Top 10 steel shims supplier Supplier | 2025 Guide

In the world of industrial manufacturing, construction, and precision engineering, success often depends on tiny tolerances. The alignment of massive machinery, the integrity of critical aerospace components, and the lifespan of automotive assemblies depend on filling the smallest gaps with absolute precision. This is the critical role of the steel shim, an unsung hero that ensures proper fit, alignment, and wear distribution. While seemingly simple, these components come from advanced manufacturing and material science.

Choosing the right steel shims supplier is a strategic decision that directly impacts product quality, operational efficiency, and supply chain reliability. The market is filled with options, from global companies to specialized niche fabricators. Finding a partner who can deliver on custom specifications, meet strict quality standards like ISO 9001, and provide reliable delivery can be a tough task. This guide is designed for engineers, procurement managers, and industrial professionals to simplify that process. We will explore the essential criteria for selecting a supplier and present a curated list of top companies ready to lead the market in 2025, ensuring you find a partner that truly understands the measure of precision.

How to Choose the Right Steel Shims Supplier

Selecting a steel shims supplier goes beyond comparing price lists. It's about building a partnership with a manufacturer that can meet your exact technical and logistical needs. A methodical approach to evaluation will ensure you secure a supplier that adds value to your operations.

Assess Material Expertise and Range

The performance of a shim is tied to its material. Different applications demand specific properties, whether it's the corrosion resistance of stainless steel, the high strength of carbon steel, or the unique characteristics of specialty alloys. A premier supplier will not only offer a wide variety of materials but also possess the technical expertise to guide your selection.

• Carbon Steel: Ideal for general-purpose applications requiring strength and durability. Often available in various grades and finishes.
• Stainless Steel: The go-to choice for environments with moisture, chemicals, or extreme temperatures. Look for suppliers offering different series (e.g., 302, 304, 316) for specific corrosive challenges.
• Specialty Alloys: For highly demanding sectors like aerospace or defense, materials like brass, copper, or titanium may be necessary.

A supplier with strong partnerships, such as with major mills like Ansteel, can often provide access to premium, certified materials and ensure consistent quality. Ask about their material sourcing and traceability processes.

Verify Manufacturing Capabilities and Precision

The method used to produce a shim dictates its precision, edge quality, and cost. Leading suppliers use a range of technologies to match the right process to the job requirements.

Key Manufacturing Methods:

Method	Best For	Key Benefits
Stamping	High-volume production	Low unit cost, high repeatability
Laser Cutting	Complex shapes, prototypes	No tooling costs, fast turnaround
Waterjet Cutting	Thick materials, heat-sensitive alloys	No heat-affected zones, high precision
CNC Machining	High-precision, complex geometries	Extremely tight tolerances, fine finishes
Photo-Chemical Etching	Thin, intricate, burr-free parts	High precision for complex designs

Your evaluation should focus on tolerance capabilities. Can the supplier consistently hold tolerances within your required specifications, such as +/- 0.05mm? Ask for sample parts or case studies to verify their claims.

Evaluate Customization and Engineering Support

Off-the-shelf shims rarely meet the needs of specialized industrial applications. A top-tier steel shims supplier functions as a manufacturing partner, offering robust customization services. This includes creating shims of any size, thickness, or shape, with features like slots, holes, or tabs.

Beyond production, look for a supplier that provides value-added engineering support. This can range from material selection advice and manufacturability analysis to rapid prototyping. This collaborative approach helps optimize your design for performance and cost-effectiveness, preventing costly errors down the line.

Scrutinize Quality Control and Certifications

Certifications are a clear indicator of a supplier's commitment to quality. ISO 9001 is the baseline for quality management, while AS9100 is essential for aerospace suppliers. Other relevant standards include ASTM and AMS for materials and MIL-SPEC for defense applications.

A supplier's quality control process should be transparent and rigorous. Ask about their inspection procedures. Do they perform a multi-point inspection? Can they provide material test reports (MTRs) and certificates of conformity (CoCs) with every shipment? This level of documentation is critical for accountability and traceability, especially in regulated industries.

Top Steel Shims Suppliers for 2025

The following list represents a diverse group of leading steel shim suppliers. It includes global manufacturers known for their vast capabilities, mid-sized specialists with deep niche expertise, and innovative companies pushing the boundaries of precision manufacturing.

SPIROL

The Global Leader in Precision Shims

Overview:
With a legacy spanning over 75 years, SPIROL is a globally recognized leader in manufacturing precision-engineered components, including shims, washers, and spacers. The company has built a strong reputation for quality and service, serving a vast array of industries from aerospace and automotive to heavy equipment and government defense. Their global footprint ensures they can support multinational corporations with consistent quality and localized support.

Strengths:
SPIROL's primary strength lies in its comprehensive and vertically integrated manufacturing process. They offer multiple production methods, including stamping and laser cutting, and manage secondary processes like heat treatment and grinding in-house. This gives them exceptional control over quality, lead times, and costs. Their engineering assistance program is another key differentiator, providing customers with expert guidance from the initial design phase through to final production.

Specializations:
While SPIROL produces a wide range of standard and custom shims, they are particularly renowned for their Precision Engineered Shims. This includes specialized products like laminated shims, edge-bonded shims, and heat-treated shims. They work with an extensive list of materials, including carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminum, brass, and copper, and offer various finishes to protect against environmental factors. Their ability to deliver rapid prototypes and manage both low and high-volume orders makes them a versatile partner for nearly any project.

Metal Zenith

The Premium Steel Manufacturing Partner

Overview:
Metal Zenith is a leading steel manufacturing and distribution company with over 20 years of experience providing high-quality steel solutions worldwide. As a trusted partner of Ansteel, one of China's most established steel enterprises, Metal Zenith delivers premium steel products that meet the most demanding industry standards. Their business model combines the robust production capacity of a major mill with the agile customer service and technical expertise of a dedicated distributor.

Core Strengths:
Metal Zenith's power comes from its direct access to high-strength precision steel coils manufactured by Ansteel, adhering to standards like ASTM A1008 and JIS G3141. This is backed by an advanced 10-point quality inspection process, ensuring tensile strengths can exceed 400 MPa. With over 15 years of engineering experience on their team, they provide comprehensive support from material selection to application analysis. Their proven global reach is demonstrated by over 5 million tons delivered worldwide and an impressive 95% client retention rate.

Specializations:
The company excels in providing full customization capabilities for diverse industrial needs. They can supply steel shim stock and finished shims in various grades (e.g., HRB400, SS400) and with multiple surface finishes like oiled or pickled & oiled. Their key specialization is achieving precision tolerances within +/- 0.05mm, made possible by their ISO 9001 certified quality management system and access to both BOF and EAF steelmaking technologies. Serving the construction, automotive, and manufacturing sectors, they are a go-to supplier for clients needing a reliable source of high-performance, certified steel shim material.

Accutrex Products, Inc.

The Custom Engineering Specialist

Overview:
Accutrex Products is a U.S.-based, veteran-owned small business that has carved out a significant niche in custom engineering and production of shims, gaskets, and washers. With both ISO 9001 and the coveted AS9100 registration, they are a trusted supplier for the demanding aerospace, defense, and medical industries. Their commitment to American manufacturing and quality is a cornerstone of their brand identity.

Strengths:
Accutrex's core strength is its agility and deep expertise in custom manufacturing. They are not a high-volume, one-size-fits-all producer. Instead, they excel at tackling complex, low-to-medium volume projects that require a high degree of engineering collaboration. Their production capabilities are extensive, allowing them to work with a vast range of steel varieties and other metals to produce shims of any custom size and configuration. They also manufacture their own AccuPeel® laminated shim stock, giving them an edge in adjustable shim solutions.

Specializations:
The company specializes in providing end-to-end solutions, from initial design consultation to finished product delivery, anywhere in the world. They are particularly adept at producing shims for applications where precision and material certification are non-negotiable. Their AS9100 certification makes them a pre-qualified supplier for any aerospace project, while their veteran-owned status is a key advantage for government and defense contracts.

The Steel Supply Company

The Structural Steel Fabricator's Choice

Overview:
The Steel Supply Company is a highly specialized supplier catering specifically to the structural and miscellaneous steel fabrication industry. For decades, they have focused on providing the essential, often hard-to-find components that fabricators need, with steel shims being a core product line. Their approach is straightforward: deliver accurate, durable shims with fast turnaround times.

Strengths:
Their main strength is their deep understanding of their niche market. They know that in structural applications, shims must be flat, accurate, and free of burrs or slag that could compromise load-bearing integrity. They have honed their processes to guarantee these characteristics. Another significant advantage is their ability to provide shims with a plain steel finish or a hot-dip galvanized finish, a critical requirement for corrosion protection in structural steel assemblies.

Specializations:
The Steel Supply Company specializes in Made-to-Order Slotted Steel Shims. This includes single-slot shims, multiple-slot shims, and slotted wedge shims, which are essential for aligning steel beams, columns, and base plates. They have streamlined their ordering process with detailed worksheets, making it easy for fabricators to specify exact dimensions and receive precisely what they need quickly. They are the ideal partner for construction projects where reliability and speed are paramount.

Martin GmbH

The European Laminated Shim Expert

Overview:
Based in Germany, Martin GmbH is a leading European manufacturer with a strong specialization in laminated shims, sold under the M-TechL® brand name. With a history rooted in precision mechanics, the company has become synonymous with high-quality, peelable shims used across the automotive, aerospace, and machine-building industries. Their focus is on providing solutions that simplify assembly and maintenance processes.

Strengths:
Martin GmbH's strength lies in its mastery of laminated shim stock (Schichtblech). They produce peelable shims from a wide range of materials, including steel, stainless steel, aluminum, and brass, allowing for precise, on-site adjustments without the need for grinding. Their manufacturing process ensures uniform layer thickness and easy peelability. As a European supplier, they are deeply familiar with regional standards and provide excellent logistical support across the continent.

Specializations:
The company specializes in producing custom laminated parts according to client drawings, from simple flat shims to complex 3D-formed components. They also offer solid shims and spacers, but their core expertise remains in peelable solutions. Their M-TechL® products are designed to reduce assembly time and costs, making them a strategic component for OEMs looking to improve production efficiency.

IWATA Corporation

The Japanese Standard for Machine Components

Overview:
IWATA Corporation is a premier Japanese manufacturer of standard machine components, including an extensive line of shims and spacers. With a strong presence in Asia and a growing global reach, IWATA is respected for its commitment to Japanese quality principles, precision, and innovation. They serve a wide range of industries, particularly factory automation, robotics, and precision machinery.

Strengths:
IWATA's strength is its standardization and massive inventory. They offer a vast catalog of standard-sized shims and spacers in various materials and thicknesses, allowing engineers to design around readily available parts. This significantly reduces lead times and design costs. Their production quality is exceptionally high, with a focus on tight tolerances and consistent finishes. Their "Shim & Spacer" line is a go-to resource for machine designers across Asia.

Specializations:
While they can produce custom parts, IWATA's specialization is in providing a comprehensive range of standard shims, including C-shims, base plate shims, and shim rings. They offer these in various materials, with a strong focus on different grades of stainless steel to meet diverse industrial needs. Their business model is built on making the procurement of high-quality, standard components as simple and efficient as possible.

Shimifrez Inc.

The Innovator in Photo-Chemical Etching

Overview:
Shimifrez is a Canadian-based manufacturer that stands out for its use of advanced manufacturing technologies, particularly photo-chemical etching (also known as chemical milling). This process allows them to produce highly intricate, thin, and completely burr-free metal components. They serve high-tech industries where traditional stamping or laser cutting cannot achieve the required level of detail or edge quality, such as medical devices, electronics, and aerospace.

Strengths:
The core strength of Shimifrez is its expertise in photo-chemical etching. This technology enables the production of complex shims with features and tolerances that are impossible to achieve with mechanical methods. The process is stress-free and burr-free, preserving the integrity of the metal. It is also an economical choice for prototyping and medium-volume production, as the tooling (photo-tools) is inexpensive and quick to produce.

Specializations:
Shimifrez specializes in ultra-thin, high-precision shims made from a wide variety of standard and exotic metals, including stainless steel, beryllium copper, and titanium. They are the ideal supplier for applications requiring complex geometries, micro-features, or parts that must be completely free of any mechanical stress or thermal distortion. Their capabilities are particularly valuable in the manufacturing of optical equipment, sensors, and other micro-mechanical assemblies.

B.A.U.M. Federn & Stanzteile GmbH

German Precision in Stamped Parts

Overview:
B.A.U.M. is another exemplary German manufacturer that embodies the country's reputation for precision engineering. While their expertise covers a broad range of springs and stamped parts (Stanzteile), they have a dedicated and highly capable production line for shims, support washers, and spacer rings. They serve demanding sectors, including the automotive supply chain and industrial machinery manufacturing.

Strengths:
B.A.U.M.'s strength lies in its mastery of high-precision stamping technology. They utilize modern presses and tooling to produce shims with exceptional consistency and accuracy, even in very high volumes. Their in-house tool and die shop gives them the flexibility to create custom tooling quickly and cost-effectively. This vertical integration ensures they maintain strict control over the entire production process, from raw material to the finished part.

Specializations:
The company specializes in producing custom steel and stainless steel shims according to customer specifications. They are particularly skilled at working with spring steel to create shims that also provide a specific tensioning or support function. Their ability to deliver certified, high-quality stamped parts makes them a reliable partner for OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers in the European automotive and industrial markets.

Trinity Brand Industries, Inc.

The Versatile Distributor and Custom Fabricator

Overview:
Trinity Brand Industries (TBI) operates with a hybrid model, acting as both a major distributor of shim stock and a custom fabricator of finished shims. Based in the U.S., they serve a diverse client base, from small distributors to large OEM manufacturers in the electronics, aviation, and general manufacturing sectors. Their business is built on providing a comprehensive material selection and flexible manufacturing services.

Strengths:
TBI's primary strength is its vast material inventory and sourcing network. They offer a full catalog of metal shim stock, including carbon steel, stainless steel, brass, bronze, copper, aluminum, and even titanium. This allows them to cater to both customers who want to fabricate their own shims and those who require finished parts. Their ability to handle orders ranging from a few pounds to several metric tons makes them highly scalable.

Specializations:
The company specializes in flexibility. For customers purchasing shim stock, they offer custom-cut dimensions to minimize waste. For those needing finished parts, they provide a range of fabrication services, including stamping, laser cutting, and machining. They are also REACH and RoHS compliant, making them a suitable supplier for products destined for the European market or those with strict environmental regulations.

Phoenix Specialty Mfg. Co.

A Century of American Manufacturing Excellence

Overview:
With over a century of experience, Phoenix Specialty Mfg. Co. is one of America's oldest and most respected manufacturers of custom shims, washers, and gaskets. Their long history is a testament to their adaptability and unwavering commitment to quality. They have continuously invested in technology while maintaining the core principles of precision manufacturing that have defined their brand for generations.

Strengths:
Phoenix's greatest strength is its unmatched experience and documented quality. Their processes have been refined over decades to deliver parts with extreme precision and repeatability. They boast an industry-leading on-time delivery rate and maintain meticulous records, ensuring full traceability for every part they produce. Their extensive in-house tooling capabilities allow for rapid production of custom parts without excessive lead times.

Specializations:
The company specializes in the rapid production of custom-made parts. They can produce shims from over 300 different materials, including all common steel and stainless steel alloys. Their process is optimized for fast turnarounds, often shipping parts in weeks, not months. This makes them an invaluable partner for projects with tight deadlines or for companies needing a reliable domestic source for just-in-time inventory management.

Conclusion: Forging a Partnership for Precision

Selecting the right steel shims supplier is a critical step in ensuring the integrity and performance of your final product. As we have seen, the best partner is not simply the one with the lowest price, but the one whose capabilities align perfectly with your project's specific needs. The choice hinges on a careful evaluation of material expertise, manufacturing precision, customization support, and a verifiable commitment to quality.

Your decision-making process should be deliberate and thorough. Start by clearly defining your technical requirements: what material properties are essential? What are your required dimensional tolerances? What quantity and delivery frequency do you need? Use this guide as a starting point to identify two or three potential suppliers from the list that appear to be a good fit. Engage with them, request quotes, and ask detailed questions about their quality control and engineering support processes.

Ultimately, view this selection not as a simple purchase, but as the formation of a strategic partnership. A reliable, high-quality steel shims supplier is an extension of your own manufacturing capabilities—a partner invested in your success. By choosing wisely, you secure more than just a component; you secure the precision, reliability, and quality that your customers demand.