Cam Lock Fittings: Definition, Function & Compatibility with System 32

February 4, 2026

A cam lock fitting is a two-part furniture connector consisting of a cylindrical cam housing and a connecting dowel pin. It serves to create a right-angled, force-fit, and detachable connection between wood-based panels. Turning the cam inside the housing pulls the dowel closer, clamping the components together without gaps.

What exactly is a cam lock fitting?

In professional furniture assembly and cabinetmaking, the cam lock fitting is the industry standard for constructing knock-down carcasses. In everyday trade practice, the term Minifix is often used synonymously, which originates from the original brand name of a major manufacturer.

The system fundamentally consists of two components inserted into pre-drilled holes in chipboard or MDF:

The cam housing: A cylindrical component made of die-cast zinc, which is recessed into a shallow face hole in the panel to be attached. Inside is a spiral curved track (the eccentric cam).
The connecting dowel (stud/bolt): A steel pin screwed into the mating component. It features a profiled head.

Once the dowel head is inserted into the housing, the cam is rotated with a screwdriver – typically PZ (Pozidriv) or TX (Torx) – by around 180° to 210°. The fitting acts like a mechanical muscle, pulling the panels together invisibly from the inside and securing them permanently.

Types and variants

Because furniture features diverse board thicknesses, cam lock fittings are available in various designs that must be matched precisely to the substrate material:

By board thickness: The housing height varies depending on the material thickness. Standard gradations exist for board thicknesses of 15 mm, 16 mm, 18 mm, and 19 mm. The centre of the drilling must sit exactly at half the board thickness.
By dowel thread type: There are dowels with direct wood threads for driving directly into chipboard (often with a 5 mm drill hole diameter) as well as dowels with a metric M6 thread. The latter require an additional threaded insert or expanding socket in the timber.
By connection type: In addition to the classic corner joint (90°), articulated dowels exist for variable angles, as well as double-ended dowels for intermediate partition walls, where two housings engage onto a single continuous dowel.

Dimensions, standards, and System 32

The design of furniture connectors is heavily standardised across the industry. Dimension specifications are aligned with System 32, the international standard for furniture manufacturing.

The following typical dimensions in mm are relevant for routing and drilling:

Drilling for the cam housing: The standard diameter is 15 mm (less commonly 20 mm for heavy-duty versions).
Drilling depth: For a 16 mm thick panel, the drilling depth for the housing is usually 12.0 mm to 12.5 mm.
Drilling distance (backset): The distance from the centre of the 15 mm hole to the panel edge is standardly 34 mm or 24 mm, depending on the length of the chosen dowel.
Drilling for the dowel: An 8 mm diameter hole is drilled into the edge face of the panel to allow the dowel passage. The mating piece (the cabinet side) receives a 5 mm hole within the System 32 grid for the dowel's wood thread.

Use in carcass construction

The primary role of these fittings is the construction of a furniture carcass outer shell. A sturdy carcass is the fundamental prerequisite for ensuring other technical hardware operates smoothly. When installing heavy drawer systems with a load capacity of 30 kg or more, for example, the side panels of the cabinet must be joined with complete torsional rigidity. A precisely fitted cam lock absorbs shear forces and prevents the cabinet from racking out of square under load.

For purely positioning the panels prior to tightening the cam, wooden dowels (usually 8 mm x 30 mm) are always inserted in addition. The cam lock accommodates tensile force, whilst the dowel absorbs shear forces.

Related terms

Threaded insert: A metal insert screwed into the wood to provide a metric thread (e.g. M6) for the cam dowel.
System 32: A furniture manufacturing construction principle where rows of holes are spaced exactly 32 mm apart.
Carcass connector: An umbrella term for all fittings that join cabinet side panels, bases, and top panels together.