Ball transfers solve a variety of material handling and motion control challenges, whether used in the traditional “ball up” position or as a caster in the “ball down” orientation. Ball transfers offer advantages to traditional casters, such as lower profiles and omni-directional movement, often at a lower cost.

• Air Cargo, Robotics, Store Fixtures, Laser & Plasma Cutters
• Medical Devices, Shears & Military Logistics
• Die Handling, Caster Substitution, Glass & Metal Manufacturing

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• Equal load distribution over many ball transfers is seldom, if ever achieved. Load distribution is governed by the flatness, hardness, and smoothness of the load surface in contact with the balls, the ball transfer installation height variance, and system deflection.
• To avoid exceeding the rated capacity of any individual ball transfer unit, sufficient ball transfers should be provided to afford a safety factor of 3. For example: the number of units (75 lb. maximum capacity) required to support a load of 750 lbs. would be 10 units x 3, or 30 units to obtain smooth rolling motion under varying degrees of flatness and ball contact. This applies to both ‘ball up’ and ‘ball down’ positioning.
• In addition, the force required to put a load in motion is reduced as the number of ball transfer units under a load is increased, thereby reducing the coefficient of friction.
• When calculating loads, the possibility of impact and unequal leveling should be considered. Self-leveling neoprene or rubber cushions placed under each unit can reduce these issues. We offer high-density neoprene cushions for several models of ball transfers in this catalog.

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Arrangement of the ball transfer units depends on the weight of the load, surface of the application and under-surface of the conveyed load. Determine the number of units required to support the load based on the considerations stated above. Once the number of ball transfer units has been calculated, these units should be arranged symmetrically under the load. The minimum distance between ball transfers should be the length of the shortest dimension of the load divided by 2.5. This minimum spacing will support the conveyed article and prevent it from becoming unstable. Our technical staff is available to assist you with mounting, loading, and spacing recommendations for your particular application.

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