rotating equipment such as motors, pumps and compressors — always verify alignment after shimming with a dial indicator or laser alignment tool. Soft-foot conditions (where one machine foot is not making full contact with the base) account for a high proportion of premature bearing and coupling failure and are corrected with shim adjustment.
Material selection
- Carbon steel — the general industrial standard. Suitable for most workshop and maintenance shimming.
- Stainless steel (304) — specified where corrosion resistance is required: marine, food processing, washdown environments and outdoor installations.
- Brass — used in electrical applications (non-magnetic) and where a non-sparking material is required for hazardous areas. Also preferred where shim corrosion would mark or contaminate the mating surfaces.
Companion ranges at AIMS
Shims sit within our broader raw materials range. For precision keyway material in the same gauge family, see key steel. For rotating equipment alignment, the related couplings and bearings ranges cover the components shims are most often used to align.
Need a specific thickness, material or format we don't show stocked? Call (02) 9773 0122 or contact our team — Precision Brand stocks an extensive range we can source within standard lead times.
People Also Ask — Shims and Shim Stock
Q: What's the difference between brass, steel, and stainless shim stock?
Brass shim stock is corrosion-resistant and non-magnetic, used in electrical and instrument assembly. Carbon steel shim stock is the workshop default — cost-effective, easy to cut, magnetic for retention during installation. Stainless steel shim stock handles wet, outdoor, and corrosive environments. For high-precision machine alignment, choose stainless to avoid corrosion that changes shim thickness over time.
Q: Are slotted shims or full shims better for alignment?
Slotted shims slide in under a partially-loose foundation bolt without removing the bolt — fast for machine alignment work, common in motor and pump installation. Full shims (no slot) require removing the bolt for installation but are stronger and less prone to walking under vibration. For permanent installations, full shims are preferred; for adjustment work and re-alignments, slotted shims save time.
Q: What thicknesses of shim stock should I keep?
A workshop assortment covers 0.05mm to 1.0mm in steps that combine to give 0.05mm minimum adjustment increments. Common workshop kit: 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0mm. Imperial equivalents cover 0.002 inch to 0.040 inch. For precision machine alignment, sub-0.05mm shims may be needed; for general industrial work, 0.1mm minimum is usually fine.
Q: Can shims be cut from sheet stock with hand tools?
Yes — shim stock cuts cleanly with tin snips, aviation shears, or a sharp utility knife on softer brass and thinner steel. For accurate shaped shims, lay out with a marker and cut with shears. For thicker steel shim stock (above about 0.5mm), use a guillotine or punch for cleaner edges. Always deburr edges before installation — sharp burrs can cut hands or wedge against mating faces.
Q: How do I know how many shims to use in alignment?
Combine shim thicknesses to reach the required gap dimension exactly. Standard practice: build the stack from the largest shim at the bottom (taking the bulk of the gap) and progressively smaller shims on top. Limit the total stack to 4-5 shims for stability — beyond that, the assembly is unstable and may walk under load. For thick gaps, use a single thicker shim plus smaller adjustment shims rather than many thin shims.
Q: What is a soft-foot condition and how do shims fix it?
Soft-foot describes a machine base condition where one or more mounting feet does not sit flush against the foundation — the foot 'floats' when the mounting bolt is loose but distorts the machine housing when the bolt is tightened. This causes shaft misalignment, bearing preload changes, and rapid wear on couplings and bearings. Detection: with all mounting bolts tight, loosen one at a time and measure movement with a dial indicator — over 0.05 mm of movement indicates soft-foot. Fix by installing precision shims under the affected foot until the housing sits flush without distortion when bolted.
Q: What are laminated shims and when should I use them?
Laminated shims (also called peelable shims) are stacks of thin metal foil (typically 0.05 mm layers) bonded into a single shim of nominal thickness. On installation, individual layers can be peeled off with a knife or pick to reduce thickness in 0.05 mm steps. Advantages: precise field adjustment without swapping out shims, no assembly disturbance to change alignment, and one shim covers many thickness increments. Common on aerospace, precision machine tool, and rotating equipment alignment. Brands include Spirol and Camloc.
Q: What is the imperial-to-metric conversion for common shim thicknesses?
0.001 inch = 0.0254 mm; 0.002 inch = 0.05 mm; 0.005 inch = 0.127 mm; 0.010 inch = 0.254 mm; 0.020 inch = 0.508 mm; 0.031 inch = 0.79 mm; 0.062 inch = 1.57 mm. Precision Brand and other US-origin shim stock is often marked in thousandths of an inch (thou or mil); Australian and European workshops typically work in mm. When ordering to imperial spec, convert to the nearest available metric size — the small difference is usually well within alignment tolerance.
Q: How much shim adjustment is needed for bearing preload?
Bearing preload adjustment depends on bearing size and manufacturer specification. Angular contact and tapered roller bearings typically need 0.025-0.15 mm axial preload set by shim thickness between the outer race and housing shoulder. Deep groove ball bearings usually run at 0.02-0.08 mm axial free space or light preload. Refer to the bearing manufacturer's mounting guide (SKF, NSK, NTN, FAG all publish preload figures) — over-preload dramatically shortens life through heat generation; under-preload allows shaft float and vibration.
Q: What is AS/NZS 1595 and does it apply to shim material?
AS/NZS 1595 covers cold-rolled unalloyed steel sheet and strip supply — dimensions, tolerances, mechanical properties, and surface finish for the base carbon steel commonly used in general workshop shim stock. Precision-rolled shim stock typically holds tighter thickness tolerances than the general AS/NZS 1595 tolerance range — Precision Brand publishes their thickness tolerance separately per grade. Stainless shim stock follows ASTM A666 (US) or EN 10088 (European) for the stainless grade specification alongside dimensional tolerances.