How the UNIVERSAL SHIM™ Saves You Time and Money

Did you hear that? 

As the clattering sound from your unsteady equipment increases, so does the potential of damage. Your machine cost thousands—possibly even tens of thousands—of dollars. Plus, 2020 has been a rough year for most businesses, possibly including yours. Who has a few thousand dollars lying around to invest in a completely preventable issue?

As you know, this is where shims help. But it’s not that easy. Each space that needs shimmed is different, and while we know the fewer shims used to fill that space, the better, we also know that isn’t always feasible. 

Chances are, you are running against the clock at all times. There’s so much to do and so little time to do it all! That’s why many will quickly shove several shims into a space. Who has time to meticulously measure everything? 

But here’s the issue—the more shims shoved into one space, the more room there is for error. Dust, dirt, grease and grit can build up between the shims, throwing off your desired dimensions by the end of your alignment time. Also, even more time and money is wasted with trying to identify the right size shim to accommodate a specific bolt size.

The UNIVERSAL SHIM™ can and will help with this. 

Below, we’ll share how this shim will help you save time, which will enable you to reduce costs, eliminate excess inventory and decrease margin of error.  

Save Valuable Time

Each machine installation and MRO job is unique due to machine type, how level its footprint is on the shop floor and the variation in base plate mounts. But the biggest difference (and, to be frank, inconsistency) is with the bolt sizes used to affix a machine to the floor.

These inconsistencies often lead to questions such as the following:

“Is the machine bolted to the floor with a ½” or 1” diameter bolt?”

“Do I need the “A” size shim or the “C”?” 

“How many shims do I need to perform my alignment?” 

“Did the tech that performed the last service call use the same size bolts?” 

Your service technicians can spend half their time measuring bolts, taking inventory and walking back and forth to the truck or stock room to get the correct size shim. But that’s not what you’re paying them to do. You want them to spend 100 percent of that time servicing the unit. Everything else is just a waste of money.

With the UNIVERSAL SHIM™, you no longer need to waste that time searching for the right size shim. That’s because it comes in a, well, universal size. Now that time previously spent ordering, waiting and traveling for new shims can go right back into your bottom line. The UNIVERSAL SHIM™ will fit, no matter what your machine needs.

Reduce Shim Costs

Having to keep multiple sizes of shims on stock means increased inventory, reduced cash flow and more payables transactions for the accounting department. Simply put, you’re losing money because of the fact standard tab shims don’t fit all bolts.

While we know none of this information is new, let’s quickly review the existing issue:

• The A shim will fit the ½” and ⅝” diameter bolts, but it won’t fit anything larger than that
• The B shim will pick up where the A shim left off by fitting the ⅝” and ¾” bolt but stops there
• The C shim will fit the ¾”, 1” and 1 ¼” bolts but is hindered in its range of applications due to its limited surface coverage at the base of the bolt

However, the UNIVERSAL SHIM™ fits all of the above bolts, eliminating the need for several different shims and cutting costs by up to 50 percent.

Eliminate Excess Inventory

While existing shims aren’t one-size-fits-all, the UNIVERSAL SHIM™ has a non-limiting tapered slot that accommodates bolt sizes from 7/16” all the way to 1 17/64”. That means you can increase efficiency with fewer shims instead of trudging to a shop to buy new ones each time a new piece of equipment arrives. 

In fact, with the UNIVERSAL SHIM™, you’ll eliminate excess inventory by up to 85 percent.

Decreased margin of error

The standard sizes aren’t always perfect, no matter how many of them you buy. They lack versatility and have significant margins of error. However, the UNIVERSAL SHIM™’s non-limiting tapered slot reduces that margin of error by its design alone. Reduced margins of error mean less hassle and additional time and money in your pockets.

AccuTrex is here for you!

The UNIVERSAL SHIM™ is made in America and will save you both valuable time and money. Make sure to contact us to learn more about how it can benefit you—get in touch today!