What is the Ball Lock® Mounting System?
Since its introduction in the mid-1970’s, Jergens Ball Lock® Mounting System has been and continues to be the standard for performance & quality in quick-change mounting and fixturing. The Ball Lock® Mounting System provides a proven method to quickly and accurately locate and lock fixtures onto machine tables and subplates, is the single most cost efficient and versatile fixturing system for horizontal and vertical machining centers, and continues to be absolutely essential in today’s manufacturing environment.
How does the Ball Lock® Mounting System work?
The Ball Lock® Mounting System provides a method of quickly and accurately locating fixtures onto machine tables. The Ball Lock® Mounting System has done for machining centers what the Japanese SMED concept did for presses. Instead of single minute exchange of dies, Ball Lock® provides single minute exchange of fixtures. Fixtures can often be exchanged in less than a minute and with position repeatability of +/-0.0005” (+/-0.013mm). Fixtures can be exchanged between different machines when both are using the Jergens Ball Lock® Mounting System.
Related Ball-Lock Products
Ball Lock® Most Common Applications
Vertical Machining Center – VMC
Vertical Machining Centers range in various table sizes and configurations and have three axes — X, Y, and Z. Many vertical machining centers are single tables that may be t-slotted or tapped. Several manufacturers offer machines with dual tables, which allow operators to load and unload parts on one table while parts on the other table are being machined. Another style may have a pallet changer system with (2) or (4) separate tables.
Horizontal Machining Center – HMC
Horizontal Machining Centers also range in a variety of pallet sizes and configurations, such as slotted or tapped. The most common pallet sizes for horizontals are 300mm, 400mm, 500mm, 630mm, 800mm, and 1000mm. These machines typically have four axes, X, Y, Z, and B, which is a rotational axis that allows for machining multiple surfaces on parts. Horizontal machining centers typically have (2) pallets but may have a multiple pallet shuttle system.
A basic Ball Lock® Mounting System for these types of machines would include:
- Standard or custom subplate
- Standard or custom fixture plates
- Ball Lock® shanks
- Ball Lock® vises
- Sine fixture keys
- T-slot nuts
- Socket head cap screws
Rotary Indexers
Rotary indexers increase the versatility of vertical machining centers, yet they offer one major challenge: set-up is so time-consuming that it may limit the flexibility of a machine. In many cases, machinists dedicate their 4th Axis tool to a single machine to avoid the hassle of an extended set-up and changeover. Ball Lock® mounting plates free up your machine for additional work by allowing a fast and accurate installation and removal of the complete indexer. Avoid hours of set-up! The Ball Lock® System does it in minutes, with repeatability at ±0.0005″ (±0.013mm). Low profile, positive clamping, proven over many years of field use. Second, the Ball Lock® System provides your fixture plate changeover. By mounting the round subplate to the indexer faceplate, you’ll “plug in” new fixtures in record time.
A basic Ball Lock® Mounting System for this type of machine would include:
- Standard or custom subplate for machine table and faceplate of the indexer
- Standard or custom fixture plates
- Ball Lock® shanks
- Ball Lock® vises
- Sine fixture keys
- T-slot nuts
- Socket head cap screws
Ball Lock® Selector Guides
Use these guides to quickly select the correct Ball Lock® Mounting System for your machine tool. Click the desired guide below to download in a convenient PDF document.Metric Pre-Engineered Ball Lock Systems
Imperial Pre-Engineering Ball Lock Systems
Ball Lock® Savings Examples
Machining Cast Part
| Previous Set-Up Method | Set-Up Using Ball Lock® System |
| Located part with dowel pins, bolted part to tombstone fixture. Indicated part to zero datum point. | Mounts parts to fixture plate while machining other parts. Mount fixture plate to tombstone using Ball Lock® Shanks. No indicating required because system provides +0.0005 (±0.013mm) repeatability. |
| Previous Set-Up Time: 15 minutes | Set-Up Time with Ball Lock® System: 60 seconds |
CNC Vertical Machining Centre
Machining aircraft valve parts.
| Previous Set-Up Method | Set-Up Using Ball Lock® System |
| New Project – New Machine – No Prior History | Using Ball Lock® Jigsaw Plate on Multi-Purpose Subplate enables operator to mount two more vises on the fixture. No indicating required. |
| Previous Set-Up Time: 12 minutes | Set-Up Time with Ball Lock® System: 45 seconds |
Two-Sided Tombstone
Drilling and tapping cylindrical bodies.
| Previous Set-Up Method | Set-Up Using Ball Lock® System |
| Fixture located and bolted to tombstone. Had to be indicated. | Fixture plate mounted and located with Ball Lock® Shanks. No need to indicate. |
| Previous Set-Up Time: 12 minutes | Set-Up Time with Ball Lock® System: 45 seconds |
CNC Machine Base
Drilling and reaming forged part.
| Previous Set-Up Method | Set-Up Using Ball Lock® System |
| Fixture plate located with dowel pins bolted to machine base. Fixture plate and parts indicated. | Parts pre-mounted on fixture plate, which is then mounted to machine base using Ball Lock® Shanks. No need to indicate. |
| Previous Set-Up Time: 7 minutes | Set-Up Time with Ball Lock® System: 60 seconds |
