Ball Screw Selection and Calculations

ME EN 7960 – Precision Machine Design

Topic 4

ME EN 7960 – Precision Machine Design – Ball Screw Calculations 4-1

Ball Screw Selection Criteria

Maximum Rotational
Applied Load Speed
Thrust force Resonance (bending)
Required torque of threaded shaft
DN value

Ball Screw
Selection

Ball Screw Life

Basic dynamic load Accuracy
rating

Stiffness

ME EN 7960 – Precision Machine Design – Ball Screw Calculations 4-2

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 Based on Load
• A ball screw transforms rotational motion into
translational motion. As a result, the shaft is subject to
loads:
– Thrust force (the sum of all external forces such as machining
load, gravity, friction, inertial forces, etc.).
– Torque required to generate the thrust force.

ME EN 7960 – Precision Machine Design – Ball Screw Calculations 4-3

Driving Torque to Obtain Thrust

T: driving torque [Nm]

Fl Fa: thrust force [N]
T= a
2πη l: screw lead [m]
η: efficiency

Source: THK Co., Ltd.

ME EN 7960 – Precision Machine Design – Ball Screw Calculations 4-4

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 Required Thrust
• The thrust is the sum of all forces acting in the axial
direction.
FM: Machining force [N]
Ff: Frictional force [N]
Fa = FM + F f + Fi + Fg Fi: Inertial force [N]
Fg: Gravitational force [N]

Source: THK Co., Ltd.

ME EN 7960 – Precision Machine Design – Ball Screw Calculations 4-5

Stresses from Applied Loads

Fa 2T
σ axial = τ torsional =
πrtr2 πrtr3
The equivalent (Von Mises) stress:

σ eq = σ axial
2
+ 3τ torsional
2

4 Fa 12l 2
→ σ eq = 1 +
πd tr2 π 2 d tr2η 2

σmax: Permissible stress [147 MPa]

ME EN 7960 – Precision Machine Design – Ball Screw Calculations 4-6

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 Graphic Solution
Von Mises Stress in Shaft (Fa = 2344N)
8
3 .10
1mm lead
8 2mm lead
2.5 .10
4mm lead
5mm lead
Von Mises Stress [Pa]

8
2 .10

8
1.5 .10 max = 147 MPa

8
1 .10

7
5 .10

0
0.001 0.002 0.003 0.004 0.005 0.006 0.007 0.008 0.009
1mm lead -> dtr > 4.6mm
2mm lead -> dtr > 4.8mm
Root Diameter [m] 4mm lead -> dtr > 5.2mm
5mm lead -> dtr > 5.5mm
ME EN 7960 – Precision Machine Design – Ball Screw Calculations 4-7

Permissible Compressive Load

• Buckling Load

P1: Buckling load [N]

λπ EI 2 lb: Distance between mounting positions [m]
P1 = E: Elastic modulus [Pa]
lb2 I: Second moment of inertia [m4]
λ: Support factor
Fixed – free: λ = 0.25
Fixed – supported: λ = 2.0
Fixed – fixed: λ = 4.0

ME EN 7960 – Precision Machine Design – Ball Screw Calculations 4-8

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 Fixed-Free Mount

Source: THK Co., Ltd.

Inexpensive but only applicable for short ball screws and/or slow speeds.

ME EN 7960 – Precision Machine Design – Ball Screw Calculations 4-9

Fixed-Supported Mount

Source: THK Co., Ltd.

Most commonly used mounting setup.

ME EN 7960 – Precision Machine Design – Ball Screw Calculations 4-10

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 Fixed-Fixed Mount

Source: THK Co., Ltd.

Overconstrained mounting setup for applications where high stiffness,

accuracy, and high shaft speed is required. Ball screw needs to be pre-
stretched to avoid buckling in the case of thermal expansion.

ME EN 7960 – Precision Machine Design – Ball Screw Calculations 4-11

Basic Static Load Rating Coa

– When ball screws are subjected to excessive loads in static
condition (non rotating shaft), local permanent deformations are
caused between the track surface and the steel balls.
– When the amount of this permanent deformation exceeds a
certain degree, smooth movement will be impaired.

Coa: Basic static load rating [N, kgf, lbf]

Coa ≥ f s Fa f s: Static safety factor
Fa: Load on shaft in axial direction [N, kgf, lbf]

Use conditions fs (lower limit)

Normal operation 1.0 – 2.0
Operation with impacts and vibrations 2.0 – 3.0

ME EN 7960 – Precision Machine Design – Ball Screw Calculations 4-12

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 Permissible Speed
• When the speed of a ball screw increases, the ball screw
will approach its natural frequency, causing a resonance
and the operation will become impossible.

nc: Critical speed [min-1]

lb: Distance between supports [m]
60λ2 EI
nc = E: Elastic modulus [Pa]
2πlb
2
ρA I: Second moment of inertia [m4]
ρ: Density [kg/m3]
15λ2 d tr E A: Root cross sectional area [m2]
= λ: Support factor
2πlb2 ρ Fixed – free: λ = 1.875
Supported – supported: λ = 3.142
Fixed – supported: λ = 3.927
Fixed – fixed: λ = 4.730

ME EN 7960 – Precision Machine Design – Ball Screw Calculations 4-13

Spindle Speed and DN Value

• Shaft speed

va n: Revolutions per second [s-1]

n= va: axial speed [m/s]
l l: lead [m]

• DN Value. Unless specified

otherwise:

D: Ball circle diameter [mm]

DN ≤ 70000 N: Revolutions per minute [min-1]

ME EN 7960 – Precision Machine Design – Ball Screw Calculations 4-14

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 Dynamic Load Rating Ca and Life
• The basic load rating Ca is the load in the shaft direction
with 90% of a group of the same ball screws operating
individually will reach a life of 106 (1 million) revolutions.

3 L: Rotation life [rev]

⎛ C ⎞ Ca: Basic dynamic load rating [N, kgf, lbf]
L = ⎜⎜ a ⎟⎟ ×106 fw: Load factor
⎝ f w Fa ⎠ Fa: Load in shaft direction [N, kgf, lbf]

Use conditions fw
Smooth movement without impacts 1.0 – 1.2
Normal movements 1.2 – 1.5
Movement with impacts and vibrations 1.5 – 2.5

ME EN 7960 – Precision Machine Design – Ball Screw Calculations 4-15

Example
• Mass of axis: 350kg
• Maximum velocity: 20m/min
• Acceleration time: 0.05s
• Bearing friction factor: 0.003
• Machining force: 500N
• Length of work piece: 500mm
• Length of travel at maximum speed: 100mm
• Orientation of axis: horizontal

ME EN 7960 – Precision Machine Design – Ball Screw Calculations 4-16

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 Machining Profile of Making a Slot
Machining speed
Maximum speed
v Work piece Variable speed

vmax
v0 = 0
v1 = vm ax

v2 = vm ax

v3 = vm
v4 = vm
vm x v5 = 0
v6 = −vm
-vm v7 = −vm
v8 = −vm ax

vr = −vm ax

v1 0 = 0

-vmax

ME EN 7960 – Precision Machine Design – Ball Screw Calculations 4-17

Load Profile for Making a Slot

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 910

V,F

vmax
v0 = 0 Fa1 = Fi + F f = 2344N
v1 = vmax Fa 2 = F f = 10 N
v2 = vmax Fa 3 = − Fi + F f i = −2324N
v3 = vm Fa 4 = Fm + F f = 510 N
vm t v4 = vm Fa 5 = F f = 10 N
v5 = 0
Fa 6 = − F f = −10 N
-vm v6 = −vm
Fa 7 = − Fm − F f = −510 N
v7 = −vm
Fa 8 = − Fi − F f = −2344N
v8 = −vmax
vr = −vmax Fa 9 = − F f = −10 N
v10 = 0 Fa10 = Fi − F f = 2324N

-vmax

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

ME EN 7960 – Precision Machine Design – Ball Screw Calculations 4-18

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 Running Lengths Depending on Usage

Running distance during acceleration: laccl =

(v1 + v2 )taccl
2

(v1 + v2 )tdecl
Running distance during deceleration: ldecl =
2

ME EN 7960 – Precision Machine Design – Ball Screw Calculations 4-19

Mean Axial Force

Determine mean axial load in the positive direction by collecting all individual,
positive axial loads.

∑F l 3
ai + i +
Fa ,mean + = 3 i+

∑l i
i

Determine mean axial load in the negative direction by collecting all individual,
negative axial loads.

∑F 3
l
ai − i −
Fa , mean − = 3 i−

∑l i
i

Fa ,mean + + Fa ,mean −
Determine mean axial load: Fa ,mean =
2
ME EN 7960 – Precision Machine Design – Ball Screw Calculations 4-20

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 Load Profile Based on Utilization
Fm3lm + Funi
3
luni + Faccl
3
laccl
Mean axial force: Fa ,mean = 3
lb
Fm: Machining force
Funi: Force at constant velocity (not machining)
Faccl: Maximum force during acceleration and deceleration
lm: Total travel per cycle during machining
luni: Total travel per cycle at constant velocity
laccl: Total travel per cycle during acceleration and deceleration
lb: Length of ball screw

Total travel length: lb = lm + luni + laccl

Travel length: lm = qm lb
luni = quni lb
laccl = qaccl lb
ME EN 7960 – Precision Machine Design – Ball Screw Calculations 4-21

Load Profile Based on Utilization (contd.)

Utilization: qm + quni + qaccl = 1

qm: Percentage per cycle spent machining (typically 0.5 – 0.9)

quni: Percentage per cycle spent at constant velocity (typically 0.05 – 0.45)
qaccl: Percentage per cycle spent during acceleration and deceleration (typically 0.05 – 0.1)

ME EN 7960 – Precision Machine Design – Ball Screw Calculations 4-22

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 Dynamic Load Rating Ca and Life
• When the rotation life L has been obtained, the life time
can be obtained according to the following formula if the
stroke length and the operation frequency are constant:

L: Rotation life [rev]

L Lh: Life time [hr]
Lh = nm : mean rotational speed [min-1]
60nm

∑ (n l ) i i
nm = i

∑l i
i

ni: rotational speed at phase i [min-1]

l i: distance traveled at phase i [m]

ME EN 7960 – Precision Machine Design – Ball Screw Calculations 4-23

Axial Rigidity

ME EN 7960 – Precision Machine Design – Ball Screw Calculations 4-24

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 Axial Rigidity

1 1 1 1 1
Fixed-free
Fixed-supported
= + + +
k ks k N kB kH

1 1 1 1 1
Fixed-fixed = + + +
k k s k N k B1 + k B 2 k H 1 + k H 2

k: Axial rigidity of linear motion system [N/m]

k s: Axial rigidity of screw shaft [N/m]
kN: Axial rigidity of nut [N/m]
kB: Axial rigidity of support bearing [N/m]
kH: Axial rigidity of support housing [N/m]

ME EN 7960 – Precision Machine Design – Ball Screw Calculations 4-25

Ball Screw Selection Procedure

• Axial rigidity of shaft
Fixed-free and fixed-supported:

AE
ks =
L

Fixed-fixed:

AEL
ks =
ab
4 AE
k s ,min =
L
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 Ball Screw Accuracy
• Applicable if used in combination with rotary encoders.

Source: THK Co., Ltd.

ME EN 7960 – Precision Machine Design – Ball Screw Calculations 4-27

Overall Error
• The overall error is the summation of a number of individual errors:
– Non-uniformity of threaded shaft.
– Resolution/accuracy of rotary encoder.
– Axial compliance of ball screw assembly.
– Torsional compliance of threaded shaft.

l F 32Tl l
δa = δS + + a + 4b⋅
N rot k axial πd tr G 2π
δa: overall linear error [m] kaxial: overall linear stiffness [N/m]
δs: ball screw non-linearity [m] Τ: applied torque [Nm]
l: lead [m] lb: ball screw length [m]
Nrot: resolution of rotary encoder dtr: root diameter of shaft [m]
[pulses/rev] G: shear modulus [Pa]
Fa: thrust force onto system [N]

ME EN 7960 – Precision Machine Design – Ball Screw Calculations 4-28

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