What Bal-Tec does

Bal-Tec, operating under the PrecisionBalls brand, is a privately held US precision ball manufacturer founded in 1952 and based in Huntington Park, California. The company produces custom-made precision balls, cylinders, and associated spherical components in any material, size, quality, or quantity — from one-off prototypes to high-volume production runs. Its core offering centers on threaded balls and full balls with counterbored holes made from hardened 440C stainless steel (58 HRC minimum) and tungsten carbide (91 HRA), alongside precision ball gages for inspection and the newly introduced Adjustable Kinematic Coupling for precision positioning applications.

Manufacturing is supported by a 50,000+ square-foot facility equipped with a proprietary Talyrond sphericity measurement system achieving one-millionth of an inch (0.000001") accuracy. Bal-Tec serves customers in precision instrumentation, metrology, optical alignment, and industrial manufacturing — segments that require micro-precision spherical components for kinematic mounting and inspection applications where standard commercial balls do not meet tolerance requirements.

The business operates on a direct-to-consumer model via the precisionballs.com e-commerce storefront, supplemented by phone ordering and a legacy hightechballs.com site. Pricing is transactional with unit prices in the $29-$33 range for catalog items, a $20 minimum order with a $7.50 line minimum, and first-order terms of C.O.D. or credit card. Custom manufactured items are non-returnable, returns carry a 30% restocking fee, and all shipments are FOB Los Angeles with international orders requiring pre-payment. The company appears to be owner-operated with no disclosed institutional funding, management team, certifications, or named customer accounts.

Name

Bal-Tec

Legal name

Bal-Tec

Website

https://precisionballs.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bal-Tec is a privately held US manufacturer founded in 1952 that produces custom-made precision balls and spherical components to micro-inch tolerances for metrology, optical alignment, and industrial kinematic mounting applications, selling direct via its e-commerce storefront.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Precision Ball Product Sales: Direct sales of custom precision balls, cylinders, and associated spherical components. Products include threaded balls, full balls with counterbored holes, ball gages, and kinematic mounting hardware. Sales are transactional with minimum order requirements.
2. Custom Manufacturing Services: Custom manufacturing of spherical components from prototype to high-volume production runs, serving niche precision instrumentation requirements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Bal-Tec manufactures custom-made precision balls, cylinders, and associated spherical components in any material (steel, stainless steel, exotic alloys including tungsten carbide), any size, any quality grade, and any quantity from one-off prototypes to millions. The core product line includes threaded balls with tapped holes for kinematic platforms, full balls with counterbored holes for socket head cap screw mounting, ball gages for inspection, and adjustable kinematic couplings, with quality controlled by a Talyrond system achieving one-millionth of an inch sphericity accuracy.

Product overview

Bal-Tec (PrecisionBalls) operates as a precision ball manufacturing company offering a focused portfolio of spherical components and associated products. The core offering consists of precision balls made from various materials (steel, stainless steel, tungsten carbide) in custom sizes and quantities. The product line centers on two main categories: threaded balls (featuring tapped holes for kinematic platform mounting) and full balls with counterbored holes (designed for socket head cap screw installation). Supporting these are ball gages for inspection applications and the new Adjustable Kinematic Coupling. All products can be ordered from prototype quantities to millions, with downloadable CAD files (SolidWorks, IGES formats) available for engineering integration. Quality is assured through Talyrond System measurement achieving one-millionth of an inch sphericity accuracy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Threaded Balls Precision threaded balls made from hardened stainless steel (440C, hardened to 58 HRC minimum) or tungsten carbide with a tapped hole for rigid mounting on kinematic platforms. Available in sizes from 0.25" to 1.0" diameter and sold as catalog SKUs (e.g., 500-B-T, 625-B-T, 750-B-T). Designed for engineers and metrology specialists who need rigid kinematic mounting components.
• Full Balls with Counterbored Hole Hardened stainless steel balls machined for use with standard socket head cap screws, featuring a counterbored hole. Available in catalog sizes from 0.250" to 1.00" diameter (e.g., 250-B-CB, 312-B-CB, 375-B-CB, 500-B-CB, 625-B-CB, 750-B-CB, 100-B-CB). Positioned as a less expensive alternative to truncated balls when reduced profile is not critical.
• Ball Gages Precision ball gages manufactured in various designs for inspection applications, ranging from simple loose balls to balls mounted on stems, plus Go and No-Go ball gages made to order in any size, with or without handles. Used by quality and inspection professionals for dimensional verification.
• Custom Precision Balls Custom-made precision balls manufactured to customer specifications in any material (steel, stainless steel, exotic alloys), any size, any quality grade, and any quantity from one-off prototypes to millions. Sold by quote request rather than as catalog SKUs, with custom-manufactured items being non-returnable.
• Adjustable Kinematic Coupling Newly introduced product featuring adjustable kinematic coupling for precision positioning applications in kinematic platforms. Targeted at engineers building or upgrading precision optical and metrology platforms.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Salem Specialty Ball: U.S.-based manufacturer of precision steel, stainless steel, and exotic alloy balls in a wide range of sizes and grades. Direct competitor to Bal-Tec in the custom precision ball segment serving bearing, automotive, and industrial customers.
• Hartford Technologies: Manufacturer of precision steel balls, exotic alloy balls, and ball-bearing related components for industrial and metrology applications. Closely comparable to Bal-Tec in materials range, custom sizing, and target customer base.
• Hoover Precision Products: Producer of precision balls, ball blanks, and bearing components in carbon steel, stainless, and exotic alloys. Competes with Bal-Tec for custom and high-precision spherical components used in bearings, linear motion, and instrumentation.
• Winsted Precision Ball: Specialty manufacturer of precision balls in standard and exotic materials, including tungsten carbide and ceramic. Directly comparable to Bal-Tec's custom precision ball offering for industrial and metrology customers.

Regional players

• Salem Fabrication Supplies (precision ball line): Supplier of precision spheres and fabricated metal components primarily within North America. Comparable to Bal-Tec in offering custom precision balls and related spherical components to industrial buyers.

Broad incumbents

• SKF: Global leader in bearings, seals, and mechatronics, including balls and rolling elements used in precision applications. A broad incumbent whose precision ball and bearing lines overlap with Bal-Tec's component-level offering.
• NTN Corporation: Large manufacturer of bearings, constant-velocity joints, and precision components, including precision balls. Overlaps with Bal-Tec as a producer of spherical rolling elements for industrial and automotive markets.
• RBC Bearings: U.S.-based manufacturer of engineered bearings and precision components, including ball-bearing and spherical products for aerospace, defense, and industrial markets. A larger incumbent adjacent to Bal-Tec's niche.

Emerging players

• Cerbec (Saint-Gobain): Manufacturer of silicon nitride ceramic balls and other advanced-material rolling elements for high-speed and precision applications. Comparable in serving precision-bearing and metrology customers with premium spherical materials.
• Thomson Industries (Regal Rexnord): Supplier of linear motion components including ball screws, linear bearings, and related spherical elements. Adjacent competitor to Bal-Tec in the precision kinematic and motion-control component market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/micro-surface-engr-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bal-Tec