Having a ball!

Elesa has added new products to its range of ball transfer units (otherwise known as roller tracks or conveyor balls). Its latest UTB units in white acetal-based technopolymer with white polymer or stainless steel roller balls are joined by ESD conductive units and UTR roller transfer units for especially delicate surfaces, such as glass and ceramic.

Ball transfer units greatly aid the movement of flat sheet materials: eg, steel, wood, plastics and similar. They are used for material feed to workstations, movement on transfer lines between workstations or assembly lines, also for moving of components, assemblies and finished packages.

Gravity or manual feed

They are installed in factories, warehouses, loading areas and receiving stations for onward movement in a simple, quick and easy fashion, generally under gravity or manual feed. Normally, they are installed with the ball upwards, but can also be used inverted as very low-profile castors.

UTB series ball transfer units are particularly suitable for applications on transfer and conveyor lines or end of production lines. They offer smooth linear and rotational movement with maximum cleanliness, as they do not require lubrication with oils and greases.

The UTB technopolymer ball option lends itself to handling loads with delicate surfaces, while the stainless steel ball version is said to be excellent for handling loads with sharp or angular surfaces. Furthermore, since these are corrosion-resistant materials, it is possible to wash them, if required.

Preventing accumulation of electrostatic charges

New ESD conductive units feature a special electro-conductive technopolymer body, in black with volume rehandlingsistivity <10 5  Ω cm, to DIN IEC 93, and surface resistivity <10 5  Ω, to DIN 53482. The main ball is in stainless steel with internal support and transfer balls also in stainless steel.

The mix of these materials prevents the accumulation of electrostatic charges, so that UTB-SST-ESD ball transfer units are suitable for applications in ‘ESD PROTECTED AREA’ (EPA) zones – especially for assembly of delicate electronic devices or in potentially hazardous environments.

Also new, Elesa UTR roller transfer units facilitate both linear and rotary movement with a soft technopolymer roller. This is suitable for handling loads with particularly delicate surfaces, such as glass and ceramic, and may also be washed frequently.