Flatdisc

Flatdisc is a generic term used to describe any object that is circular and planar with uniform thickness, where the thickness is small relative to the diameter. It is not a single product but a geometric form applied across disciplines. The term often appears in catalogs, CAD libraries, and manufacturing documentation to denote a flat circular component rather than a specific function.

Common characteristics include a circular face with a constant thickness, smooth or finished edges, and material depending on the intended use. Typical diameters range from a few millimeters to tens of centimeters, with thicknesses measured in fractions of a millimeter to a few millimeters. Materials span ceramic, metal, plastic, or composite, and surface finishes may be matte, polished, or painted.

In practical contexts, flatdiscs appear as spacers, shims, calibration artifacts, optical reference flats, or mechanical stops within assemblies. In electronics, they may be used as insulating or dielectric substrates, though parts designed for such purposes usually carry explicit naming and specifications.

Manufacture is based on the material: stamping or pressing for metals and ceramics, molding for plastics, and facing or turning for precision flatness. Tolerances are application-dependent and specified in drawings or specifications.

Variants are defined by material, exact diameter, and tolerance class; tight-tolerance flatdiscs are used in precision instrumentation, while standard ones serve as general-purpose discs.

See also: disc, disk, washer, spacer, shim, reference flat.