Casters, Levellers, Ballast, or Anchors? Defining the Base State of a Modular Support

Direct answer: approve a named base state, not a component label

Casters, levellers, ballast, and anchors do not by themselves define whether a modular support may be moved, positioned, adjusted, fixed, operated, serviced, or left unattended. A base decision is defensible only when one Base State ID joins the complete frame and payload configuration, base components and their exact states, current floor or supporting construction, allowed action, restrained conditions, project-supplied loads and reactions, transition sequence, locking or control confirmation, evidence, responsible authority, and reopen triggers.

Create a separate Base State ID whenever a change can alter the decision: a different module set, extension, opening, payload or accessory revision; a different caster orientation, leveller engagement, ballast arrangement or anchor state; a different floor/contact condition; or a different permitted action. Do not borrow an approval from a visually similar configuration.

Use these bounded dispositions:

• Input complete for appointed review: the required facts are controlled, but the named authority has not yet recorded approval.
• Approved for the named state by the named authority: the record identifies the exact configuration, permitted action, evidence, criteria and approving party. This is not a universal product rating.
• Conditional with the action held: an assumption, affected action, open owner, evidence due, validation gate and failure disposition are recorded; the action remains prohibited until closure.
• Hold for input or evidence: a configuration, floor, load, transition, control, verification or authority field is missing, stale or contradictory.
• Reference only: the information can frame questions but cannot authorize movement, setup, operation or service.

The StelMount engineering overview already frames base and site interfaces as project-specific. This article converts that boundary into a state-and-evidence tool. Neither the page nor M6 selects a base type, calculates stability or load distribution, derives floor pressure, chooses ballast or anchors, publishes a capacity, validates a brake, prescribes a safe sequence, or proves StelMount capability.

Bind the base to one complete support configuration

A base cannot be reviewed independently from what it supports. For each Base State ID, identify the frame or structure revision, installed modules, extension and adjustment positions, open or removed sections, payload and accessory revision, cable or equipment set, and every other project input that the responsible design authority says affects the base decision.

Record the project-supplied mass properties, centers of gravity, forces, moments, dynamic actions, environmental cases, combinations, application points, reactions and load shares required by the appointed analysis. M6 does not generate any of them. If the design authority provides only an overall mass while its method requires a location, orientation or case definition, the row remains open.

Within its NASA ground-support-equipment domain, NASA-STD-5005D section 5.1.3 states that structural design loads are specified in design documentation and identifies assembly, transportation and operations processes plus lateral stability among the load-case subjects its design should address.^[1] M6 transfers only the method boundary: the appointed project authority must connect each Base State ID to controlled state-specific load and stability records. The NASA source does not govern StelMount, supply a load, factor, combination, criterion, method, approval route or applicability, or prove a modular-support result.

Use one coordinate and reference basis across the frame, base components, contact points and floor evidence, or provide an authorized relationship between systems. Record origin, axes, positive directions, elevation or plane reference, physical realization, condition and responsible owner. ISO's public catalog identifies ISO 5459:2024 as addressing datums and datum systems in geometrical product specifications.^[2] That public subject supports naming a controlled reference framework when the project invokes it. It does not select a floor datum, support origin, level value, base coordinate, tolerance, method, applicable edition or conformity result.

The StelMount systems overview provides high-level context for modular structures and interfaces. It is not a catalog of approved base states and does not establish a configuration, load case, floor, caster, leveller, ballast, anchor or acceptance result.

Keep the attached payload and base configuration on the same revision chain. A permitted mobile state for a compact frame cannot be assumed for a taller, wider, partially opened or differently loaded state. Likewise, a base selected for one floor or supporting construction is not automatically approved after relocation.

Treat casters, levellers, ballast, and anchors as state inputs

The component categories below are prompts, not recommendations. Use only those present in the project-selected concept, and record exact component identities and revisions rather than generic labels.

Casters

For each caster or wheel assembly, record the component ID, mounting interface, wheel/contact material data supplied by its authority, orientation, swivel or directional state, brake/lock/control state, contact condition, floor relationship, inspection evidence and role in each Base State ID. Distinguish a component intended for transport or positioning from one included in a named operating state.

The BSI public record for BS EN 12530:1999 is expressly limited to castors and wheels for manually propelled institutional applications, and its public Product Details identify brakes, locking and locating devices, load capacity, static/dynamic/performance testing and testing conditions as separate subjects.^[3] That limited record supports asking for the exact caster application, component, brake/lock state and applicable supplier/test evidence. It does not show that a modular camera support falls within the standard, and it supplies no caster type, capacity, brake result, test, floor condition, safe-use conclusion, compliance claim or StelMount rating.

A brake pedal position, swivel lock indicator or wheel contact does not prove that the whole support is stable, stationary, properly loaded or approved for operation. The component supplier and project design authority must provide the relevant limits, instructions and system-level conclusions. This article supplies no caster rating, rolling resistance, braking performance, slope limit, dynamic allowance or permitted speed.

Levellers

For each leveller or foot, record the exact component and contact interface, engaged/retracted condition, project-defined setting or adjustment input, lock/retention state, contact point, floor condition, design reaction/load-share input, access, inspection method and installed evidence. State whether casters remain in contact or are unloaded only as concluded by the appointed design and verification authorities.

Level geometry alone does not prove correct load distribution, stability, floor adequacy or component capacity. A visually even frame can still have an undefined contact state if the project has not measured or otherwise evidenced the actual points and reactions required by its decision method.

Ballast

Identify every project-selected ballast item or assembly by controlled ID, revision, supplied mass/property record, location, attachment or retention, configuration applicability, handling state, installation/removal sequence, inspection evidence and owner. Keep the ballast record tied to the exact frame, payload, base and floor state for which the design authority used it.

The presence of ballast does not prove adequate stability. M6 does not calculate a required amount, choose material, decide location, design retention, assess handling, or authorize an improvised substitute. A missing, moved, replaced or unsecured item reopens the affected state.

Anchors and fixed interfaces

Identify the base plate or interface, holes or slots, anchor or embedded-item records, supporting construction, foundation reference, installation state, setting/tightening evidence, inspection record and responsible structural/site authority. The project must provide the actions/reactions, geometry, design, material, installation and acceptance information required by its appointed process.

An installed fastener or anchor does not prove foundation capacity, anchor adequacy, correct setting, base contact, structural load path or permission to operate. M6 supplies no anchor type, size, embedment, spacing, edge distance, tightening value, proof-test method, reaction or foundation design.

Combinations require their own definition. A base can contain casters and levellers, ballast and fixed supports, anchors plus adjustment interfaces, or another project-selected arrangement. Do not assume which component carries load, restrains movement or becomes inactive in a state. Record the project conclusion and evidence.

The existing payload, locking and interface guide explains why a local camera-node lock and matching connection need actual project inputs. Its evidence does not transfer to caster brakes, leveller locks, ballast retention, anchors or whole-frame stability.

Record the floor and load-distribution basis

Every Base State ID needs an identified floor or supporting construction. Record the site/zone, current surface and finish, relevant plane/elevation/profile or slope evidence, joints, edges, steps, thresholds, coverings, mats, rails, trenches, openings, contamination or damage, temporary protection and other project-defined conditions that affect contact or transition. This is a prompt list, not a claim that any condition exists at a site.

The site/civil/structural authority must provide floor or foundation capacity, allowable contact or anchor actions, local restrictions, condition acceptance and any required design or investigation. Do not infer capacity from material appearance, building type, a nominal slab label or the fact that similar equipment stood nearby.

The StelBooth site-utilities and interface-responsibility guide offers an adjacent example of assigning site information and prepared-on-site work. It does not establish a StelMount floor condition, reaction, bearing pressure, anchor interface, movement path or approval.

For measurement evidence, identify the characteristic or measurand, reference, state, method, equipment/data identity, coverage, result, limitations, responsible measurer and acceptance authority. A component label, instrument display or isolated coordinate is not a complete base-state result without that project context.

NIST Technical Note 1297 addresses reporting results with uncertainty, keeping referenced measurement-process documentation current, and the relationship between a measurand and the method used to define it; it also cautions that changed use conditions can introduce effects not present in the original measurement context.^[4] M6 transfers only that record discipline. The guidance provides no project uncertainty, comparison rule, floor limit, load share, reinspection interval or permission to reuse a result after relocation.

Keep geometry evidence separate from structural conclusions. Measuring contact elevations can support an installed-state record, but it does not calculate reactions. Recording reactions from a design output can support interface review, but it does not prove the as-installed contacts match the analyzed boundary conditions. The Base State ID must connect both records and name who accepts the comparison.

Define transitions and permitted actions

A useful base record includes how the support enters and leaves each state. Do not publish a universal sequence. The project should list its actual starting state, destination state, prerequisites, component changes, responsible person, confirmation step, prohibited actions, evidence and failure disposition.

Possible state names include transport/packed, mobile/rolling, positioning, levelling/setting, fixed/ballasted/anchored, operating and service/adjustment. They are editorial prompts only. A project may use different names, combine states or omit those that do not apply.

For each transition, record questions such as:

• Which frame/payload/base revision is present before movement begins?
• Which casters, levellers, ballast, anchors, restraints or temporary supports change state?
• What floor/contact path and environmental condition does the project decision cover?
• Which loads, openings, extensions, accessories or cables must be in a named state?
• What lock, brake, retention, anchor, level/contact or other confirmation is required by the responsible authority?
• What evidence is recorded, who may authorize the next action, and what happens if a condition is not met?

A control indication is evidence only within its stated role. It does not replace whole-system design or verification. If moving a support with an attached payload, open section, extended member or connected service has not been approved for that exact state, keep the action held.

ISO's public catalog identifies ISO 12100:2010 as addressing general principles for machinery design, risk assessment and risk reduction.^[5] Cite and apply it only through the project's competent process where selected and applicable. It does not make this article a risk assessment, define hazards for a real support, select safeguards or controls, prove stability, authorize a transition, establish legal compliance or certify StelMount.

Separate mechanical state confirmation from operating permission. A component may be installed exactly as drawn while the project still lacks a completed structural review, floor approval, safe-work procedure, exclusion zone, training, supervision or jurisdictional acceptance. Those decisions remain with their appointed authorities.

Use the two-part Base State Register

Use two linked tables. Part A records what the support is, carries and contacts in one state plus the project design inputs. Part B records how the state is entered, what evidence exists and who may decide. The same Base State ID appears in both. The tables are an editorial coordination tool, not a rating table, stability calculator, anchor schedule, operating procedure, risk assessment or conformity scheme.

Part A: configuration and design inputs

Part B: transition, evidence and decision

Leave unknown fields open. Do not insert illustrative capacities, slopes, ballast amounts, anchor values, floor pressures, factors or settings. Not applicable is an authorized project decision, not a convenient substitute for missing information.

Read Part A first to prevent a decision from losing its physical configuration. Read Part B next to prevent a physical configuration from being mistaken for permission. Then trace the evidence backward: does every approval identify the Base State ID and exact action it covers? Trace it forward: does every later change reach the rows and decisions that depend on it?

An analysis, test or inspection record is not self-explanatory. Record its checked article/configuration, base and floor state, boundary conditions, method, criteria, deviations, result and approving party. A component certificate or data sheet does not by itself prove system-level use; an installed-state photograph does not prove hidden contact or reaction; an operator checklist does not replace missing structural evidence.

Control revisions, evidence, and changes

Identify controlling frame and base drawings/models, component data, load/stability outputs, floor/site records, anchor/foundation information, transition instructions, evidence forms and acceptance records by issuer, status and revision. ISO's public catalog identifies ISO 16792:2021 as addressing digital product-definition data practices.^[6] That public subject supports controlled identity when the project invokes it; it does not prescribe this register, select source priority, provide technical completeness, define an approval workflow, establish applicability or prove conformity.

When records conflict, do not choose the value or state that permits the desired action. Record both sources, affected Base State IDs, interim hold, owners, evidence required and authorized disposition. A later file date does not automatically control if it describes a different support configuration or floor state.

A project change record should trace every Base State ID and decision that depends on the edited component, floor, load, transition or evidence record. This is an explicit M6 governance rule, not a claim that every change affects every state or requires a complete redesign.

Reopen affected rows when the frame/module/extension/opening state, payload/accessory/cable set, base component or setting, caster orientation, brake/lock, leveller engagement, ballast identity/location/retention, anchor/foundation interface, floor condition, load/reaction input, transition, evidence method, criterion or responsible authority changes. Relocation itself is a trigger when the approved decision depends on a particular floor, path or site condition.

The adjacent StelTherm guide on datum and state continuity through shipping and reassembly shows why reference identity and evidence state should survive a physical transition. It provides no modular-support datum, transport permission, base setting, caster/leveller/ballast/anchor decision or acceptance.

Assign owners and issue the handoff

Name actual authorities in the register:

• Customer/system integrator: supplies intended actions, complete payload/accessory/cable configurations, operating and service needs, imaging-system boundaries and acceptance owners within its appointment.
• Structural/base design authority: selects the base concept and components; provides loads, reactions, stability/load-distribution/anchor/ballast conclusions, criteria and design evidence within its appointment.
• Component suppliers: provide exact controlled identities, installation/use limits, instructions, state definitions and component evidence within their scopes.
• Site/civil/foundation authority: supplies floor/supporting-construction/anchor interfaces, capacities, current conditions, restrictions and acceptance within its appointment.
• Installer/operator/safety authority: owns approved transitions, setting, installation, confirmations, prohibited actions, inspections and safe-use controls within its scope.
• StelMount, only within written project scope: may fabricate or supply defined structural/base items, coordinate controlled interfaces and retain assigned evidence. This article and its external sources do not prove that any base type, analysis, installation, verification or performance is included or achieved.

Use the StelMount inquiry to collect the project-specific configuration, site, mobility, support and responsibility inputs. The page does not submit an approval, select components, run an analysis, verify a floor or authorize operation.

Issue one controlled package containing the two-part register, complete configuration and payload schedule, base/component definitions, floor/site records, project design outputs, transition and confirmation instructions, evidence index, open-item/conditional-gate log, responsibility matrix and change history.

The final stop line is narrow: if the project cannot identify the exact Base State ID, complete supported configuration, floor/contact condition, allowed action, design inputs, transition, confirmations, evidence and authority, it cannot defend approving that state. Holding the action is more accurate than turning a caster brake, level reading, ballast item or installed anchor into an unsupported claim of stability or safe use.

References

1. NASA, NASA-STD-5005D w/ Change 2, Standard for the Design and Fabrication of Ground Support Equipment, section 5.1.3, PDF page 33. Official NASA record. The NASA GSE method context supplies no transferable load, factor, combination, criterion, method, applicability, approval process, conformity or StelMount rating. Back to citation
2. International Organization for Standardization, ISO 5459:2024, Geometrical product specifications (GPS) - Geometrical tolerancing - Datums and datum systems. Official ISO catalog record. Public title and subject only; no base/floor datum, coordinate, value, tolerance, method, applicability or conformity is supplied. Back to citation
3. BSI, BS EN 12530:1999, Castors and wheels - Castors and wheels for manually propelled institutional applications. Official DOI record. Public title, designator and Product Details descriptors only; the expressly limited application does not establish a StelMount component, capacity, brake result, test, floor condition, safe use, compliance or rating. Back to citation
4. Barry N. Taylor and Chris E. Kuyatt, Guidelines for Evaluating and Expressing the Uncertainty of NIST Measurement Results, NIST Technical Note 1297, 1994 edition, sections 7.1, 7.2, 7.6 and Appendix D.4.1. Official NIST landing page. Guidance only; no project uncertainty, comparison rule, floor limit, load share, method or reinspection interval is supplied. Back to citation
5. International Organization for Standardization, ISO 12100:2010, Safety of machinery - General principles for design - Risk assessment and risk reduction. Official ISO catalog record. Public title and subject only; no project applicability, hazard conclusion, safe method, safeguard, stability value, legal compliance or conformity is supplied. Back to citation
6. International Organization for Standardization, ISO 16792:2021, Technical product documentation - Digital product definition data practices. Official ISO catalog record. Public title and subject only; no M6 register, source priority, technical completeness, approval workflow, applicability or conformity is supplied. Back to citation