Threaded Standoffs.

What are Threaded Standoffs?

Threaded standoffs, also known as threaded spacers or hex standoffs, are components found in Accu's spacers range that are used to hold two parts a set distance apart while fastening them securely together. Each standoff is a short hexagonal barrel tapped from both ends, with the two threads stopping short of one another so a solid section remains through the middle. Flats are machined along its length so it can be gripped with a spanner or socket. Because the barrel sets the gap and carries the load itself, the separation between the two parts is fixed by the component rather than by how tightly it’s fastened.

They are used most heavily in electronics and enclosure work, mounting circuit boards, control panels, display modules and instrumentation, and anywhere a component has to sit clear of the surface behind it.

How Threaded Standoffs Work

A threaded standoff is fitted by driving a screw into each end, one from the part below and one from the part above, with the barrel clamped between them. Because both ends are tapped as blind holes rather than as a single bore straight through, the two screws never meet in the middle, so each one is free to be tightened to its own depth without fouling the other. The clamping load then passes through the wall of the barrel instead of through the fasteners, which is what holds the gap at a constant height even as the joint is tightened. Where access is tight, the hexagon flats let the standoff be held or driven with an ordinary spanner rather than needing to be turned by hand.

The classic example is a circuit board mounted above a metal chassis. Components and solder joints on the underside of the board need clearance, so a standoff at each corner lifts it by a known amount and holds it rigid, with a screw up from beneath the chassis and another down through the board. The same arrangement scales up to stacking two or three boards in a single enclosure, spacing a panel away from a housing, or holding a sensor at a fixed distance from what it is reading.

Materials Threaded Standoffs Are Made From

Accu's range of threaded standoffs is manufactured from a selection of engineering metals and high-performance plastics, each chosen for a particular balance of strength, weight and electrical behaviour:

• Brass: Machines to a clean thread and conducts electricity, making it the usual choice where a mounting point also has to earth a board or panel.
• Stainless Steel - (303): The strongest option in the range, with good corrosion resistance for standoffs that carry real load or work in damp conditions.
• Plastic - Nylon: Supplied as glass fibre reinforced nylon PA6 GF25, giving electrical insulation and low weight with far more rigidity than unfilled nylon.
• Plastic - PPS: Polyphenylene sulfide, an engineering thermoplastic that holds its dimensions and insulating properties at higher temperatures than nylon will tolerate.

Each material is supplied in its own finish:

• Nickel Plated: Applied to the brass standoffs, adding tarnish resistance and a harder surface while keeping the base metal's conductivity.
• Natural: The uncoated finish on stainless steel, leaving both tapped bores exactly as machined.
• Black: The moulded finish on the nylon and PPS standoffs, suited to enclosure interiors where a bright fastener would be conspicuous.

Sizes & Types of Threaded Standoffs Available

Accu's range of threaded standoffs is available in a variety of sizes and specific types to accommodate a range of demanding engineering needs:

• Thread Size: M2 (2 mm) to M3 (3 mm).
• End Types: Female / Female.
• Nut Thickness (L): 12 mm to 40 mm.
• Socket Size (J): 4 mm and 5 mm.
• Female Thread Length (E): 5 mm to 9 mm.
• Through Hole: No.
• System of Measurement: Metric.

The range divides by material, and each option suits a different job:

• Nickel Plated Brass Standoffs: The general-purpose choice for electronics, combining an accurate thread with the conductivity needed for grounded mountings.
• Stainless Steel Standoffs: For assemblies needing more strength than brass or better resistance to moisture, and for standoffs that are handled and reused repeatedly.
• Nylon and PPS Standoffs: Insulating and very light, for isolating boards from metalwork, with PPS taking over from nylon where temperatures run higher.

Where a fixed gap is needed but no thread is required, our range of cylindrical spacers covers unthreaded pillars and sleeves, and the matching precision screws to fit either end are stocked alongside. Sizes, lengths and material combinations outside the standard range can be made to your specification through our custom manufacture service.

FAQs

Q: What is a threaded standoff?

A: A threaded standoff is a spacer with a thread in it, used to hold two components a set distance apart and fasten them together at the same time. The body sets the gap and takes the load, while the threads at each end accept the screws that hold the assembly. They are most often seen holding circuit boards clear of a chassis or panel.

Q: Are there different types of standoffs?

A: Yes, and the main distinction is what each end offers. A female to female standoff is tapped at both ends and takes a screw into each, which is the format stocked in this range. A male to female standoff has a threaded stud at one end and a tapped hole at the other, so it screws into the part below and receives a screw from above. A male to male standoff has a stud at both ends. Standoffs also differ by body shape, hexagonal being the most common because it can be spannered, and round being used where clearance is tight.

Q: What is the difference between a standoff and a spacer?

A: A spacer simply occupies a gap, and in its plainest form it is an unthreaded sleeve that a screw passes straight through. A standoff is threaded, so it does the spacing and the fastening in one component and no screw needs to run the full height of the gap. In practice the two words are used interchangeably, and the parts in this range are described as both threaded standoffs and threaded spacers.

Q: What is a screw standoff?

A: Screw standoff is another name for the same component, describing a standoff that is fixed with screws rather than pressed, bonded or snapped into place. The screws thread into the tapped ends of the body, which is what distinguishes it from a push-fit pillar or a self-clinching fastener.

Q: What is a female threaded hex standoff?

A: It is a hexagonal standoff with an internal thread, meaning the thread is cut into the bore rather than onto a projecting stud. Every standoff in this range is a female threaded hex standoff, tapped at both ends, so it accepts a screw from each side and can be turned with a spanner across the flats.

Bespoke Threaded Standoffs Manufacture.

High precision, bespoke manufacture of Threaded Standoffs to customer specification. State of the art facilities specialising in both small batch prototyping and large scale manufacture.