What Is a Spacer?
A spacer is a device or jig used to adjust the height of objects by opening a space between them.
Spacers are used to fit between fixed and movable parts, devices, and molds inside machinery and products, or to fix them to parts whose height is to be varied.
Spacers are used to adjust the space between objects by changing their shape and thickness to suit the intended use and are available in a wide variety of sizes and thicknesses to suit the intended use and operating environment.
Spacers are mainly ready-made products of different materials and lengths and can be used for a wide variety of products.
There are two types of materials, metal, and resin, and the most suitable one is used depending on the application, such as insulation, heat resistance, and chemical resistance.
Use of Spacers
Spacers are used in the manufacturing industry to open spaces between products, production equipment, molds, and other objects.
Spacers are used in a wide range of industries and are used in a variety of machines and devices, including automobiles, aircraft, machine tools, industrial machinery, electronic devices, and medical equipment.
In familiar products, spacers are used to create a space to place parts such as electronic devices and boards inside PCs in a high position, thereby increasing parts storage capacity and ensuring ventilation.
Spacers are also used for adjusting the height of press molds, adjusting the height when installing production equipment, and adjusting the position of fixed parts for positioning stroke adjustment.
Materials and Types of Spacers
Metal Spacers
Metal spacers are used to fine adjust the height and clearance of production equipment, jigs, and press dies, as well as the position and spacing between parts, depending on the thickness and shape of the metal material.
The main materials used are iron, stainless steel, aluminum, and copper, and some spacers have surface finishes such as plating and heat treatment.
The advantage is that metal spacers are rigid and sturdy.
Resin Spacers
Resin spacers are used to fine-tune the height and clearance of production equipment, jigs, and press dies, as well as the position and spacing between parts, depending on the thickness and shape of the resin material.
Types of Spacers
The types of spacers are described below.
- Screw Spacer
Screw spacers have a screw function. The structure of a screw spacer is a cylindrical or polygonal cylinder with a threaded part (male thread) or a threaded hole (female thread). Hexagonal shaped hexagonal spacers are frequently used, as they can be easily fixed with a wrench.
They are also used for mounting printed circuit boards inside electronic equipment and control devices, etc. They have the function of securing a gap with the spacer while holding the board, adjusting the placement height of the parts used, and fixing and fastening with the screw part.
- Washer
Washers are often used to prevent screws from biting into parts. They are also used in combination with screw spacers to adjust the height by placing several washers between parts.
If you want to secure a gap between parts as well, you can simply create the necessary gap by inserting several washers that create the gap you need.
- Hollow Spacer
Hollow spacers are cylindrical spacers with a round open center and no screw function. These spacers are used on rotating machine elements and are often used on rotating parts such as shaft turning parts. They can also be used in place of screw spacers to make products lighter.
- Shim Spacer
Shim spacers are used to adjust the height of a gap thinner than a washer. It can be adjusted by temporarily placing several shim spacers between them and then easily removing them once they are fixed in place.
In terms of dimensional accuracy, these spacers are microns thick and allow high-precision height adjustment.
- Wheel Spacers
Wheel spacers are disk-shaped spacers used to adjust the height between the hubs of tires and wheels used in automobiles.
By inserting a wheel spacer between the wheels, the wheels are pushed outward from their current position by the width of the spacer. They are used to align the surface of the wheel with the surface of the car body.
Wheel spacers are often made of aluminum alloys because of their lightweight. Wheel spacers are available in a wide range of sizes, from a few millimeters down, providing a wide selection and ease of use.