Dropping Ball Apparatus Manufacturer,Supplier and Exporter in India
Product Code : TVT-CMTE-10383
The Dropping Ball Apparatus from Tvet Equipments is a simple, robust bench instrument used to obtain a quick, repeatable index of the consistency of freshly mixed cement mortar. A ball of fixed diameter and weight is released from a fixed height onto the mortar sample, and the resulting penetration behaviour gives technicians a fast comparative check on workability between batches, mix designs, or admixture dosages.
How It Works
A 25 mm diameter acrylic ball is raised to a fixed drop height of 250 mm above the mortar sample surface and released to fall freely under gravity. The technician observes the ball's penetration depth on contact with the mortar. Because the ball material, diameter, and drop height are held constant for every test, the apparatus provides a consistent basis for comparing the workability of different mortar batches prepared under the same mixing and curing conditions.
Note on this test: unlike several other consistency methods used in cement and mortar testing (such as flow table testing to EN 1015-3, or plunger penetration testing to EN 1015-4), the drop-ball method is used by some laboratories as a supplementary, in-house comparative check rather than as a substitute for a codified consistency standard. Laboratories should confirm with their client or project specification which consistency method is mandated before reporting results from this apparatus as compliance data.
Technical Specifications
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Ball Diameter | 25 mm (acrylic) |
| Height of Drop | 250 mm |
| Approx. Weight | 8 kg |
Applications
The Dropping Ball Apparatus is used in cement and mortar testing laboratories as a quick, low-cost comparative check on mortar consistency ahead of, or alongside, standardised workability tests such as flow table testing (EN 1015-3) and plunger penetration testing (EN 1015-4, performed on Tvet Equipments' Plunger Penetration Apparatus). It is particularly useful for rapid quality-control screening during batch-to-batch production checks, admixture dosage trials, and teaching demonstrations of mortar rheology in civil engineering laboratories.
Related Products & Category
Part of Tvet Equipments' Cement & Mortar Testing Equipments range, complementing the Mini Slump Cone Test Apparatus for a fuller picture of fresh mortar workability.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Is the dropping ball test a codified IS/ASTM/EN standard method?
No single widely-referenced IS, ASTM or EN standard governs this specific 25 mm ball-drop procedure for mortar. It is best used as a supplementary comparative check; laboratories requiring standard-compliant consistency results should use flow table (EN 1015-3) or plunger penetration (EN 1015-4) methods.
Q2. What does the ball's penetration depth indicate?
Greater penetration generally indicates a softer, more workable mortar, while shallow penetration indicates a stiffer mix — but results should always be interpreted comparatively against a known reference batch rather than as an absolute value.
Q3. Can the apparatus be used for materials other than cement mortar?
The same drop-ball principle can be applied qualitatively to other cementitious pastes and grouts for comparative consistency screening, though the mortar application is its primary intended use.
Request a Quote
Contact Tvet Equipments for pricing and specifications on the Dropping Ball Apparatus and our full range of cement and mortar testing instruments. Request a quote today.
