Machinery shims need a defined location, part specification and ordering unit. An equal total thickness does not make two quotations the same delivery. Count the individual pieces and retain the proposed arrangement for engineering review.
This guide uses an original fictional 0.70 mm request to explain that purchasing distinction. It is not an installation procedure or permission to stack shims under a machine. The actual adjustment and acceptable arrangement come from the responsible designer and equipment instructions.
A thickness total is only the first comparison
Suppose a fictional purchase list contains 48 separately identified positions. For this arithmetic example only, each position calls for an arrangement with a nominal total thickness of 0.70 mm. All numbers below are invented request values.
Supplier A proposes one 0.70 mm piece at each position. Supplier B proposes a combination of 0.40 mm, 0.20 mm and 0.10 mm pieces. The proposed nominal totals are equal:
0.40 + 0.20 + 0.10 = 0.70 mm.
That equality settles the arithmetic. It does not settle the suitability of either offered arrangement, the footprint, slot clearance, thickness limits or assembly requirements. Ask engineering to review the actual proposed products before approving either quotation.
| Fictional proposal | Pieces for 48 positions |
|---|---|
| A: one 0.70 mm piece | 48 pieces of one designation |
| B: three defined pieces | 48 pieces of each designation; 144 pieces in total |
Do not compare a price per piece with a price per complete arrangement. Ask the supplier to quote the same defined quantity and delivery scope. Keep unapproved alternatives clearly identified in the comparison.
What the manufacturer description helps you identify
SKF’s alignment brochure, published in February 2025, describes its TMAS machinery shims for vertical machinery alignment. Its shim section specifies stainless-steel construction, marked thickness and deburred edges. It also distinguishes packs of individual shims from complete kits.
Those are descriptions of SKF’s product range. They do not establish an aluminum material substitution or approve a particular installation. Confirm the actual selected product and its suitability with the responsible team.
The brochure’s shim table lists thickness under each pack designation and states that each pack contains ten shims. A designation’s thickness is an individual-piece value; the pack quantity is a separate purchasing field.
For your inquiry, keep the exact product designation beside the specified footprint, opening or slot definition and thickness. Ask the supplier to identify the document controlling these features. Avoid an offer that names only “alignment plates” without a defined item.
Compare machinery shims in complete ordering units
Return to the fictional 48-position example. Assume solely for the purchasing calculation that each offered designation is sold in packs of ten pieces. This invented commercial condition is not a stock or availability claim about a supplier.
For proposal A, four packs provide 40 pieces, which is short of 48. Five packs provide 50 pieces. The quantity calculation therefore leaves two pieces beyond the example’s 48-position requirement.
For proposal B, each thickness needs its own 48 pieces. Five packs of each designation provide 50 pieces of that thickness. Across the three designations, the quotation would contain 15 packs and 150 pieces, with six pieces beyond the 144 required by the proposed arrangement.
Keep the three quantities separate: positions, individual pieces and packs. A quoted “quantity 48” can mean something different in each column. Ask the supplier to name the unit rather than leaving receiving staff to infer it.
If a supplier offers sets instead of packs, request the contents of one set. Record the number of complete arrangements supplied and any additional individual pieces. A set name without its contents does not close the comparison.
These calculations explain quantities only. They give no authority to assemble proposal B or replace a specified single-piece product. Obtain the actual arrangement decision before placing an order.
Put the proposed arrangement beside its position
A purchasing list for machinery shims should identify where each item belongs. Use the assembly’s controlled location references. If different positions need different requirements, give each its own entry rather than ordering one shared thickness from a convenient example.
For a proposed combination, list each component designation separately under its position. Have the designer review that complete arrangement. Preserve the decision with the drawing revision used for the quotation.
If the supplier changes a footprint, material or piece count, show the change explicitly. Retain both the requested definition and the proposed alternative until the review is complete. Equal total thickness should not hide the affected fields.
Keep the machinery shims decision separate from an aluminum support’s manufacturing requirements. The support drawing still needs its own material, controlled surfaces and hole features. A purchased adjustment item does not complete those definitions.
Our linear rail mounting guide discusses the support interface and assembly scope. Its requirements should not be converted into a generic shim installation rule.
Make receiving quantities easy to check
Ask for packaging labels that preserve each designation, ordering unit and quantity. Keep differing thicknesses distinguishable. The receiving team should be able to match a package to the order line without measuring an unidentified collection to guess its contents.
For the fictional proposal B, use three order lines: one for 0.40 mm, one for 0.20 mm and one for 0.10 mm. Record five packs on each line under the example’s ten-piece pack assumption. Do not write “15 packs of 0.70 mm.”
Agree any dimensional or material records required by the actual order. Identify which product and delivery those records cover. A product-family brochure is useful background, while the receiving record addresses the supplied items.
If a package arrives with a different designation or an unclear unit count, keep the discrepancy visible. Ask the supplier to resolve it against the accepted order. Do not redefine the requirement to make the package description fit.
Three questions before accepting the quote
Does an equal nominal total approve the arrangement?
No. Have the responsible designer review the actual products and complete proposed arrangement.
Does “ten shims” mean ten complete positions?
Read the designation and pack contents. Count individual pieces and complete arrangements separately.
Can one position’s correction be copied everywhere?
Use the controlled requirements for each identified position. The fictional 48-position arithmetic is not an installation plan.
Keep the aluminum support order clearly defined
Send JiurunCut the supplied aluminum section, cut dimensions and quantities. Include the approved downstream support requirements affecting blank preparation so the cutting review addresses its own delivery scope.