Shims & Shim Stocks

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.