Rollerball™

Rollerball®

The Mate Rollerball™ tool creates stiffening ribs and decorative beads in sheet metal parts without a secondary operation. The comprehensive kit also includes alternate configuration to produce offset forms and custom embosses.

Mate Rollerball™ is available in popular tool styles including: Ultraform for thick turret, thin turret, 112/114, and Trumpf.

How Does It Work?

The Mate Rollerball™ tool forms the sheet metal by pinching the material between the two, omni directional, ball bearings of the upper assembly, and the single ball bearing in the lower assembly. The shape of the form is the result of programs created in the punch press programming system.

Stiffening Rib Mode:

• Forms the sheet metal to create a rib that can be used to stiffen the sheet metal to reduce sheet flex. This is particularly helpful in large unsupported panels.
• Allows fabricator to reduce sheet metal thickness without compromising the strength and rigidity of the product
• Eliminates secondary brake press or welding operations.
• Ribs can also be used to create decorative elements in a product that would otherwise be cost prohibitive.

Offset Mode:

• Forms the sheet metal to create an offset form anywhere on the sheet.
• Offset forms can use used on the edge of the component to allow flush panel joints to be created.
• Offset forms can also be used to create embosses that exceed the normal forming capacity of the punch press.
• Using Rollerball to create embosses eliminates secondary operations, and reduced tooling costs as the same tool can be used for multiple applications.

Mate Rollerball™ is typically used in an auto-index station for maximum design flexibility. Mate Rollerball™ is suitable for machines with control mechanisms that allow the sheet to be moved in both the X-axis and Y-axis and allow the auto-index station to be rotated, while the ram is held down.

Mate Rollerball™ is another innovative product designed to expand the punch press user’s capabilities. Incorporating more elements into sheet metal components at the punch press, allows the fabricator to deliver greater added value, and become more competitive in today’s global marketplace.