Jan 26, 2011

Uses of Ball Screws

Ball screws and ball screw assemblies can be utilised in many ways. Common applications are as components of complex machinery. The majority of large aeronautics mechanisms contain ball screws. They are also used in missile guidance systems as well as in machines that make scientific and medical instruments.



There are three key features of ball screws that make them invaluable for use in complex systems. Firstly they are linear actuators. This terms refers to instruments that can change rotary motion into straight line movement. The rotational motion of the system is provided by the screw, and is translated into straight line movement which then manifests as the movement of the ball screw nut up and down the screw. This is a highly applicable feature, which is essential for such industries as robotics and construction.


A second crucial factor of ball screw assemblies is that friction is limited when they are in motion. They are therefore very efficient, due to the fact that most of the energy is transferred through the system. Quite a few ball screws can be up to 90% efficient, which is very high when put next to other similar instruments.
An additional trait which makes ball screws very useful to certain industries is the exceptionally high levels of accuracy they have. This of course varies depending on the model of ball screw that is utilised, with rolled ball screws being less precise than precision ground ball screws. However, while the most accurate ball screws are also the most expensive, sometimes these ball screws are essential parts of a mechanism.


Instrument ball screws have extremely high levels of accuracy. A number of them are constructed to be accurate to 250 nanometres per centimetre. Such an exceptional accuracy is critical for certain complex systems for example optical lens calibration instruments.

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