A ball screw is one of the most approached products in the machinery industry. It helps in translating rotational motion to linear motion with very little friction. With two main elements, the ball screw is present mostly in products like robots, CNC machines like mills, lathes, routers etc., medical equipment, industrial equipment and aerospace equipment.
What Are The Two Main Elements Of A Ball Screw?
A ball screw has a screw thread and a ball bearing. The screw thread functions as a nut, and the ball bearing acts like a bolt. The ball bearing rolls around the line, making a low-friction and efficient conversion of rotary motion to linear motion. Ball screw WTF (บอลสกรู WTF, which is the term in Thai) is a perfect example to show this entire process.
Applications Of A Ball Screw
Ball screws are very helpful in providing precise and accurate movement of the machine’s cutting tools. Therefore, it is used in CNC machines like lathes, mills and routers. Ball screws are also helpful in joining different robotic parts like arms and legs. Therefore, you can also find them for positioning purposes in robots. Other than that, ball screws are used in controlling flaps and rudders in the aerospace industry. They are used in the medical industry in CT scanners, MRI machines, surgical robots, etc. In the automotive industry, a ball screw is specially used for power steering and braking systems.
Working Principle
Although a common ball screw has just two elements, there are always types. Some ball screws have a screw shaft, a nut and balls that move between the screw and the nut to bring a motion into existence. The nut acts like a guide to the ball as it contains channels that guide the ball. As soon as the shaft moves, the balls also move along the thread of the screw. This movement causes the nut to move along the axis of the screw. A linear motion is created at the end. The linear motion leads to driving machine parts with high precision and efficiency.
Conclusion
The above article provides details of a ball screw used in the electronics and machinery industry. It is a simple and small yet powerful tool to increase the efficiency of machinery. Details of ball screw applications in different sectors have been added above. Additionally, a basic working principle is written that concludes the article at the end.