What is the Ball Lock System?
A. A means of locating and locking two flat surfaces together. These are usually a fixture plate and a subplate. • Q. How does it locate the plate? A. It locates in the same manner as locating pins. In other words, there are two precision bores (receiver bushings) located on two precision pins (shanks). • Q. How many shanks (pins) do I need to locate the plate or part? A. Two shanks are the maximum needed to locate. Anything more is a hindrance rather than a help. (This also applies to locating pins.) • Q. How does it lock? A. The Ball Lock system achieves its holding force by a combination of force generators. A threaded screw exerts force onto a center ball which, in turn, directs this force onto three balls that register on a taper seat. • Q. How many do I need to lock the part? A. This would depend on the particular application, but in most cases, we would recommend that at least four shanks be used (two shanks to locate and lock, and two shanks to lock only). • Q. If I should only
