A simple guide to Industrial Pins | Types & Application

Industrial pins, also known as mechanical pins belong to the type of fastener that is unthreaded and used to assemble two components or materials together. They work by being inserted into a hole to prevent axial movement and keep the components in proper alignment. They are good at countering sheer force. Mechanical pins also can be used for other applications such as making rotational joints between the linkage or positioning components during assembly. Therefore, pins are available in a wide range of configurations, material types, diameters, and coating types that can be applied for numerous applications. They are mostly used in machine parts manufacturing and mechanical engineering for the machine parts that need to be secured relative to one another. Pins can be made of various materials such as steel, brass, wood, copper, plaster, etc. Generally, industrial pins are available in two types which are the semi-permanent forms and quick-release forms (also known as self-locking types). Semi-permanent forms require special tools for assembly and disassembly with extra pressure. On the other hand, the quick-release pins possess a spring-loaded mechanism that locks the pin into the place and can be installed or removed easily. For the manufacturing process that requires frequent adjustments, it is more suitable to apply self-locking pins than semi-permanent pins as they allow to have a quick adjustment when necessary.

Here we will introduce a few common types of pins used in the industry.

Taper pins

Taper pins have a larger diameter at the end of one side and are typically used for fastening collars or hubs to shaft when handling a small load. Depending on the requirement and applications, taper pins can have a male screw thread on the smaller end side to make sure a secure locking of the pin in the position.

Grooved pins

Grooved pins are solid pin that are typically made of steel with three grooves along its body. The grooves can be swaged along its whole length or part of its length. This grooved design has provided the pin with more elasticity than the solid dowel pin and stronger than the spring pin.

Spring pins

Spring pins are hollow cylindrical pins with a cut along their length. The cut has made them become more flexible and able to be squeezed into small holes. Spring pins are generally split into two models which are coiled spring pin and slotted/rolled spring pin. Coiled spring pins are coiled into a hollow cylindrical shape, while rolled spring pins are rolled into a shape.

Dowel Pins

Dowel pin is a cylinder of solid material that is small, straight, and most commonly used to align components before they’re combined together with screws or other fasteners. Dowel pins are normally designed with a chamfered end that enables insertion. Dowel pins can be made of wood, plastic, or steel according to the type of application they will be used.

Cotter Pins

Cotter pins are also referred to as split pins, circle cotter, or R-clip. They are wired-form fasteners that act as the locking mechanism to hold nuts, pins, or other fasteners in position, especially where the bolts and nuts are subjected to a high level of stress and there is the risk of damage. Cotter pins can be further categorized into extended cotter pins, circle cotter pins, clinch pins, ring cotter pins, Twist pins, and hairpin cotter pins based on their shapes.

Clevis pins

Clevis pins are designed like a type of hinge and are best suited for the applications requires a movable connection between two mated parts. For extra security, they are usually secured in place by cotter pins via a perpendicular bore located at the bottom of the clevis pin. Besides using a cotter pin to lock it in position, some clevis pins will have a spring-loaded toggle located on the bottom to secure the pin and prevent it from sliding out.

Hitch pins

Hitch pins do not belong to the self-locking variety and they are normally secured the object via hitch pin clips or cotter pins. The design of the hitch pin is actually like oversized clevis pins with a handle that is used to couple two components temporarily.

Locating pins

Locating pins are used to align two components to a very small tolerance and ensure the accuracy of alignment during a particular process where the translation mechanisms are not stable enough to maintain objects in position. Locating pins are available in different designs and configurations that varying in shank and head designs. In general, two locating pins are required to locate the component properly in one plane.

Industrial pins are popular to be used in mechanical engineering wherever there is a need for quick adjustment of the equipment and machinery on securing the parts together. MecHero Malaysia supplies a large selection of mechanical pins or locking pins to meet your project requirement. You can always contact us at +6011-7000 7687 or email us at my.mechero@gmail.com for an inquiry about fasteners in Malaysia. As a steel and online hardware store in Malaysia, we also supply a wide range of steel materials, general hardware, and mechanical components. Tell us your requirements now and we can advise you accordingly.