Dowel Pin, Hardened, Metric Sizes
What Is a Hardened Dowel Pin?
A hardened dowel pin is a precision ground locating pin that has been case hardened, meaning the outer surface layer is heat treated to a high hardness while the pin's core remains comparatively softer and tougher. This combination gives the pin's working surface strong resistance to wear from repeated insertion, removal, and sliding contact, while the softer core helps the pin resist cracking under shock loading.
Hardened dowel pins are widely used to locate and align mating parts in jigs, fixtures, dies, and machine assemblies, particularly where the pin will be repeatedly inserted and removed as part of normal tooling use.
Key Features and Benefits
- Case Hardened Surface: strong wear resistance at the outer diameter where the pin contacts the hole.
- Tougher Core: the softer core resists cracking under shock or impact loading.
- Precision Ground Diameter: sized for a controlled press or slip fit in a reamed hole.
- Reliable Repeated Use: holds up well to frequent insertion and removal in tooling applications.
- Accurate Locating and Alignment: maintains repeatable positioning between mating parts.
Materials and Finishes
- Case Hardened Steel: hardened at the surface for wear resistance with a tougher core.
- Ground Finish: precision ground to a tight diameter tolerance.
Standards Compliance
- DIN 6325, Parallel pins, hardened
- ISO 8734, Parallel pins, hardened steel or martensitic stainless steel
Size Range and Availability
Available in a full metric dowel pin size range, sold individually or in bulk quantities.
Related Categories and Products
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is a hardened dowel pin used for?
It's used to locate and align mating parts in jigs, fixtures, dies, and machine assemblies, particularly where the pin sees frequent insertion and removal.
2. How is a hardened dowel pin different from an oil hardened dowel pin?
A hardened dowel pin is case hardened, with a hard outer surface and a softer, tougher core, while an oil hardened dowel pin is through hardened for uniform hardness across the full cross section, which holds up better if the pin is later reground.
3. What fit is used for a hardened dowel pin?
It's precision ground for a controlled press or slip fit in a reamed hole, the same as a standard unhardened dowel pin.
4. Why is the core left softer than the surface?
A softer, tougher core helps the pin resist cracking under shock or impact loading, while the hardened surface provides wear resistance where the pin contacts the hole.
5. Can a hardened dowel pin be reground?
Light regrinding can remove some of the hardened case, so an oil hardened, through hardened pin is generally a better choice for parts expected to be reground repeatedly.
6. What sizes are available?
We stock a full metric dowel pin size range, available individually or in bulk quantities.
