Shoulder screws are screws that usually consist of a head and a thread. However, unlike typical screws they also consist of an additional unthreaded “shoulder” in between. The shoulder has a larger diameter than the thread and has a very low tolerance which helps with the precise alignment of moving parts; the shoulder screw acts as both a fastener and a dowel/axel/guide.
Also known as shoulder bolts, and sometimes even referred to as stripper bolts, shoulder screws are available in a range of different materials and finishes, including stainless steel and titanium.
For more information about shoulder screws- including details about different shoulder screw materials, sizes and applications- please browse our products below and have a read through our FAQs now.
Shoulder Screw Options
Hex. socket shoulder screws in 303 series stainless steel. More variations available.
Hex. socket shoulder screws with thread sizes available in marine grade 316 series stainless steel (A4; suitable for outdoor/marine environments).
Hex drive, with Anu-Lok locking patch. Stainless steel (AISI 303, 1.4305). For Torx drive versions please see P0145.
Cap head shoulder screws in 416 series stainless steel.
Slot head shoulder screw in 416 series stainless steel (this is a martensitic s/s grade and is therefore magnetic - see our stainless steel technical information here).
Slotted head shoulder screws in AISI 303 stainless steel.
New to our range, socket countersunk shoulder screws in AISI 303 stainless steel.
New to our range, socket countersunk shoulder screws in AISI 316 stainless steel.
New to our range, socket shoulder nuts in AISI 303 stainless steel. Also available in AISI 316 stainless steel.
Steel shoulder screws in stock at our UK manufacturing facility.
Large shoulder screws with thread sizes M3 - M16 and shoulder lengths 4 - 140mm to meet ISO 7379.
Low profile stainless shoulder screws in stock (click here to see range).
Low profile shoulder screws in marine grade stainless steel (AISI 316). Also available in black.
Tx head shoulder scre in 303 series stainless steel - also available in black.
Tx drive shoulder screw in marine grade stainless steel (AISI 316). Suitable for outdoor use.
Zinc plated steel pan head shoulder screws made to DIN 923.
Our popular stainless steel shoulder screws are also available with imperial (inch) dimensions.
Our slotted stainless steel shoulder screws are also available with imperial (inch) dimensions.
Our popular cap head hex. drive shoulder screw is available in titanium (T2 and T5), too!
Black oxide coated shoulder screws are available in many different shapes and sizes!
See all steel shoulder bolts here - we manufacture these in construction grade 8.8 steel and high tensile grades 10.9 and 12.9 steel. Protective finishes and special sizes can be manufactured on request.
Stainless shoulder bolts available in small, standard and long sizes.
Shoulder Screw Material & Finishing Options
Shoulder Screw Materials
Steel shoulder screws
These are our least expensive option.
They are produced to ISO 7379 standards.
Thread sizes from Ø4 M3 to Ø24 M20.
We manufacture special shoulder screws to customer drawings with a minimum batch size.
Stainless steel shoulder screws
We have three different grades of stainless steel shoulder screws:
A2 series – these are our are standard grade of stainless. They are strong and resistant to corrosion but not to very harsh environments such as salt water.
For standard sizes Ø6 M5 up to Ø16 M12, see our part no P0137. For miniature sizes down to Ø4 M3 see parts numbers P0130 and P0132.
416 series – these are made from harder stainless steel with improved shear strengths but the parts are more prone to corrosion (see part no. P0131 and P0133).
A4 series – these shoulder screws (P0143) are very resistant to corrosion but are considerably more expensive than other stainless versions.
A2 Stainless
416 Stainless
A4 Stainless
Shoulder bolts
Our range of precision shoulder bolts with hexagonal heads come in both steel (grades 8.8 and 10.9) and stainless steel (grade A2). These bolts are manufactured to DIN 609 and DIN 610. We also have shoulder bolts for construction, manufactured to DIN 7968.
DIN 609 standard length thread | DIN 610 short length thread | DIN 7968 construction | |
Grade 8.8 steel | P0138.SC | P0140.SC | P0142 |
| Grade 10.9 steel | P0139 | P0141 | |
| A2 stainless steel | P0138.A2 | P0140.A2 |
How to Choose a Shoulder Screw
Shoulder screws have a head, thread, and smooth shoulder that are manufactured to tight tolerances. We stock a large range of the most popular sizes, but as a precision shoulder screw manufacturer, we are ready to help your designs come to life with custom components.
- The first thing to think about when choosing a shoulder screw is the material choice. As standard, we stock steel (grades 8.8, 10.9 and 12.9) and stainless steel (AISI series 303 (A2), 316 (A4) and martensitic series 416) shoulder screws.
- Next, select the shoulder diameter (and then length). This will be dependent on your application.
- Select the thread size that you require. Some of our products come with a long thread length option as standard, but please enquire if you need other options.
- Consider head height - would your application benefit from a low head-height shoulder screw?
- Choose a drive style. We can make many different styles, but our most popular include: hex drive, hex bolt, TX drive, Phillips drive.
- Finishing options: do you require zinc plating (for an anti-corrosion layer over steel) or a blackened finish?
- You might find our product selection chart below helpful to quickly see the differences between some of our popular shoulder screws.
Shoulder Screw Product Selection Chart
| Part No. | Product image | Material | Head | Corrosion resistance | Strength | Ø/thread | DIN/ISO |
| P0130 |  | Stainless 303 (A2) Stainless 316 (A4) Titanium (gr. 2 & 5) | Hex socket | ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ | ✔ ✔ ✔ | Min: Ø4/M3 Max: Ø12/M10 | ISO 7379 |
| P0131 | | Stainless 416 | Hex socket | ✔ | ✔ ✔ | Min: Ø4/M3 Max: Ø12/M10 | |
| P0132 | | Stainless 303 (A2) | Slotted | ✔ ✔ | ✔ | Min: Ø4/M3 Max: Ø12/M10 | |
| P0133 | | Stainless 416 | Slotted | ✔ | ✔ ✔ | Min: Ø4/M3 Max: Ø12/M10 | |
| P0134 |  | Stainless 303 (A2) Stainless 316 (A4) | Hex socket | ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ | ✔ ✔ | Min: Ø4/M3 Max: Ø8/M6 | |
| P0135 |  | Stainless 303 (A2) | Hex head | ✔ ✔ | ✔ | Min: Ø4/M3 Max: Ø12/M10 | |
| P0136 | | Steel 12,9 | Hex socket | ❌ | ✔ ✔ | Min: Ø4/M3 Max: Ø24/M20 | ISO 7379 |
| P0137 | | Stainless 303 (A2) | Hex socket | ✔ ✔ | ✔ | Min: Ø6/M5 Max: Ø20/M16 | ISO 7379 |
| P0138 | | Steel 8,8 Stainless 303 (A2) | Hex head (long thread) | ❌ ✔ ✔ | ✔ ✔ | Min: Ø9/M8 Max: Ø44/M42 | DIN 610 |
| P0139 | | Steel 10,9 | Hex head (long thread) | ❌ | ✔ ✔ | Min: Ø9/M8 Max: Ø38/M36 | DIN 610 |
| P0140 | | Steel 8,8 Stainless 303 (A2) | Hex socket (short thread) | ❌ ✔ ✔ | ✔ ✔ ✔ | Min: Ø9/M8 Max: Ø44/M42 | DIN 609 |
| P0141 | | Steel 10,9 | Hex socket (short thread) | ❌ | ✔ ✔ | Min: Ø9/M8 Max: Ø38/M36 | DIN 609 |
| P0142 | | Steel 8,8 | Hex head | ❌ | ✔ ✔ | Min: Ø12/M12 Max: Ø27/M27 | DIN 7968 |
| P0144 |  | Stainless 303 (A2) Zinc-plated steel | Pan head | ✔ ✔ ✔ | ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ | Min: Ø4/M3 Max: Ø10/M8 | DIN 923 |
Automotion Components's popular vented screws now come in a shoulder screw variation. Vented screws are useful for high or ultra-high vacuum environments because the vent allows trapped gases in the bottom of a tapped hole to escape more easily. Best used with a vented washer, which also helps trapped gases under the head of the screw escape.
Vented shoulder screws would be a good choice for applications such as vacuum cabinets, where panels must be aligned very accurately to ensure a good seal and when high vacuum conditions must be acheived - preferably in a short time.
Our vented shoulder screws are available in stainless steel (AISI 303 [our code: A2] and AISI 316 [our code: A4 - marine/medical grade]), and in titanium (grades 2 and 5). We can also offer passivation and ultrasonic cleaning for ultra clean applications. See our vented screws technical page for more information on different materials and finishes available.
Vented shoulder screw. Available in stainless steel (AISI 303 and 316 series). Titanium version can be produced on request (grade 2 or grade 5).
Vented washer for use with vented screws. These release gases trapped under the head of the screw, to improve pump-down times.
FAQs
What can Shoulder Screws be used for?
Shoulder screw fastenings are excellent for applications with rotating or sliding elements and can often be used as shafts for rotating bushings and bearings.
Shoulder screws are commonly used in the automotive industry to attach gears or wheels, in the medical tool manufacturing industry, and in injection molding applications (where the shoulder acts as a linear guide so that the two halves of the mold align correctly).
How do I order Shoulder Screws?
The process for ordering shoulder screws from Automotion Components could not be easier; simply select a shoulder screw product from the list above and click ‘show full range’. Once you have selected your product specifications and unit quantity click the add to basket icon and proceed to the checkout.
If you require a bespoke shoulder screw size, or special head, simply get in touch with a member of our friendly customer service team now and we will be happy to help.
Can you manufacture Bespoke Shoulder Screws?
At Automotion Components we can manufacture any special shoulder screw size relative to customer drawings on our fully automated machines (we may require a minimum batch size for this bespoke option).
We can also make a variety of special head types, such as hex drive, slot drive, TX (hexalobular) drive etc…Finishing options include a black oxide coating, zinc plating, passivation and more.
What materials and finishes can I choose from?
Our Shoulder Screws come in a variety of different materials and finishes including Stainless, Titanium, Steel and Blackened Stainless steel. To view our full range of different materials and sizes please click on the materials and finishes boxes above.
What Shoulder Screw sizes are available?
The sizes available differ for each range and style of shoulder screw. The most common range of sizes are M2 up to M16 but the shoulder bolt range, such as our P0138 for example, go up as large as M42.
If you need any assistance regarding shoulder screw sizes please get in touch with a member of our team now.
Where are your Shoulder Screws Manufactured?
At Automotion Components we are proud to say that our products are manufactured in the south of England and exported all over the world. We hold large volumes of shoulder screws in stock and can usually offer extremely quick turnaround times with same-day shipping as standard once an order is placed. Full export documentation is always provided for overseas customers. Our friendly customer service team is on hand to help you find the product which will make your designs come to life!
Why choose Shoulder Screws from Automotion Components?
We have a large range of shoulder screws in stock!
As a trusted and reliable UK components manufacturer we offer an extensive range of shoulder screws in many different materials and sizes that are in stock and ready for same-day dispatch.
Quality you can trust
Our extensive range of shoulder screws are precision made and finished to the highest standards. We have a thorough quality process (ISO 9001:2015 certified), our materials are fully traceable, and our products are RoHS and REACH compliant. We can provide material certificates, batch numbers, FAIRs and ISIRs on request.
First-class customer service experience
At Automotion Components we go the extra mile to help you bring your designs to life. Our friendly and dedicated UK customer support team are always on hand to help resolve any questions or queries so please contact us now.
