Ball roller BUFO 25 H

A ball unit with a 25 mm steel ball and a flange plate, made for ball tables in medium heavy handling; think filled cartons, tool boxes and smaller board material that has to be pushed, turned and lined up without lifting. The flange mounting makes it easy to bolt down on top of a table top, a conveyor profile or a sheet, and just as easy to replace the day that is needed.

The overall height is 14 mm and the dynamic load capacity 55 kg per unit at 4 km/h according to the manufacturer's data sheet. The flange measures 74 mm in diameter with a collar diameter of 73 mm; the screw holes have a diameter of 5 mm and sit at a center distance of 55.6 mm, and the plate thickness is 4.4 mm. The temperature range runs from minus 30 °C to plus 70 °C, so the unit works in everything from chilled warehouses to hot production halls. The net weight per unit is 0.18 kg.

With 55 kg per ball and the rule that the goods must always be carried by at least three units, the theoretical limit for well distributed goods ends up a good way above what anybody pushes by hand on a packing table. In practice the spacing is what governs: choose the distance between the units by the smallest goods that occur, so no item ever stands on fewer than three balls. An item that ends up on two balls tips, wedges itself and stops the flow, and it is always the smallest package that reveals a spacing that is too wide.

The ball size of 25 mm is a good middle ground for mixed goods. A larger ball rolls more easily over joints and takes unevenness in the base of the goods better than a small one, while the overall height is kept down; 14 mm means the ball field can be integrated into tables and conveyors without large differences in level against the surrounding surfaces. Compared with the smallest model in the series, which builds 10 mm and takes 10 kg, it is a solid step up in capacity at the price of four millimeters in height.

Common installations are packing stations where cartons are turned for labeling and strapping, corners and crossings in box conveyor systems where the goods change direction, inspection stations where parts are spun around for checking and the alignment of blanks against a stop before machining. Return flows with mixed carton sizes also work well, provided the spacing has been chosen by the smallest carton that occurs. What they all have in common is that the operator avoids lifting; the goods slide on the balls with finger force, which tends to show in both the pace and the sick leave figures.

The base of the goods plays a large part in the function. Stiff, flat bases of plastic, plywood or sheet metal roll best; corrugated board is fine for lighter cartons but wears at high frequency. Avoid goods with nails, strap knots or other protruding parts on the base, and keep the surface free from chips and grit. A ball unit that has had particles pressed against the ball starts to stick long before the end of its natural service life.

The steel ball is intended for dry indoor environments. For wash rooms, food zones and other wet or corrosive environments the same model is available in a stainless version, with practically identical dimensions; check the hole pattern in the data sheet if you plan to mix versions on the same table. The same logic applies the other way; if the table stands in a dry workshop there is no reason to pay for stainless.

Not sure how many units your table needs, or which spacing suits your smallest item? Get in touch.