Steel Balls - Application and Uses
 (Chrome, bearing, carbon, inox and stainless steel balls)

► Used mainly for pulverizing, fine milling and grinding of products and reducing particle size.

► Application areas:
    Grinding media for cocoa, chocolate liquor;      Details...
    Metal powders (aluminum, copper, ferric oxide), inks, paints and pigments, face powder (talc).
  
► Both high carbon high chrome steel ball (EN 31 / AISI 52100 / SUJ-2) and
    stainless steel balls AISI 304 (SAE / SUS) is used.

► Grade 1000 balls are used having diameter tolerances as under:
    Ball Diameter Tolerance (Ovality Per Ball): 0.001" or 0.0254 mm or 25.40 microns.
    Basic Diameter Tolerance (Ball To Ball Variation): +/- 0.005" or +/- 0.1270 mm or +/- 127 microns.

► To reduce grinding costs, eclipse - steel ball with slight flattening at the poles , can be used.
    Since these steel metal balls are not spheres or perfectly round, the price is substantially lower
    without effecting the efficiency unduly.

    For detailed information on steel grinding media, click here.

Stainless, chrome and carbon steel balls are used mainly in centrifugal and vibratory finishing machines, tumblers and barrels for applications like burnishing, polishing, mirror finishing, eliminating manual buffing, improving component surface and  Ra value resulting in  improved finishes after coating and at times also for light deburring, smoothening and polishing in a single operation. Details..
                              

► Stainless steel aisi (sae, sus) 316 balls are used in spray pumps as a one way valve. SS 316 (Chromium 16-18%, Nickel 10-12%) has good corrosion resistance which is essential for personal care products and cosmetics. At times, in detergent pumps, AISI 304 stainless steel ball is used.

► Tolerance of the steel ball ranges from G-100 to G-500 depending upon the quality and performance specifications of the overall product.

► 2, 3, 4 and 5 mm or 3/32", 1/8", 5/32" and 3/16 inch diameter balls are generally used.

► Micro Spray Pump in which these inox or stainless steel balls are used include deodorant spray pump, eau-de-cologne spray pump, viscous liquid spray pump (for liquid soap and detergent), gel pump, toothpaste pump, pocket spray pump, spray pump for metal container (without gas pressure) and insecticide spray pumps.

For detailed information on inox, stainless steel ball for spray and dispenser pumps, click here.

In the plating bath for plating zinc and lead.
In plating baths, chrome steel balls of 1, 1.5 and 2 mm diameters are used. High tolerance is not required hence grade 1000 polished ball is generally suitable. At times, stainless balls of 304 steel are used.

In paint spray cans.
Here balls of  3/8" or 10 mm diameters, G-1000 are used. The steel balls stir up the paint and mix it thoroughly.

In personal care products like nail polish.
Because of non usage, the fluid coagulates and the bottle is shaken to homogenise the fluid and make it free flowing. The bottle contains a steel ball which is used as an agitator ball to help in achieving the above when the bottle is shaken. Because of the fluid, the steel balls can be prone to corrosion, hence AISI 316 stainless balls are preferred.
3 and 5 mm sizes (1/8" and 3/16" diameters) are generally used.
Grade -1000 is suitable for this application.

► To reduce costs, eclipses - balls with slight flattening at the poles - can be used. Since these are not spherical or perfectly round, the price is substantially lower without effecting the efficiency unduly. For all the above applications, eclipse is a good replacement for steel ball.

For bicycles
Grade 200 or 500 are suitable.
Manufactured in hardened high carbon high chrome steel, EN 31 / AISI 52100.

The generally used sizes are: