When to Buy Steel Taper Pins over Other Designs

In many metalworking and industrial settings, steel pins are a necessity. For the end consumer, a steel pin is nearly invisible. People realize the importance of using steel pins only when they require replacement. These small components are designed and engineered to withstand tremendous forces in every kind of environment, so choosing the correct pin design is an important consideration for a designer. We’ve compiled a list of the most common steel pin designs to make it easier to buy steel taper pins or any other style of pin on the market.

 

Straight Ended Pin

The straight ended pin is probably the most common type of pin in use in today’s manufacturing environment. In its most common form, this pin is perfectly cylindrical and annealed. Because annealed parts aren’t hardened, this type of pin is suitable for an interference fit. It can also be used in situations where a slip fit is desired if the holes are loose enough. In many cases, assemblers buy steel taper pins to substitute for straight ended pins because less force is required to drive them home.

steel dowel pins -image credit:en.wikipedia.org

Dowel Pins

Dowel pins are also perfectly cylindrical, but the ends are chamfered to make initial assembly easier. Dowel pins have a ground finish on their sides that make them bite hard on their mating surface, and they require as much force as straight ended pins to send home. Once again, many assemblers will buy steel taper pins from suppliers like Marafast.com instead of conventional dowel pins in order to make assemblies easier to put together.

 

Steel Taper Pins

Machinists buy steel taper pins to make assembly operations easier. A tapered pin is smaller on one end, so it can be inserted partway into an assembly before force is required. Steel taper pins can be driven home with fewer blows, so they’re preferred if the end of the pin will be visible. Fewer blows mean less marking of the butt end. Tapered pins are made from hardened steel, so they’re less likely to be deformed by hammer blows, another plus for this design.

Roll Pins

Roll pins are also referred to as spring pins. Instead of being made from a solid slug of steel, they are made from flat, tempered steel that is formed into a cylinder with a slit up the side. They are compressed when driven in the hole, and the springy force of the design makes it bite against the walls. Many machinists prefer to buy steel taper pins instead of roll pins, but they are surprisingly strong and difficult to dislodge once they’re in place. They’re also very inexpensive to purchase.

 

Splined Pins

Splined pins are dowel pins with straight or crosshatched grooves on the surface that increase holding power. The patterns are rolled right into the surface of the metal, which is usually hardened. While this type of pin holds very well, it’s not recommended for any assembly that needs to be taken apart and put back together. Buy steel taper pins for joints that come apart more readily and still can be reassembled with the same holding strength.