| Spherolinder | V-groove Block | Cone Block | Retainer |
The retaining bolt is used to hold the Spherolinder loosely in place before assembly and to limit its rotational movement. For level and small-tilt applications, or if there is no need to secure the top component, use the "blind" retainer. For all other applications, use the "through" retainer to secure and preload the components to each other.
When using the through retainer, the preload applied by it contributes towards the total load on the Spherolinder, so for a tiltable assembly, for example, the load capacity can be reduced by up to a factor of 2.
| Blind Retainer | Thru Retainer | Cross Section (thru) |
When no side forces are expected, you can use c-pins and the flat-plate adopters to mount the blocks on a flat surface. In all other cases, or in order to reduce the vertical stack height, you should use the counterbored "pocket" interface to carry the shear stresses.
Our modular plates incorporate the pocket interface for an out-of-the-box kinematic mount solution, complete with a metric or inch hole grid for further assembly. Since the pocket interface reduces the vertical stack height, the modular plates are also ideal for level applications.
| Pocket Interface | Flat Plate Interface | Modular Plate |
In all cases, please be sure to follow the assembly instructions carefully, since small movements of the mounting blocks due to shifting loads will ruin the repeatability of the mount.
Loads are specified per single Spherolinder, and incorporate a safety factor of 1.4 for each of material and load. Note that for hertzian contact applications, the load and the material safety coefficients are not equivalent. Please use the load calculator to confirm the selection of an appropriate size Spherolinder for your application.
For specifications of standard parts (M25 and M10) and recommended tolerances, please consult the individual part drawings. We can make Spherolinders in any size between 5 and 50 mm, and from many engineering materials. For custom sizes and for other material choices, please contact us.
In the standard sizes (25 and 10 mm), we sell the following items:
- Spherolinders
- Cone-blocks
- V-blocks
- Blind retaining fasteners for level gravity assemblies
- Through retaining fasteners for tiltable or dynamic applications
- Flat Plate Adapters for using the mounting blocks with flat surfaces
- Modular plates: predrilled structural plates for mounting 3 interface
blocks in a 3 position pitch circle using the pocket interface.