OPENTECHNICAL PUBLICATION
OT-2026-000003494

Keyed Shim Stack for Repeatable Fixture Height

Published: 2026-09-15T21:15:19.335012Z
Permanent URL: https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000003494
Categories: Tools & Tooling

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ABSTRACT

A fixture is shimmed by a stack of keyed plates that can only assemble in one
order, so a height set once is reproduced exactly after the fixture has been
stripped and rebuilt.

1. Description

2. Description

[0001] Each shim (12) carries a key (14) on its upper face and a matching slot
on its lower face, and the key is offset differently on every thickness in the
set. A stack therefore assembles in exactly one order, and a plate left out
leaves the stack visibly unable to close.

3. Variations

[0002] For a fixture rebuilt often, the keys may be replaced by dowel pins at
different radii, which is faster to machine and reads the same way.

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OpenTechnical publication OT-2026-000003494
Published 2026-09-15T21:15:19.335012Z
https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000003494