Pololu Ball Caster Load Strength

How much load can you put on the Ball Casters? I know there are plastic and metal balls, and I like to know the loading strength and and their weight so I can use the data to optimize my design.

Thanks!

Also, will the ball stay in the stocket when you lift up the unit? How does that happen? What keeps the ball in place??

Hello.

Our ball casters are designed for small robots; they aren’t intended to bear more than a pound or two. With more weight than this, friction between the ball and the housing will probably keep it from rolling well. You can find the ball caster weights in the table at the bottom of the product pages:

pololu.com/catalog/product/955

The ball pops into the housing, which curves around the ball at the bottom to hold it into the socket and keep it from falling out. You should be able to see this in the mechanical drawing on the above page.

- Ben