drive pin could potentially be made from any material ,In the role of a mechanical safeguard, a shear pin is a safety device designed to shear in the case of a mechanical overload, preventing other, more expensive parts from being damaged. as a mechanical sacrificial part,
drive pin is a mechanical detail designed to allow a specific outcome to occur once a predetermined force is applied. It can either function as a safeguard designed to break to protect other parts.
they are most commonly used in drive trains,shear pins are only useful for a single operating cycle, after each operation they have to be replaced.
in the role as a conditional operator, a shear pin will be used to prevent a mechanical device from operating before the criteria for operation are met. shear pin gives a distinct threshold for the force required for operation.
many designs take advantage of the maintenance free state of constant readiness. For example, a hydraulic dampener protecting a structure from earthquake damage could be secured with a shear pin. During normal conditions the system would be completely rigid, but when acted upon by the force of an earthquake the shear pin would break and the hydraulic dampening system would operate.