Ruby Ball Probes | McMaster-Carr

Filter by

Mounting Thread Size

End Diameter

Overall Length

Stylus End Shape

Effective Working Length

Stem Material

Stem Diameter

End Material

Manufacturer Model Number

Mounting Thread Pitch

System of Measurement

Inch

Metric

Precision Ball Grade

Export Control Classification Number (ECCN)

REACH

RoHS

DFARS Specialty Metals

Diameter

Length

Dial Indicator Size

Overall Width

Number of Pieces

Number of Styli

Forward

How can we improve?

77 Products

Probe Styli

Our most general purpose probe styli, these Renishaw styli are used with both touch-trigger and scanning probes. When these styli touch your workpiece, they trigger your probe to send a signal and measure geometric features. The ball end is made of ruby, which is second only to diamond in hardness, so it won’t lose its shape or wear over time. It’s completely round and smooth to avoid touching your workpiece at more than one precise point, preventing inaccurate measurements. However, these probe styli don’t work well with aluminum or cast iron surfaces. Aluminum can rub off onto the ruby, and cast iron and ruby are prone to scratching each other during scanning jobs.

As a rule of thumb, you should choose a stylus with the shortest length and largest ball-end diameter that works for your application. If a stylus is too long, it’s more likely to move farther than it should, reducing measurement accuracy. Larger ball ends reduce the possibility that the stem will accidentally touch your workpiece and interfere with the reading.

Ruby Ball-End Styli

M2 Mounting Thread and M3 Mounting Thread—Styli with M2 or M3 threads are often used in coordinate measuring machines (CMMs).

M4 Mounting Thread—Styli with M4 threads are often used on CNC machine tool probes.

Tungsten Carbide Stem—Tungsten carbide stems are the stiffest and least likely to flex. Tungsten carbide can slightly expand in changing temperatures, so if you need precise measurements, use these styli in temperature-controlled environments.

Ceramic Stem—Ceramic stems shatter in a collision instead of bending, minimizing impact to your probe and workpiece.

Carbon Fiber Stem—Carbon fiber stems are the most lightweight option, so they’re often found on longer styli.

					Material			Ball
	End Dia., mm	Effective Working Lg., mm	Overall Lg., mm	Stem Dia., mm	Stem	Body	End Dia. Tolerance, mm	Precision Grade	Sphericity Tolerance, mm	Mfr.	Mfr. Model No.		Each
M2 × 0.4 mm


		0.3	2	10	0.2	Tungsten Carbide	Stainless Steel	-0.00025 to 0.00025	10	-0.00025 to 0.00025	Renishaw	A-5000-7800	85175A574	0000000
		0.3	2	20	0.2	Tungsten Carbide	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5004-7398	6193N38	000000
		0.5	3	10	0.4	Tungsten Carbide	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5000-7805	85175A572	00000
		0.5	7	20	0.3	Tungsten Carbide	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5003-1345	85175A567	000000
		0.7	4	10	0.5	Tungsten Carbide	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5000-7801	85175A607	00000
		0.7	12	20	0.5	Tungsten Carbide	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5003-0577	85175A588	000000
		1	4.5	10	0.7	Stainless Steel	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5000-7806	85175A578	00000
		1	7	20	0.7	Tungsten Carbide	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5000-7808	85175A571	00000
		1	12.5	20	0.8	Tungsten Carbide	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5003-0033	85175A563	00000
		1	20.5	27.5	0.7	Tungsten Carbide	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5000-8663	85175A568	00000
		1.5	4.5	10	0.7	Stainless Steel	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5000-7802	6193N39	00000
		1.5	12.5	20	1	Tungsten Carbide	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5003-0034	85175A606	00000
		1.5	22.5	30	1	Tungsten Carbide	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5003-0035	85175A573	00000
		2	6	10	1	Stainless Steel	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5000-7807	85175A611	00000
		2	14	20	1	Tungsten Carbide	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5003-3822	85175A612	00000
		2	14	20	1.4	Stainless Steel	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5000-3603	85175A565	00000
		2	22.5	30	1.5	Tungsten Carbide	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5003-0036	85175A603	00000
		2	32.5	40	1.5	Tungsten Carbide	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5003-0037	85175A581	00000
		2.5	6.5	10	1	Stainless Steel	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5000-7803	6193N41	00000
		2.5	16.4	20	1.4	Stainless Steel	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5000-7804	6193N42	00000
		2.5	32.7	40.2	2	Tungsten Carbide	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5003-0039	6193N43	00000
		3	7	10	1.5	Stainless Steel	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5000-3604	6193N44	00000
		3	17	20	1.5	Stainless Steel	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5000-4160	85175A566	00000
		3	47	50	2	Ceramic	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5003-0064	85175A605	00000
		4	10	10	1.5	Stainless Steel	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5000-4154	6193N45	00000
		4	20	20	1.5	Stainless Steel	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5000-4161	85175A586	00000
		4	50	50	2	Ceramic	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5003-0065	85175A625	00000
		5	20	20	2.5	Tungsten Carbide	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5003-0046	6193N46	00000
		5	30	30	2.5	Ceramic	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5003-4779	6193N47	00000
		5	50	50	2.5	Ceramic	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5003-0066	6193N48	00000
		6	10	10	2.5	Stainless Steel	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5000-4156	6193N49	00000
		6	30	30	2.5	Ceramic	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5003-4780	6193N51	00000
		6	50	50	2.5	Ceramic	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5003-0470	6193N52	00000
		8	11	11	2.5	Stainless Steel	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5000-4158	6193N53	00000

		M3 × 0.5 mm


				1	4	21	0.7	Stainless Steel	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5000-3551	85175A576	00000
				1.5	22.5	30	1	Tungsten Carbide	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5003-0051	85175A609	00000
				2	9.6	21	1.4	Stainless Steel	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5000-3552	85175A589	00000
				2	32.5	40	1.5	Tungsten Carbide	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5003-0053	85175A614	00000
				3	14.7	21	1.5	Stainless Steel	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5000-3553	85175A597	00000
				10	75	75	4	Carbon Fiber	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5003-7057	6193N57	000000
				12	100	100	4	Carbon Fiber	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5003-7445	6193N58	000000

				M4 × 0.7 mm


						1	4.5	19.5	0.7	Stainless Steel	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5000-7545	85175A608	00000
						2	8.9	19	1.4	Stainless Steel	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5000-7547	85175A598	00000
						2	40	50	1.5	Tungsten Carbide	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5003-4797	85175A584	00000
						3	38.5	50	2	Tungsten Carbide	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5003-3680	85175A594	00000
						4	13.7	18	3	Stainless Steel	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5000-7551	6193N61	00000
						4	33.5	50	3	Ceramic	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5003-0233	6193N62	00000
						5	16	20	3	Stainless Steel	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5000-6731	85175A101	00000
						5	26	30	3	Stainless Steel	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5000-6352	85175A601	00000
						5	58.5	75	3.8	Ceramic	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5003-0236	6193N63	00000
						5	83.2	100	4.5	Stainless Steel	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5000-7522	85175A596	00000
						5	83.5	100	3.8	Ceramic	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5000-9761	6193N64	000000
						6	33.4	50	4.5	Ceramic	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5000-3709	85175A561	00000
						6	38.5	50	4.5	Carbon Fiber	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5003-7306	6193N65	000000
6						88.5	100	4.4	Carbon Fiber	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5003-6510	85175A599	000000
6	88.5					100	4.5	Ceramic	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5000-3712	85175A562	000000
6	88.5					100	4.5	Carbon Fiber	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5003-1358	85175A593	000000
6	135					150	4.5	Ceramic	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5000-8156	85175A583	000000
6	188.5					200	4.5	Carbon Fiber	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5003-6512	6193N66	000000
8	50					50	4.5	Ceramic	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5000-7795	6193N67	000000
8	100					100	4.5	Ceramic	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5000-7796	85175A602	000000
8	300					300	4.4	Carbon Fiber	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5003-3461	6193N68	000000

Ruby Ball/Star-End Styli


4 Styli	5 Styli

Ball/star styli combine up to 5 styli in one, so you can reach more of your workpiece at once. This means you won’t have to swap out styli as many times during a job. They are commonly used to inspect bores, shoulders, and grooves.

M2 Mounting Thread and M3 Mounting Thread—Styli with M2 or M3 threads are often used in coordinate measuring machines (CMMs).

							Material			Ball
	No. of Styli	End Dia., mm	Effective Working Lg., mm	Overall Lg., mm	Overall Wd., mm	Stem Dia., mm	Stem	Body	End Dia. Tolerance, mm	Precision Grade	Sphericity Tolerance, mm	Mfr.	Mfr. Model No.		Each
M2 × 0.4 mm


		4	1	2.5	3	10	0.7	Tungsten Carbide	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5000-7811	6193N54	0000000
		5	2	12	19.3	18	1.4	Stainless Steel	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5000-7629	6193N55	000000
		5	2	12	19.3	30	1.4	Stainless Steel	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5000-3626	6193N56	000000

		M3 × 0.5 mm


				5	2	12	21.5	30	1.4	Stainless Steel	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5003-0076	6193N59	000000

Contact Points for Plunger Variance Indicators

These contact points are compatible with indicators that conform to AGD standards. Most plunger indicators are classified in AGD Groups 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4.

Ball Contact Points

Image of Product. Front orientation. Contains Annotated. Variance Indicator Contact Points. Contact Points for Plunger Variance Indicators, Ball Contact Points.

Ball contact points are for measuring indentations. They can also be used to measure flat surfaces.

	Lg.	Precision Ball Grade	Sphericity Tolerance	Mounting Thread Size	Body Material	For Dial Indicator Size		Each
Ruby


	3	1/4"	25	-0.000025" to 0.000025"	4-48	Stainless Steel	AGD Group 0, AGD Group 1, AGD Group 2, AGD Group 3, AGD Group 4	1853A11	000000
	3	1/4"	25	-0.000025" to 0.000025"	M2.5 × 0.45 mm	Stainless Steel	AGD Group 0, AGD Group 1, AGD Group 2, AGD Group 3, AGD Group 4	1853A13	00000
	3	1/2"	25	-0.000025" to 0.000025"	4-48	Stainless Steel	AGD Group 0, AGD Group 1, AGD Group 2, AGD Group 3, AGD Group 4	1853A16	00000
	4	1/4"	25	-0.000025" to 0.000025"	4-48	Stainless Steel	AGD Group 0, AGD Group 1, AGD Group 2, AGD Group 3, AGD Group 4	1853A12	00000
	4	1/2"	25	-0.000025" to 0.000025"	4-48	Stainless Steel	AGD Group 0, AGD Group 1, AGD Group 2, AGD Group 3, AGD Group 4	1853A17	00000
	4	3/4"	25	-0.000025" to 0.000025"	4-48	Stainless Steel	AGD Group 0, AGD Group 1, AGD Group 2, AGD Group 3, AGD Group 4	1853A19	00000

Probe Styli for Thin Materials

Measure holes and edges on sheet metal and other thin materials. The straight edges on these cylindrical styli maintain stable contact with thin materials better than the curved edges on a ball styli. However, they’re not as precise as ball styli. When they touch a workpiece, they trigger your coordinate measuring machine (CMM) probe to send a signal and measure geometric features. They’re often used with touch-trigger probes.

As a rule of thumb, you should use a stylus with the shortest length that works for your application. If a stylus is too long, it’s more likely to move farther than it should, reducing measurement accuracy.

Ruby Cylindrical-End Styli

Round Tip

Ruby ends are the most common because of how smooth, hard, and durable they are. Ruby is second in hardness only to diamond, so these styli won’t wear or lose their shape, which could lead to measurement errors. However, ruby doesn’t work well with aluminum or cast iron surfaces. Aluminum can rub off onto the ruby, and cast iron and ruby are prone to scratching each other during scanning jobs.

Round Tip—Probe styli with a round tip allow you to probe with the stylus end as if it were a ball stylus. The round end avoids touching your workpiece at more than one precise point, so they can detect small variations in flatness.

					Material			Ball
	End Dia., mm	Effective Working Lg., mm	Overall Lg., mm	Stem Dia., mm	Stem	Body	End Dia. Tolerance, mm	Precision Grade	Sphericity Tolerance, mm	Mfr.	Mfr. Model No.		Each
M2 × 0.4 mm





				Round Tip
				1	8	15	1	Stainless Steel	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5000-8876	85175A604	0000000
				2	7.2	21.2	1.6	Stainless Steel	Stainless Steel	-0.00013 to 0.00013	5	-0.00013 to 0.00013	Renishaw	A-5000-7812	85175A595	000000

Probe Styli Kits

Keep a variety of common Renishaw stylus sizes, extensions, and tools on hand. When styli touch a workpiece, they trigger your probe to send a signal and measure geometric features.

Make sure the thread size of the styli in the kit you choose fits your application.

These kits all include ruby ball styli, which can be used in a wide variety of applications, from touch-trigger to scanning probes. Ruby is second only to diamond in hardness, so the ball end won’t lose its shape or wear over time. It’s completely round and smooth to avoid touching your workpiece at more than one precise point, preventing inaccurate measurements. However, these probe styli don’t work well with aluminum or cast iron surfaces. Aluminum can rub off onto the ruby, and cast iron and ruby are prone to scratching each other during scanning jobs.

As a rule of thumb, you should use a stylus with the shortest length and largest ball-end diameter that works for your application. If a stylus is too long, it’s more likely to move farther than it should, reducing measurement accuracy. Larger ball ends minimize the risk that the stem will accidentally touch your workpiece and interfere with the reading.

All kits come with stylus installation tools, which give you a handle to turn so it’s easier to thread a stylus into your probe. Slide them into the hole at the top of your probe stylus. The included stylus extensions are useful if you need to reach deep or difficult-to-access areas.

EWL (effective working length) is measured from the beginning of the stem to the center of the ball or disc end.

M2 Mounting Thread and M3 Mounting Thread—Styli with M2 or M3 threads are often used in coordinate measuring machines (CMMs).

M4 Mounting Thread—Styli with M4 threads are often used on CNC machine tool probes.

Two 12 mm Lg. Break Stems—Break stems are designed to snap if your probe applies too much pressure on a workpiece, shielding the probe from damage.

One 35 mm Dia. × 5 mm Thick. High-Carbon Steel Disc Stylus—Disc styli fit in undercuts and grooves within bores that are too narrow for ball styli. However, because the stylus end is flat, they can’t measure in as many directions as ball styli. Use them with both touch-trigger and scanning probes.

	Body Material	Mfr.	Mfr. Model No.		Each
M2 × 0.4 mm





	Ruby End
	12	One 0.5 mm Dia. Ruby Ball Stylus with Tungsten Carbide Stem—10 mm O'all Lg. (3 mm EWL) One 1 mm Dia. Ruby Ball Stylus with Stainless Steel Stem—10 mm O'all Lg. (4.5 mm EWL) Two 1 mm Dia. Ruby Ball Styli with Tungsten Carbide Stem—20 mm O'all Lg. (12.5 mm EWL) Two 2 mm Dia. Ruby Ball Styli with Stainless Steel Stem—20 mm O'all Lg. (14 mm EWL) One 3 mm Dia. Ruby Ball Stylus with Stainless Steel Stem—20 mm O'all Lg. (17 mm EWL) One 4 mm Dia. Ruby Ball Stylus with Stainless Steel Stem—20 mm O'all Lg. (20 mm EWL) One 10 mm Lg. Stylus Extension One 20 mm Lg. Stylus Extension Two Stylus Installation Tools	Plastic Case	Stainless Steel	Renishaw	A-5004-5131	6193N33	0000000

	M3 × 0.5 mm





					High-Carbon Steel End, Ruby End
					10	One 1 mm Dia. Ruby Ball Stylus with Stainless Steel Stem—21 mm O'all Lg. (4 mm EWL) One 2 mm Dia. Ruby Ball Stylus with Tungsten Carbide Stem—40 mm O'all Lg. (32.5 mm EWL) One 3 mm Dia. Ruby Ball Stylus with Tungsten Carbide Stem—50 mm O'all Lg. (43.7 mm EWL) One 4 mm Dia. Ruby Ball Stylus with Tungsten Carbide Stem—40 mm O'all Lg. (36 mm EWL) One 5 mm Dia. Ruby Ball Stylus with Stainless Steel Stem—21 mm O'all Lg. (21 mm EWL) One 5 mm Dia. Ruby Ball Stylus with Ceramic Stem—50 mm O'all Lg. (50 mm EWL) One 35 mm Dia. × 5 mm Thick. High-Carbon Steel Disc Stylus One 50 mm Lg. Stylus Extension Two Stylus Installation Tools	Plastic Case	Stainless Steel	Renishaw	A-5004-6880	6193N34	000000

					M4 × 0.7 mm





									Ruby End
									13	One 1 mm Dia. Ruby Ball Stylus with Stainless Steel Stem—19.5 mm O'all Lg. (4.5 mm EWL) One 2 mm Dia. Ruby Ball Stylus with Stainless Steel Stem—19 mm O'all Lg. (8.9 mm EWL) Two 6 mm Dia. Ruby Ball Styli with Ceramic Stem—50 mm O'all Lg. (33.4 mm EWL) Two 6 mm Dia. Ruby Ball Styli with Ceramic Stem—100 mm O'all Lg. (88.5 mm EWL) Two 30 mm Lg. Stylus Extensions Two 12 mm Lg. Break Stems Two Stylus Installation Tools One Wrench	Plastic Case	Stainless Steel	Renishaw	A-5004-5132	6193N35	000000