Ball roller BUSP 22 H

When a drop in ball table has to carry a real load without growing in height, BUSP 22 H is the right unit to look at: a 22 mm steel ball in a version with only 8.2 mm overall height and a dynamic load capacity of 130 kg at 4 km/h. That is capacity on a level with considerably larger units, in a format that almost disappears into the table top.

As always with ball rollers the load is spread over several units. Let the goods rest on at least three balls at once; with 130 kg per ball, three carrying points already give a work surface that handles press tools, stacks of sheet metal and heavy crates. Movement without jerks also requires the goods not to tip between single balls, so do not be stingy with the spacing.

Technical data from the manufacturer's sheet: ball diameter 22 mm, outer diameter 36 mm, collar diameter 45 mm and a material thickness in the plate of 2.7 mm. The net weight is 0.13 kg. The temperature range is -30 °C to +70 °C; the unit is not rated as heat resistant beyond that, so placing it next to hot processes calls for another version.

The mounting is a drop in type: the unit is lowered into a cut out and the 45 mm collar rests against the surface around the hole. The thin plate means the ball roller works nicely in sheet metal structures, and the low overall height makes it easy to build into existing benches and conveyors without the levels shifting. The hole making and tolerances are checked against the data sheet before you drill or punch.

The uses are the classic ones for ball tables with somewhat heavier goods: tool handling at presses and injection molding machines, infeed tables in sheet metal work where blanks are lined up before cutting or bending, packing stations for heavy cartons and assembly lines where bulky components are turned into position by hand. In transfer zones between roller conveyors a field of ball rollers lets the goods change direction on a surface no bigger than a tray.

For the working environment the difference is large. A tool weighing a hundred kilos cannot be moved by hand across a flat surface, but on balls an even push is enough; that removes both crane lifts and waiting time for operations that are really only about adjusting a position by a few decimeters. Ball fields are therefore often built exactly where a forklift and a crane cannot reach.

Why choose a larger ball over a smaller one when both handle the weight? The rolling properties. A 22 mm ball rolls more easily over joints, hole edges and small unevenness in the base of the goods than a small ball, and it is less sensitive to dirt. For mixed goods in a real production environment the larger ball is almost always the more comfortable choice.

The spacing is chosen as usual by the smallest base dimensions of the goods, so three balls always carry wherever the load ends up on the field. For heavy tools it pays to draw the hole pattern by the actual footprint of the tools instead of by an even grid; the balls end up where the load actually stands, and the number of units is kept down.

Maintenance is the same as for all ball rollers with a steel ball: keep the surface free from chips and grinding dust, blow it clean at regular intervals and replace units that start to stick. The stiffness is felt immediately in the hand force, so the operators notice for themselves when it is time.

We are happy to help you work out the number of balls and the spacing for your load; get in touch.