Alloy Steel
Dowel Pin
Hardened alloy steel dowel pins for accurate location of parts, 2.5 to 16mm diameter.
About the Dowel Pin
Dowel pins are solid steel locating pins that line two machine parts up and put them back in exactly the same place every time, in machinery, jigs and fixtures. They are alloy steel to DIN 6325, ground to a fine tolerance with chamfered ends, from 2.5 to 16mm diameter and 8 to 60mm long, in packs of 25 to 100. These are engineering pins, not timber dowels. Choose the diameter and length above; the guide below covers choosing a size and fitting.
Also called locating pins, parallel pins or steel dowel pins.
Features
- Precision-ground diameter
- Accurate press-fit location
- Hardened alloy steel, DIN 6325
Applications
- Locating parts in machinery
- Jigs and fixtures
- Re-aligning parts that come apart for service
What are dowel pins used for?
A dowel pin is a solid, unthreaded steel rod used to line up two parts and hold them in position. Hobson describes its dowel pins as high strength steel rods used to align and secure two parts together, ground to a fine tolerance, and often used as precise locating devices in machinery. In a machine, jig or fixture the bolts clamp the parts together and the dowel pins put them back in exactly the same place every time the parts come apart. That is why they are also called locating pins.
Both ends are chamfered, which Hobson notes is for easier insertion into the pre-drilled hole. These are steel engineering pins for metal parts, not the wooden dowels used to join timber in cabinets and furniture.
Choosing a dowel pin
- Diameter: match the hole in both parts. Our pins run from 2.5 to 16mm.
- Length: long enough to reach well into both parts across the joint. Lengths run from 8 to 60mm; the table below shows every length we carry in each diameter.
- Material: plain (uncoated) alloy steel to DIN 6325. The "m6" in the spec line (DIN 6325 m6; Hobson's sheet prints M6) is part of the DIN 6325 designation for the pin's diameter tolerance, not a thread size: dowel pins have no thread.
- Dowel pin or roll pin? A dowel pin is solid and ground for accurate location. A roll pin (spring pin) is a slotted tube that compresses into a standard drilled hole and holds by spring force. If the job needs exact, repeatable location, use a dowel pin; if it only needs a pin to stay put, a roll pin is easier to fit.
Dowel pin sizes
Every dowel pin we carry, smallest to largest. Size is diameter x length in mm. Select a diameter to open it in the selector, then pick the length.
Steel dowel pins, plain alloy steel to DIN 6325. Diameter and lengths in mm. Pack is the minimum order quantity. Tap a number to show it in the selector above.
Finish: plain steel, keep it dry
These pins are plain finish, with no coating. Hobson's finish comparison describes plain products as supplied lightly oiled to inhibit rust in the packaging and to assist with installation, and gives them no corrosion resistance rating (it rates zinc plating low and hot dip galvanising high). They suit oiled machinery, tooling and indoor fixtures. They are not made for outdoor, wet or coastal exposure, and we carry no stainless or coated dowel pins.
Fitting dowel pins
- Locate and clamp the two parts in their final position before you drill, so the holes in both parts line up exactly.
- Make the hole to suit the pin and the fit you need. Hobson publishes no hole sizes or fit tables for these pins, so take the hole size from your drawing or the machine maker's specification.
- Clean the hole and start the chamfered end square to the hole.
- Press or drive the pin in straight and to the depth you need. Do not twist or lever on a pin that has started crooked: draw it out and start again.
- Leave the bolts or screws to do the clamping. Hobson publishes no shear or load ratings for these dowel pins, so where a dowel carries load in a structural or safety-critical joint, follow the designer or engineer's specification.
Dowel pins in Adelaide
Allmat supplies dowel pins, roll pins, split pins and socket screws to fitters, machinists, mechanics and trade across Adelaide and South Australia. Add the pins to a quote with the rest of your list, and we will price the lot.
Dowel pins for machinery and fabrication
Steel dowel pins, with the socket screws and roll pins that go with them, are available to order from Allmat for fitters, machinists, mechanics, fabricators and trade across Adelaide and South Australia. Order through Allmat, we pick and pack it, then click and collect from the Allmat yard or have it delivered to site.
Goes with
Questions
What are dowel pins used for?
Locating parts. Hobson describes dowel pins as high strength steel rods used to align and secure two parts together, and often used as precise locating devices in machinery: they put mating parts, jigs and fixtures back in exactly the same place, while bolts or screws do the clamping.
Are these wooden dowels?
No. These are solid alloy steel engineering pins for machinery and metal parts, from 2.5 to 16mm diameter. They are not the timber dowels used to join cabinets and furniture.
What is the difference between a dowel pin and a roll pin?
A dowel pin is solid and ground to a fine tolerance for accurate location. A roll pin (spring pin) is a slotted spring steel tube that compresses into a standard drilled hole and holds by spring force. Use a dowel pin where location must be exact and repeatable.
What does DIN 6325 M6 mean on a dowel pin?
DIN 6325 is the standard the pins are made to, and the m6 (Hobson's sheet prints M6) is part of that designation for the pin's diameter tolerance. It is not an M6 thread: dowel pins are unthreaded.
What sizes of dowel pin do you have?
Diameters of 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 16mm, in lengths from 8 to 60mm depending on the diameter. The size table above lists every length we carry.
How are dowel pins sold?
In packs: 100 for 2.5 to 10mm, 50 for 12mm and 25 for the 16 x 32mm pin. The pack is the minimum order quantity.
Where can I buy dowel pins in Adelaide?
Order through Allmat. Order ahead by phone on 1300 03 03 63 or send your list for a quote, then click and collect from 25 Kapara Road, Gillman, or have them delivered to site.
Dowel Pin: sizes and finishes we supply
31 lines by type and finish. Pick one above for its product code and pack sizes.
| Type | Finish | Sizes | Lengths | Lines |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dowel | Steel | 2.5mm, 3mm, 4mm, 5mm, 6mm, 8mm, 10mm, 12mm, 16mm | 8 to 60 (10 lengths) | 31 |
Data sheets and documents
The documents for the product you choose are listed with the selector above. Here is every Dowel Pin document from Hobson Engineering.
All Dowel Pin documents (3)
Data sheets and technical data (1)
Did You Know flyers (1)
Guides and articles (1)
Need them in bulk?
Add the sizes you need to your quote, or send us your list and we’ll price the lot and supply it with the rest of your order.
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