BCHA Ball Transfer Unit | Press-Fit Stainless Steel | 304 Body & 440C Ball | JDF
The BCHA Series Ball Transfer Unit is a press-fit omnidirectional load-bearing unit with a stainless steel main ball and 304 stainless steel body. The main ball is surrounded by multiple sub-balls, creating a small friction coefficient that allows workpieces to be transported with minimal force in any 360° direction. The press-fit design provides a flush surface, making it suitable for conveyor tables, transfer stations, and clean room applications where metal-on-metal contact must be avoided.
How to select the right BCHA unit:
Determine the weight of the heaviest item to be moved.
Estimate the minimum number of units that will bear the load at any moment (typically 3-4 for flat loads).
Divide the total load by the minimum supporting units to get the nominal load per unit.
Apply a safety factor: divide the rated capacity by 2 for steady handling, or by 3 for shock/impact or continuous duty.
Calculate the maximum spacing between units: divide the shortest edge of the load by 2.5.
Select the model whose rated capacity exceeds the required per-unit load after applying the safety factor.
Example: For a 200 kg load supported by 4 units, the nominal load per unit is 50 kg. With a safety factor of 2, the required rated capacity is 100 kg (approx. 980 N). BCHA24 (343 N) or BCHA30 (412 N) may be suitable depending on the actual number of supporting units.
Installation Notes:
Press-fit type: recommended mounting hole tolerance is H7. The hole should be drilled straight through, with both ends lightly chamfered to remove burrs.
Do not strike the main ball directly during installation. Apply force only to the housing flange edge.
For batch installation, a positioning template is recommended to ensure hole alignment.
BCHAJ (Polyacetal Ball) is recommended for clean room applications where metal-on-metal contact must be avoided.
Technical Specifications Table
| Model | Mounting Hole D1 (mm) | O.D. D (mm) | Total Height L (mm) | Ball Diameter d (mm) | Allowable Load N (kgf) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BCHA7.5 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 12 (1.2) |
| BCHA9 | 11 | 11 | 5 | 4.76 | 14 (1.4) |
| BCHA11 | 13 | 13 | 6 | 5.56 | 41 (4.2) |
| BCHA15 | 17 | 17 | 9 | 8.73 | 55 (5.6) |
| BCHA18 | 20 | 20 | 10 | 10.32 | 62 (6.3) |
| BCHA24 | 26 | 26 | 14 | 15.87 | 343 (35) |
| BCHA30 | 32 | 32 | 17 | 19.05 | 412 (42) |
Typical Applications
The BCHA Series Ball Transfer Unit is widely used in the following applications:
Electronics Manufacturing Clean Rooms: Aligning and transferring glass layers in monitors and screens without introducing dust particles from metal-on-metal contact
Conveyor Transfer Points: Direction changes at conveyor curves or intersections
Assembly Lines & Workstations: Multi-directional transfer and positioning of workpieces between stations
Inspection & Packaging Stations: Free movement of workpieces on inspection or packaging tables
Logistics & Warehousing Equipment: Low-friction movement of heavy loads on transfer tables or storage racks
