Some facts about ball screws are that they are appropriate for situations that require high-precision, high-precision screw shafts are produced using a 3-step process, they must not be exposed to contaminants, they have higher mechanical efficiency, they are not suitable for hand-fed machine equipment and mining project, and there are inexpensive fabrications of ball screws.

A ball screw is a specially designed and highly efficient kind of nut and bolt. It is designed in such a way that it can translate rotational motion into linear motion using lesser friction. The process of creating ball screws is rather meticulous and detailed and Ball Screw Repair needs to be just as precise. Because of its unique design and the delicate nature of its production, ball screws are quite expensive. These components are commonly used in the fields of aeronautics and robotics, but they are not as popular in several other industries due to certain limitations and potential breakdowns. Here are more interesting facts about ball screws:

They are appropriate for situations that require high-precision

Ball screws have a threaded shaft for ball bearings that serve as a precision screw. This feature of ball screws allows it to withstand strong thrust loads but with much lesser friction. Being designed to close tolerances, ball screws are appropriate for situations that require high precision.

High-precision screw shafts are produced using a 3-step process

Typically, high-precision screw shafts are produced using a process of 3 main steps. First they are machined to gross form. The second step involves case hardening and, finally, the product is ground. The result is a very high positional precision of a thousandth of an inch per foot or better.

They must not be exposed to contaminants

One of the distinct and inherent characteristics of ball screws is their accuracy, and to maintain this quality and functionality, delicate care must be applied. Ball screws must not be exposed to dirt, abrasive elements and other contaminants.

They have higher mechanical efficiency than its alternatives

Compared to several alternative products like Acme lead screws, ball screws have higher mechanical efficiency due to their low friction. Specifically, a regular ball screw has 90% efficiency while an Acme lead screw of a similar size has only 50% which means ball screws may be operated with lesser exertion of force. This lower requirement of force makes ball screws perfect for devices and mechanical objects that need to accommodate moving components.

They are not suitable for hand-fed machine tools and mining projects

Ball screws are not so popular in several industries because of a number of reasons. For instance, because the screw is unable to regulate the stiffness of servo motors, they are not suitable choices for hand-fed machinery. Additionally, because ball screws require an immaculate environment with the air free of particles and contaminants in order to fully function, they are avoided in mining industries and similar projects.

There are inexpensive fabrications of ball screws

There are inexpensive but less precise versions of ball screws. These are produced by rolling the ball screw shafts. Ball screws produced from rolling are less precise; specifically, they have positional precision of several thousandths of an inch per foot compared to high-precision screws that are precise to one thousandth of an inch per foot.

Ball screws have inherent qualities and features that make them efficient in some industries and impractical for others.