Power Screws

• Converts rotational power to linear power.

Constraints:
    Screw rotates, nut moves
    Screw rotates, screw moves
    Nut rotates, screw moves
    Nut rotates, nut moves
 Thread Types
600
• Unified
= 300

290
• ACME
= 14.50

600
• Metric
 = 300
 Screw Geometry
Crest
Pitch
Root Major Dia.
Thread Angle

2 1 0
Minor Dia.
Threads per inch

• ½ - 13 • M6 x 1.0
• 10-32
 Lead Angle
Pitch, p Pitch Dia. (Dp)

• Lead
L= Nt p

• Lead Angle
= tan-1 (L/Dp) Friction:
f = 0.2 lubricated ground
• Self locking steel screws
tan  f f = 0.15 lubricated cut or
rolled steel screws
Example
Determine the lead angle for an 1-5 ACME
screw and whether it is self-locking
 Kinematics

• Displacement
snut = L screw
•  Velocity
vnut = p screw
Example
A threaded screw drives a slide table. The
1/2 – 13 UNC threaded rod rotates at 1200
rpm. Determine the velocity of the slide
table.

Motor
 Torque to Move a Load
• Torque to push or raise a load
F D p  cos  tan   f 
Tu   
2  cos   f tan  

• Torque to lower a load

F D p  f  cos  tan  
Td   
2  cos   f tan  
 Example
A load of 4000 lb is lifted by a ¾-6 ACME
thread at a rate of 5 in/s. Determine the
required rotational speed of the screw and
the power required to drive it.
 Screw Size
• The screw is loaded axially.

4N F
Dr 
• Also, the screw can not  s y if it is in compression.
buckle

1
 64 N F ( KL) 2  4
Dr   
  E
3


K = fixity constant
 Nut
• Threads are in shear
• Designate a length of
engagement, so the
h
threads don’t strip.

2N F
h *
s y As
As* = shear stress area per unit length
 Example
Select a screw to raise 2500 lb a distance of
36 in. Also, select a minimum nut length to
limit the shear stress to 10,000 psi