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Tools · ISO 2936 (hexagon socket screw keys) · Application guide

What Are Ball-End Hex Keys Used For?

Typical applications, the industries that specify ball-end hex keys, and how to choose the right size, material and finish for the joint.

Ball-End Hex Keys are used for installing, adjusting or servicing the assembly rather than forming part of it. They are manufactured to ISO 2936 (hexagon socket screw keys), and selection is driven by the nominal size, the fit and tolerance the assembly requires, and the service environment.

Primary duty
Installing, adjusting or servicing the assembly rather than forming part of it
Governing standard
ISO 2936 (hexagon socket screw keys)
Nominal size range
1.5 mm to 14.0 mm
Category
Tools

Application notes are general engineering guidance. Verify the property class and any approval requirement against your own design calculation.

What Are Ball-End Hex Keys Used For? application image

Ball-End Hex Keys are selected when an assembly calls for installing, adjusting or servicing the assembly rather than forming part of it. This application guide to the ISO 2936 (hexagon socket screw keys) type covers concrete end-uses, the specification checklist, correct installation, and where an alternative fastener performs better. Stocked across roughly 1.5 mm to 14 mm, they cover general to heavy-duty work.

Typical Applications for Ball-End Hex Keys

The most common settings where these are specified:

  • General machine building: fastening covers, brackets, motors and sub-assemblies on production equipment.
  • Maintenance & repair (MRO): a stocked size for servicing existing plant where the original fastener spec must be matched.
  • Fabrication & metalwork: bench and on-site assembly of steel frames, enclosures and weldments.

How to Specify Ball-End Hex Keys for Your Application

  • Size: Select on nominal size, and confirm it against the mating feature in the assembly. This product spans 1.5 mm–14 mm; check the full table below for the exact dimensions of each size.
  • Material: Choose the material and finish for the service environment — plated steel for general use, stainless for corrosion resistance.
  • Environment: For damp, coastal or chemical exposure prefer A4/316 stainless or a suitable coating; indoors, plated steel or A2 is usually sufficient.
  • Standard: This product is supplied to ISO 2936 (hexagon socket screw keys). Quoting the standard on your order guarantees interchangeable dimensions between suppliers.

Where Ball-End Hex Keys Are Not the Right Choice

Match the fastener to the load, environment and whether the joint must be reopened; the wrong class or style is the usual cause of joint failure.

Technical Drawing

Customize the parameters below — every spec field is editable, and the drawing redraws to match the values you choose. Changing the size will snap the other fields to that size's standard values; you can then override any individual value.

Sends the selected values to the quote form below.

Request a Quote

The form below follows the current technical drawing configuration. Change the drawing values above and the request details update automatically.

Request a Quotation

Specification
Business Information

Dimensions & Specifications (ISO 2936 (hexagon socket screw keys))

Key size across flatsMating socket screwBall end used forPlain end used for
1.5 mmM2 socket head cap screwreaching and running down at an anglefinal tightening
2.0 mmM2.5 socket head cap screwreaching and running down at an anglefinal tightening
2.5 mmM3 socket head cap screwreaching and running down at an anglefinal tightening
3.0 mmM4 socket head cap screwreaching and running down at an anglefinal tightening
4.0 mmM5 socket head cap screwreaching and running down at an anglefinal tightening
5.0 mmM6 socket head cap screwreaching and running down at an anglefinal tightening
6.0 mmM8 socket head cap screwreaching and running down at an anglefinal tightening
8.0 mmM10 socket head cap screwreaching and running down at an anglefinal tightening
10.0 mmM12 socket head cap screwreaching and running down at an anglefinal tightening
14.0 mmM16 socket head cap screwreaching and running down at an anglefinal tightening
Inside the plant

Manufactured in our own plant

This part is cold-formed, threaded, heat-treated and finished in-house. The stages below are where its class and finish are actually decided.

  1. Wire rod feeding into a cold heading machine
    01

    Cold heading

    Wire rod is drawn to size and cold-formed into blanks. Forming rather than cutting keeps the grain flow continuous around the head, which is where a bolt is most likely to fail.

    Head dimensions and under-head radius checked at set-up and per shift.

  2. Thread rolling machine producing bolt threads
    02

    Thread rolling

    Threads are rolled between hardened dies rather than cut. Rolled threads are stronger in fatigue than cut threads and hold pitch and flank angle far more consistently across a batch.

    Go / no-go ring gauges to ISO 965 tolerance class 6g.

  3. Baskets of bolts staged for heat treatment
    03

    Heat treatment

    Quench-and-temper brings carbon and alloy steel to the property class ordered — 8.8, 10.9 or 12.9 — with the furnace charge tracked so a finished lot can be traced back to it.

    Core hardness and tensile tested per lot to ISO 898-1.

  4. Zinc plated bolts in a treatment basket
    04

    Surface treatment

    Zinc, zinc-nickel, hot-dip galvanizing, black oxide, phosphate and Dacromet, selected against the service environment rather than against the price list.

    Coating thickness and neutral salt spray hours to ISO 9227.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Ball-End Hex Keys used for?

Installing, adjusting or servicing the assembly rather than forming part of it. They are supplied to ISO 2936 (hexagon socket screw keys).

Which industries use Ball-End Hex Keys?

They are commonly specified in general machine building, maintenance & repair (mro) and fabrication & metalwork, among other sectors.

How do I choose the right size of Ball-End Hex Keys?

Select on nominal size and on the fit the assembly requires. This product is available from 1.5 mm to 14 mm; the full dimension table on this page lists each size.

Are Ball-End Hex Keys made to a recognized standard?

Yes — they are manufactured to ISO 2936 (hexagon socket screw keys), so dimensions are interchangeable between suppliers when you quote the standard on your order.

Can I get a quote for Ball-End Hex Keys in the size and material I need?

Yes. Use the technical drawing and quote form on this page to set the size and options, then send the exact configuration to our team for pricing and lead time.