A Simple Guide to Dowel Pin Types and Materials
Today, dowels are most commonly used to connect different machine parts together or maintain alignment. If you are choosing the right dowel pin for your application, it can be helpful to understand the different types of pins and their "fit."
Common Types of Locating Pins
positioning pin
If you've studied dowel pins, you've probably heard the terms "standard fit," "slip fit," "friction fit," "press fit," "interference fit," and "shrink fit"; the question is, what does it all mean? While fit types may go by several different names, the two most popular types of dowels are standard and oversized.
standard
Also known as a slip fit, standard dowels slide smoothly into mating components with little to no friction.
oversized
Also known as a force fit, friction fit, interference fit, or out-of-tolerance fit, the oversized dowel is slightly larger than the hole. Their purpose is to force the hole wider, which is especially useful if the hole is damaged. Unlike their standard counterparts, (dis)assembling them requires heat and/or force.
Commonly used materials
Stainless Steel-As the name suggests, it is the gold standard material of choice when dealing with corrosive environments. But it is also often ideal for applications requiring low maintenance, strength and toughness.
Alloy Steel-The proper balance of alloy and carbon content should be tailored to your specific application. In general, increasing the carbon content results in higher strength and wear resistance after heat treatment at the expense of ductility and toughness.
Nylon-Components made of nylon not only have the advantage of being lightweight but also have good chemical resistance, electrical insulation properties, load-bearing capacity, and the ability to operate without lubrication.
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