Latching with spring plungers

A spring plunger or ball plunger is a standard part that is installed permanently as a clamping element. It consists of a hollow screw or pressing sleeve with an integrated spring and a ball or a pin. A matching thread or hole is required for receiving the plunger. Screwed in like a normal screw or pressed in, the plunger remains permanently in its position.

Spring plungers can be used to secure various parts in specific positions relative to each other. One part generally holds the plunger, while the opposing part has a groove or hole into which the locking element engages. Spring plungers are useful for securing sliding elements such as a locking pin. To accomplish this, matching grooves are milled into the pin.

After latching, ball plungers hold the corresponding parts firmly enough so that their relative positions do not change under the influence of vibrations. When the parts are actively moved out of the latched position, the ball of the spring plunger is pushed into the sleeve, releasing the latch. Typical uses for spring plungers include:

Spring plungers are available in a large selection and a wide variety of material combinations. The sleeves are available with or without thread and are made of steel, stainless steel or plastic; balls are also available in ceramic. Nearly every plunger can be fitted with a normal or reinforced spring. Designs include movable ball bearings to reduce wear, plastic bearings for electrical insulation or attached thread locking. With this wide range of materials, types and sizes, Ganter can supply the right spring plunger for practically any application. Specific customer requests, such as custom materials or sizes, are no problem.