► Champion | Shim Stocks

Precision Alignment & Machinery Adjustment for Australian Workshops

Precision machinery starts with accurate alignment. Champion Shim Stocks help Australian workshops, maintenance teams, manufacturers & industrial operators achieve controlled equipment levelling, eliminate soft foot & maintain critical machinery tolerances.

Whether you're commissioning new equipment, servicing rotating machinery or carrying out preventative maintenance, selecting the right shim stock helps improve installation accuracy, reduce vibration & extend the service life of critical components. For precise measurements before installation, our range of Alignment Tools (Laser, Dial, Manual) helps verify machinery position before final adjustments are made.

Unlike many collection pages that simply display products, this guide explains how Champion Shim Stocks are used, what problems they solve & how to select the right option for your application, helping you purchase with confidence.

What Are Champion Shim Stocks?

Champion Shim Stocks are precision-manufactured metal shims designed to create accurate spacing between mounted machinery components. By filling controlled gaps beneath equipment feet or between mechanical assemblies, they help achieve precise alignment while providing stable, even support.

Even small alignment errors can place additional loads on bearings, couplings, shafts & seals. Over time, these stresses may increase vibration, reduce efficiency & contribute to premature equipment failure. Precision shim stock allows maintenance personnel to make controlled adjustments measured in fractions of a millimetre, producing repeatable alignment results.

Champion Shim Stocks are commonly used with:

► Electric motors
► Pumps
► Gearboxes
► Compressors
► Conveyor system
► Industrial fans
► Production machinery
► Processing equipment
► Packaging machinery
► Heavy industrial installations

Before selecting shim thickness, accurate measurements should always be taken. Using professional Measuring & Layout Tools helps identify the required adjustment before machinery is repositioned, reducing installation time & improving alignment accuracy.

What Problems Do Champion Shim Stocks Solve?

Champion Shim Stocks help solve several common machinery installation & maintenance challenges.

Soft Foot

Soft foot occurs when one or more machinery mounting feet fail to sit flat on the mounting surface. Left uncorrected, it can introduce unwanted stress into the machine frame & create ongoing alignment problems.

Excessive Vibration

Poor alignment often increases vibration throughout rotating equipment. Correct shim placement helps establish a stable mounting foundation, reducing unnecessary movement during operation.

Premature Bearing Failure

Misalignment increases radial & axial loads on bearings. Correct alignment using precision shim stock helps reduce these loads & supports longer bearing service life.

Coupling Wear

Misaligned shafts accelerate wear across flexible couplings. Once machinery has been accurately positioned using shim stock, appropriately selected Flexible Couplings (Jaw, Grid, Disc, Gear, Elastomeric) help maintain reliable power transmission while accommodating normal operating movement.

Uneven Machinery Support

Improvised packing materials can compress, deform or provide inconsistent support. Purpose-made shim stock delivers repeatable thickness & stable load distribution across mounting surfaces.

Why Choose Champion Shim Stocks?

Precision alignment directly influences machinery reliability. Champion Shim Stocks are designed to provide consistent thickness & dependable support, helping maintenance teams achieve accurate installation outcomes without relying on improvised solutions.

Key benefits include:

► Improved machinery alignment
► Accurate equipment levelling
► Reduced vibration
► Lower stress on bearings, seals & couplings
► More consistent machinery performance
► Simplified future maintenance
► Improved installation repeatability
► Reduced unplanned downtime

Correct alignment also supports the performance of the broader drive system. Pairing shim stock with Flexible Couplings (Jaw, Grid, Disc, Gear, Elastomeric) helps manage normal shaft movement, while products from our Drive Lubrication Systems collection assist with protecting bearings, chains, gears & other rotating components as part of a preventative maintenance program.

Industry Applications

Champion Shim Stocks are used across a wide range of Australian industries where precision machinery alignment directly affects equipment reliability, production efficiency & maintenance costs.

Manufacturing

Manufacturing facilities rely on accurate machinery alignment to keep production lines operating efficiently. Champion Shim Stocks are commonly used during the installation, maintenance & realignment of motors, conveyors, automated equipment & processing machinery.

Mining & Quarrying

Mining operations expose machinery to continuous vibration, heavy loads & demanding operating environments. Precision shim stock assists maintenance teams when aligning crushers, conveyors, pumps, gearboxes & processing equipment.

Maintenance planners looking to reduce unexpected downtime may also find our Quarry Crews Crusher Maintenance guide valuable when developing preventative maintenance strategies for heavy industrial equipment.

Agriculture

Agricultural equipment operates under constantly changing loads & environmental conditions. Correct alignment during servicing helps reduce wear on irrigation pumps, augers, conveyors, grain handling equipment & other driven machinery.

Water & Wastewater

Water treatment facilities rely on accurately aligned pumps, motors & drive systems to maintain dependable operation. Precision shim stock helps support long-term equipment reliability while simplifying future maintenance activities.

Food & Beverage Processing

Production downtime can significantly impact food processing operations. Accurate machinery alignment helps improve reliability, reduce unnecessary mechanical wear & support consistent production performance.

Engineering & Fabrication

Engineering workshops regularly use Champion Shim Stocks when rebuilding machinery, installing equipment, manufacturing custom assemblies & completing precision fabrication projects where accurate levelling is essential.

Product Selection Guide

Selecting the correct Champion Shim Stock involves more than simply choosing a thickness. The machinery design, operating environment, application requirements & long-term maintenance strategy should all be considered before purchasing.

Consider the following when selecting shim stock:

► Required shim thickness
► Material compatibility
► Corrosion resistance
► Operating temperature
► Equipment load
► Environmental exposure
► Alignment precision required
► Future maintenance requirements

Selecting the closest available thickness usually provides a more stable installation than stacking multiple thin shims. Where equipment operates in corrosive, washdown or high-moisture environments, choosing a suitable material can help maximise service life.

Once machinery has been aligned, products from our Shaft Collars & Locking Bushings collection help maintain accurate shaft positioning, reducing movement that may affect long-term equipment performance.

Key Considerations Before You Buy

Every machinery installation has different alignment requirements, operating conditions & maintenance expectations. Assessing your application before ordering helps ensure you select the most suitable shim stock for long-term performance.

Before purchasing, consider the following:

► What material best suits the operating environment?
Where moisture, chemicals or corrosion are present, select a material designed for those conditions. Matching the material to the environment helps maximise service life.
► How critical is alignment accuracy?
High-speed rotating equipment typically requires tighter alignment tolerances than slower-moving machinery.
► Will the machinery require routine servicing?
Using standard shim sizes & maintaining maintenance records can simplify future inspections & realignment.
► Is vibration already affecting the equipment?
Shim stock can correct mounting inconsistencies, but excessive vibration may also indicate bearing wear, imbalance or coupling issues that require further investigation.
► Are the mounting surfaces clean & undamaged?
Paint, rust, burrs or damaged foundations can affect alignment accuracy regardless of the shim selected.

Understanding these factors before purchasing helps improve installation accuracy, minimise repeat maintenance & support long-term equipment reliability.

Decision Guide

Use this guide as a starting point when selecting Champion Shim Stocks for your application.

Always verify final alignment using suitable measuring equipment before returning machinery to service.

Champion Shim Stocks vs Improvised Packing

Although improvised packing materials may appear to solve an immediate alignment issue, they rarely provide the consistency required for reliable long-term machinery performance.

Using purpose-made shim stock helps improve consistency, repeatability & long-term machinery reliability.

Workshop Insights

Successful machinery alignment begins long before the first shim is installed.

One of the most common causes of inaccurate alignment is contamination beneath machinery feet. Paint, rust, dirt, burrs or old gasket material can create false measurements, making equipment appear out of level when the mounting surface is actually the problem.

Cleaning every contact surface before taking measurements often reduces unnecessary shim stacking & produces more accurate alignment results.

Another common mistake is tightening one mounting bolt fully before progressively tightening the remaining bolts. Applying bolt tension evenly helps maintain alignment throughout the installation process.

After alignment has been completed, inspecting machinery with Vibration & Condition Monitoring Tools can help identify developing alignment, bearing or balance issues before they become costly failures.

If you're installing new equipment, our Fastener Guide: Bolts, Screws & Anchors provides practical advice for selecting suitable fastening hardware for industrial applications.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even experienced maintenance professionals can introduce alignment issues when basic preparation is overlooked.

Avoid these common mistakes:

► Measuring over dirt, paint or corrosion.
► Reusing bent, distorted or damaged shim stock.
► Stacking excessive numbers of thin shims instead of selecting a more suitable thickness.
► Mixing incompatible shim materials without considering the operating environment.
► Tightening mounting bolts unevenly before completing alignment checks.
► Failing to recheck alignment after machinery reaches normal operating temperature.

Avoiding these issues helps produce more accurate, repeatable installation outcomes while reducing future maintenance requirements.

Inspection & Maintenance

Champion Shim Stocks require very little attention once correctly installed, but the surrounding equipment should still be inspected during routine maintenance.

As part of scheduled servicing, inspect:

► Mounting bolt tension.
► Signs of corrosion around mounting points.
► Equipment movement or foundation settlement.
► Abnormal vibration.
► Coupling condition.
► Bearing noise.
► Oil leaks that may affect mounting surfaces.

If alignment changes over time, investigate the underlying cause rather than simply adding additional shim stock. Changes in vibration or alignment may indicate bearing wear, equipment movement or foundation issues that require further attention.

Routine inspections form an important part of preventative maintenance. Our article 7 Signs Your Power Tool Needs a Service Before It Fails on Site shares practical inspection habits that help identify developing equipment problems before they interrupt productivity.

Related Products Explained

Accurate machinery alignment relies on more than shim stock alone. Several complementary products help improve installation accuracy, equipment reliability & long-term maintenance outcomes.

Alignment Tools (Laser, Dial, Manual) allow technicians to measure shaft & machinery position before making adjustments, improving alignment accuracy from the outset.

Flexible Couplings accommodate normal shaft movement while transmitting power between rotating components, helping reduce stress caused by minor alignment variation.

Drive Lubrication Systems support preventative maintenance by reducing friction & protecting bearings, gears, chains & other moving components.

Shaft Collars & Locking Bushings help maintain accurate shaft positioning once machinery has been aligned & commissioned.

Using these products together as part of a planned maintenance strategy can improve equipment reliability while reducing unexpected downtime.

Key Takeaways

► Champion Shim Stocks provide precise machinery alignment & controlled equipment levelling.
► Correct shim selection helps reduce vibration, soft foot & premature component wear.
► Choosing the appropriate material & thickness supports long-term machinery reliability.
► Widely used across manufacturing, mining, agriculture, food processing, water treatment & engineering.
► Best results are achieved when shim stock forms part of a broader machinery alignment & preventative maintenance program.

Collection Snapshot