Dowel pins are a type of cylindrical fastener and are ideal for service and maintenance applications as they are designed to keep components in alignment. Dowel pins can be inserted through holes in components and holds them together. Similar to traditional wooden dowels, dowel pins are small steel rods machined to a high tolerance for accurate locating and alignment. Their added strength means for greater reliability and assurance over time without the concern for wood rot.

RS have a great selection of fasteners including dowel pins in sizes ranging from 2 mm to 10 mm diameter and 10 mm to 50 mm in length which are available as parallel or taper pin types. Taper dowel pins have one end with a slightly bigger diameter than the other end.

Dowel pins typically come in metric sizes with 1mm diameter increments for ease of use in most applications. Always consider the length of pin when purchasing as unlike their wooden counterparts, metal dowel pins are more difficult to trim.

Typical Applications:

Steel dowel pins are very popular in engineering applications for accurate and precision alignment. Dowel pins are easy to use and can be found in a number of places such as:

• Tool rooms for pivots, spindles and locating pins
• Automotive industries
• Furniture building
• Construction