How to Select Ceramic Balls
Ceramic balls are spherical, rolling elements that provide higher stiffness, lower thermal expansion, lighter weight, increased corrosion resistance, and higher electrical resistance than steel balls. They are made from a variety of ceramic materials.
How Ceramic Balls are Made
Ceramic balls are manufactured by pressing a ceramic powder binder mixture in a preform shape. After the ball is sintered, the part lines are removed via finish-grinding. Lapping and...
Learn More about Ceramic Balls
Q & A on Ceramic Balls
We asked our users for their input on Ceramic Balls. Here are the results of 44 users familiar with Ceramic Balls.
Who Took Our Poll? | Design Trends | Applications and Use | Features | Buying AdviceDesign TrendsTop
What new technologies are influencing ceramic ball design?
7 answers
Cold Isostatic pressing, dry bag, spray drying, granulating, quenching, single action pressing to make satellite spheres to be later rounded by green or bisque fire machining and/or grinding and diamond grind.
~George H, Research & Development, Shreve, OH
Special instrumental devices and micro motion.
~Claudio Cagnolati, Design Engineer, Bazzano, Italy
Wind, energy, automotive, medical
~Lynda W, Quality Assurance & Process Improvement, E. Granby, CT
The housing is a problem.
~Leif Z, Engineer, Vedbaek, Denmark
If it can be moulded.
~Wim L, Manufacturer, Kriel, South Africa
Nano technologies
~Ricardo Ramos, Research & Development, Tucson, Pima
Vacuum
~General Corporate Mgmt, Geldermalsen, Netherlands
From your perspective, which companies are creating the most innovative ceramic balls?
6 answers
I struggled to find companies in the UK to supply fully ceramic bearing sets, with none supplying Zr bearings. I used a company in the states, VBX bearings.
~Engineering, Design, York, United Kingdom
Carborundum, Saint Gobain, CerCo, etc.
~George H, Research & Development, Shreve, OH
Denka, Coors
~Ricardo Ramos, Research & Development, Tucson, Pima
CoorsTek
~Lynda W, Quality Assurance & Process Improvement, E. Granby, CT
SKF/MRC
~General Corporate Mgmt, Geldermalsen, Netherlands
Weihua
~Edgar F, General Management, Brussels, Belgium
Applications and UseTop
What are some of the applications you have used ceramic balls for?
10 answers
Rolls and balls for kilns, bearings, as grinding media, armor, as propellants, supports for hetero-catalysis in medium-to-high temperature reactions incorrosive environment, as drilling and size reduction of minerals for minerals extraction and beneficiation, etc.
~George H, Research & Development, Shreve, OH
To support a rotor for a bespoke, chemical reactor, operating at 200 deg C with a maximum working pressure of 10 Bar stirring NaOH along with silica particles.
~Engineering, Design, York, United Kingdom
I have used them with my down hole jet pump.
~Alton O, Design Engineer, Lake Arthur, LA
Ammoniac production, petroleum refinery
~Edgar F, General Management, Brussels, Belgium
Grinding, milling, dispersing
~Ricardo Ramos, Research & Development, Tucson, Pima
We manufacture the balls.
~Lynda W, Quality Assurance & Process Improvement, E. Granby, CT
Optical instruments
~Claudio Cagnolati, Design Engineer, Bazzano, Italy
Bearings
~General Corporate Mgmt, Geldermalsen, Netherlands
Milling
~Research & Development, Clowne, Great Britain
Pumps
~Radhakrishnan S, Manufacturer, Chennai, India
Please share with us any “non-standard” applications that ceramic balls have been used for.
7 answers
Kiln and furnace furniture, high temperature microwave furnaces
~George H, Research & Development, Shreve, OH
Dispersing organic compounds in metals powders.
~Ricardo Ramos, Research & Development, Tucson, Pima
As a filler for a tank for engineering tests.
~Lynda W, Quality Assurance & Process Improvement, E. Granby, CT
Micro gas Turbine
Model aircraft
~Claudio Cagnolati, Design Engineer, Bazzano, Italy
Ceramic mold preparation
~Research & Development, Tacoma, WA
Bicycle bearings
~Leif Z, Engineer, Vedbaek, Denmark
Prostheous
~Wim L, Manufacturer, Kriel, South Africa
Do you know of any disastrous mistakes that occurred due to the incorrect usage of ceramic balls?
1 answers
Yes, uncontrolled pyrophoric ignitions.
~George H, Research & Development, Shreve, OH
FeaturesTop
What would your design or feature "wish list" be for this product?
6 answers
Milling finite element modeling information on each type and/or size of media with either dry or wet action.
~Ricardo Ramos, Research & Development, Tucson, Pima
Spheres, solid and hollow for armor.
~George H, Research & Development, Shreve, OH
Instrumentation components
~Leif Z, Engineer, Vedbaek, Denmark
High compressive strength
~Research & Development, Tacoma, WA
Porous Molding
~Wim L, Manufacturer, Kriel, South Africa
Impact resistance
~Edgar F, General Management, Brussels, Belgium
Is there any advice you want to share with users to help them avoid common errors in selection or usage of ceramic balls?
3 answers
Understand the dynamics of the design. Ceramic balls will deform steel under high compression loading, so make sure the application and the materials are matched.
~Lynda W, Quality Assurance & Process Improvement, E. Granby, CT
Try to record as much data as possible for results for different materials and conditions so you have experience to make the right choice for further needs.
~Ricardo Ramos, Research & Development, Tucson, Pima
Check mechanical resistance.
~Edgar F, General Management, Brussels, Belgium
Buying AdviceTop
Do you have any advice for people relative to buying or using ceramic balls?
4 answers
Know what you want, ask questions and look at the industrial specifications that apply to ceramic balls. Most purchase these balls to a general steel ball specification, that's fine for geometries, but not for physical characteristics. Know what you need and communicate your requirements.
~Lynda W, Quality Assurance & Process Improvement, E. Granby, CT
Buy the right one for your application. Follow up weight reduction versus time for durability for price quality advantages.
~Ricardo Ramos, Research & Development, Tucson, Pima
Focus on compressive strength and fracture toughness.
~George H, Research & Development, Shreve, OH
Pay attention to the sphericity
~Edgar F, General Management, Brussels, Belgium
