Report on Ball Screw:

Prepared By:
Marwan Hesham Mohammed
19104305
Duration: Sunday 10:30

Assigned to:
Dr: Ahmed Mahmoud Elsawaf
Ball Screw
What is a Ball Screw?

Ball screws are mechanical linear actuators that consist of a screw shaft and a nut that contain a
ball that rolls between their matching helical grooves. The primary function of ball screws is to
convert rotational motion to linear motion. Ball nuts are used in transmitting forces to a
stationary or dynamic load with high accuracy, precision, and repeatability.

The unique element of ball screws is the rolling balls in the helical groove which reduces the
mechanical contact inside the screw assembly and replaces sliding friction with rolling friction.
This mechanism significantly lessens the friction generated, which results in highly efficient
power conversion. The efficiency of screws is measured by their capability to transform power
utilized in exerting rotational force to the linear distance covered.

Ball screws have more complex structures and components and appear to be bulkier than other
types of screws. They are more expensive than other screw types, but their benefits and
capability outweigh their cost.

Components of the Ball Screw

The main components of ball screws are the screw shaft, the nut, and the ball bearings (or balls).
We will discuss their important specifications and their impact on the operation.
  Screw Shaft

The screw shaft is the component of the ball screw that receives rotational force for it to rotate
about its axis; this is translated to linear motion. The power to rotate the shaft is supplied by a
motor, which is situated on its end.

The screw shaft is a long cylindrical shaft that has a continuous groove, called the ball groove,
that runs helically around the length of its shaft, which is referred to as the thread of the screw.

The ball groove serves as the pathway for the rolling ball bearings. The ball groove profile of a
ball screw may either be a semi-circular arc or a gothic arc. The semi-circular arc profile is
formed from a single arc, while the gothic arc profile has an ogival shape formed from two arcs.
The two groove profiles differ on the contact points they touch on the ball.

The ball screw is identified as a right-hand ball screw if the groove is traced in a clockwise
direction around the screw shaft and slants to the right. It is a left-hand ball screw if the groove
runs in a counterclockwise direction and it slants to the left.

Specifications of the Screw Shaft:

 1. Nominal Diameter

The nominal diameter is the maximum diameter of the screw shaft excluding the ball bearings.

2. Ball Circle Diameter

Ball circle diameter (or pitch circle diameter) is the center-to-center distance of two opposite
balls measured when the ball bearings are in contact with the grooves.

3. Root Diameter

Root diameter is the distance between the bottommost section of the groove to the bottommost
section of the opposite groove. It is the minimum diameter of the screw shaft.

The nominal diameter, ball circle diameter, and root diameter are used in calculating the
application characteristics and in sizing the screw.

4. Pitch

Pitch is the axial distance between two adjacent threads.

5. Lead

Lead is the linear distance along the axis of the screw that is covered by one complete rotation
(3600) of the screw. It is an important specification of a ball screw which determines linear
travel and speed and load capacity.

As the lead of ball screws increases, the linear distance covered and the speed increase.
However, the number of balls accommodated around the screw shaft decreases, resulting also in
a decrease in load capacity.
 6. Start

The start is the number of independent helices that run around the screw shaft. Screws typically
have one, two, or four starts. The lead of a screw is equivalent to the number of starts multiplied
by the pitch. Single start screws are the most common. In this type of screw, the lead is
equivalent to the pitch.

Multiple start screws are used when a rapid linear movement is for a lesser number of rotations
and high load capacity screws. This solves the consequences of using higher leads. For instance,
in double-start screws, the lead is equivalent twice its pitch; this means that the axial distance
covered is two-pitch units for one full rotation completed by the screw. The higher number of
starts has the higher linear distance covered in one revolution
 7. Nut

The nut of a ball screw is a cylinder that houses the ball bearing and its recirculation system. Ball
grooves are also present in the internals of the nut that match the grooves of the screw shaft.

Specifications of the Ball Nut:

 Circuit

Circuit refers to the closed path in the recirculating system of the ball nut. Multiple circuit ball
nuts have two or more independent closed paths. They are capable of carrying heavier loads than
single circuit ball nuts.

 Turn

The turn of the circuit refers to the number of trips the ball travels before being recirculated in
the circuit. The relationship between the turn and the circuit depends on the recirculation method
of a ball screw.

The ball recirculation system in the nut allows the balls to be "recycled" in the operation by
returning them to their starting point in the circuit. Deflectors, return tubes, and end caps are
devices used to feed the ball back to its original position.

 Ball Bearings

The ball bearings, or the balls, are the most prominent component of the ball screws that moves
between the clearance of the nut and the shaft. They make up the component dedicated to
reducing the friction generated by the nut and the moving screw; this friction would be too great
if the balls were not present in the screw assembly. The balls are usually made from steel.
The ball is in contact with the screw shaft and the nut. The contact points of the ball between the
screw shaft and the nut are distinguished by the groove profile of the two components where the
ball touches. The common groove profiles are the gothic arc and the circular arc:

 Gothic Arc Profile.

This is the most common groove profile. It is made by two intersecting arcs. With this profile,
the ball has two contact points on the screw shaft and two contact points on the nut.

 Semi-Circular Arc Profile.

This groove profile has the shape of a semicircle. With this profile, the ball has one contact point
on the screw shaft and one contact point on the nut.
The arc in both profiles has slightly larger radii than the ball used. With this design, clearance
between the ball and the ball or nut is inevitable. This clearance is unwanted because it causes
backlash. It can be prevented by preloading the ball screw.

The seal is a minor component of a ball screw that protects the entire ball screw assembly. It
preserves the efficiency of the ball screw by keeping contaminants and foreign materials from
entering the clearance between the ball and the nut; it also retains the lubrication of the ball
screw assembly.

Types of Ball Screws

Ball screws may be categorized according to the mechanism of their ball recirculation. The ball
recirculation mechanisms are grouped into internal recirculation and external recirculation
systems.

Internal Ball Recirculation

In an internal ball recirculation system, the balls remain on the nut housing when they are
recirculated. Since there are no external protrusions, ball nuts with this return system are more
compact. They also generate less noise and vibration than external systems because recirculation
only occurs inside the nut housing. The types of ball screws under this classification are:

Deflector-Type Ball Screws.

Deflectors are used to lift the balls over the diameter of the screw shaft to guide the balls back to
the adjacent groove, which served as their starting point. For every turn, there must be one
deflector to close the pathway of the ball. Therefore, the number of turns is always equal to the
number of circuits for internal ball return systems.

This design is used for applications that require fine leads. It has a compact size, which is
suitable for small clearance assemblies.

When tubes or caps are used to return the ball, they can be designed to create multiple
independent circuits that are placed adjacent to each other.
End Cap-Type Ball Screws.

End caps are mounted to guide the balls through a tunnel within the ball nut ‘s internal; this
directs them back to their starting point. This design is ideal for high lead ball screw applications
because it can endure the force from the fast-moving balls.

External Ball Recirculation.

In an external ball recirculation system, the ball traverses outside the nut housing when it is
recirculated. This system can support fine lead ball screw assemblies and a wide range of screw
shaft diameters. It is suitable for mass production and is more economic than internal
recirculation systems. However, the recirculation mechanism greatly affects the overall size of
the ball screw.

The only type of ball screw that uses an external ball recirculation system is the return pipe-type
ball screw.

Return Pipe-Type Ball screws.

The balls pass through an external tube that is protruding from the ball
nut‘s wall. The return tube directs the balls back to their starting point.
Fingers are fixed on the endings of the return tube to guide the balls in
entering and leaving the return tube. The length of the return tube is
supported by a tube holding bracket. The return tube assembly is easy to
install and dismantle.
Another classification of ball screws is according to the fabrication method of producing
the ball grooves:

Ground Screw Threads

Ground screw threads are fabricated by an abrasion process. The blank shaft is positioned
horizontally, and an extremely hard abrasive cutter carves out the metal to form the grooves. The
groove surface produced is smoother than the rolled screw. Ball screws produced using this
method have high precision but are more expensive and are produced slowly.

Rolled Screw

Rolled screw threads are fabricated by a cold work deformation process. The uncut blank shaft is
passed through rotating tool dies to form the grooves. The large plastic deformation of the blank
results in a high strength screw shaft. It is more economical and easier to fabricate than the
ground screw. However, the surface produced is rough,
which decreases the efficiency and wear resistance of the
ball screw due to the higher friction it will encounter.