Established in 1952

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The Balwand™

A new form of ball gage is the Balwand™ . This simple straight-forward device is very accurate. It measures the distance or gap between two surfaces.

The Balwand™ consists of a long slender shaft or wand attached to a gage ball. The gage ball has at least one flat surface ground on it. This flat is ground parallel to the shaft. In application, the flatted area on the ball is inserted between the two elements to be measured.

Attempt to rotate the ball. If the ball turns without sticking, then the space between the parts is greater than or equal to the diameter of the ball. If the ball sticks and won't turn freely, then the distance separating the two parts is less than the diameter of the ball. In practice, one of the two surfaces is often a reference datum such as a surface plate or precisely machined jig. The part to be inspected is separated from the reference datum by precision spacers or machined bosses.

The Balwand™ can be used for many tooling and inspection applications including checking the flatness of large parts, the position of cores in mold setting operations, and the final shape of intricate castings or machined parts. By using two Balwands™ of the proper diameters, a GO and NO-GO ball gage can be created. An American Gage Design Standard ( A.G.D.S. ) handle is supplied with each Balwand™ at no additional cost.