Choosing the Right Ball Screw
At Rubin Engineering & Sales, we service and repair modern and vintage machine tools. Our primary focus is out-of-production or obsolete components that are difficult to find or repair, including drives, electric controls, chip conveyors, way covers, spindles, and ball screws. Our refurbished components from top manufacturers meet or surpass OEM standards.
Many machines rely on ball screws to convert the motor’s rotations to linear motion. The ball screw improves machinery by delivering smoother motion and load transfer. Below we’ll provide an overview of ball screws to help you understand how they work.
What is a Ball Screw?
A ball screw is an actuator that converts rotational movement into linear motion. The components of a ball screw include a screw shaft with helical grooves and a ball nut. The screw shaft and the nut—which contains the balls—glide along a helical path as the parts rotate. The ball nut transmits forces to a dynamic or stationary load and produces high repeatability, precision, and accuracy.
Ball screws are ideal for applications requiring linear load transfer at prolonged high speeds, with better accuracy, efficiency, and smoothness. These mechanical devices provide the following advantages:
- Low torque and high efficiency from a smaller motor
- Increased positional accuracy with higher accuracy grades
- Cooler operational temperatures and low friction
- Enables adjustment to increase or decrease preload
How Does a Ball Screw Work?
The ball screw nut and screw have matching grooves in a helical pattern. The balls roll between these grooves, and this is the only contact point between these components. The nut features a ball return system that recycles the deflected balls as the screw or nut rotates. The return system provides a continuous path for the balls to return to the opposite end of the nut. As balls exit the return path, they realign in the nut thread raceway of the ball screw, where they recirculate again in a circuit.
Rubin Engineering & Sales for Ball Screw Service and Repair
Ball screws are vital to providing smooth and continuous linear motion to CNC machines and other equipment. They convert the rotational motion of a motor to linear motion that can carry the load along the helical grooves of the screw shaft using precisely fit balls. Ball screws provide low-friction, accurate, efficient, and versatile operation.
At Rubin Engineering & Sales, we are experts in the repair, service, and procurement of obsolete and out-of-production parts. Our services have a proven track record for the last 30 years, and we work with some of the most well-known companies in the industry. Our quick turnaround times and extensive catalog of high-quality CNC machine parts ensure that you can find what you need and receive it on time. Request a quote today to learn more about our products and capabilities.