Precision balls are used for a wide range of applications in the automotive industry, particularly braking applications in which precision fluid control is required. In fact, precision balls allow for much of the technology that makes modern vehicles much safer and more comfortable to drive. To follow, we'll take a look at some of that technology as well as the role that precision balls play in making it possible.

Proportioning Valve

The proportioning valve is a component of a vehicle's braking system that is designed to adjust the distribution of the brake force between the vehicle's front and rear tires. Without a proportioning valve in place, the disk brakes at the rear wheels of the vehicle would engage before the drum brakes at the front wheels of the vehicle, making the vehicle unstable and difficult to control during the braking process. In order to function properly, a proportioning valve must be able to precisely measure and regulate the pressure of the hydraulic fluid running through it. To make this possible, high-quality precision balls must be used in the construction of a proportioning valve.

Anti-Lock Brake System

The anti-lock brake system in a vehicle keeps the brakes from locking up when they are engaged. This makes the vehicle much easier to control when braking and is especially important if you are braking on slippery surfaces such as wet or icy roads. The ABS system uses speed sensors in order to determine whether one or more of the wheels on the vehicle is trying to lock up. If a wheel is trying to lock up, hydraulic valves in the ABS system are used either to reduce or eliminate the braking force that is applied to that specific wheel. These hydraulic valves are a critical component of a vehicle's ABS system, and they require precise control of the hydraulic fluid in order to function properly. With this being the case, the hydraulic valves in an ABS system need to be equipped with precision balls that are capable of precisely regulating the amount of fluid that is allowed through.

Conclusion

The braking systems of modern vehicles feature a number of complex components designed to make braking a vehicle much safer and more effective. These components, however, require balls that are made to exacting specifications in order for them to function as intended.

At Hartford Technologies, we realize the important role that precision balls play in automotive braking applications which require precision fluid control. That is why we manufacture all of our balls to be perfectly uniform, have flawless surface quality, and be built to the exact specification of the size that is required. If you would like to learn more about the advantages of equipping the automotive fluid control components you design with precision balls made by Hartford Technologies, we invite you to contact us today.