What is the purpose of a ball screw?
Ball screws are used in aircraft and missiles to move control surfaces, especially for electric fly by wire, and in automobile power steering to translate rotary motion from an electric motor to axial motion of the steering rack. They are also used in machine tools, robots, and precision assembly equipment.
How does a ball screw linear actuator work?
A Ball Screw Actuator uses a high precision nut with recirculating ball bearings that rotate around a ground screw thread. In principle this is very similar to a standard ball race with the load being transmitted by the rolling balls.
What is ball screw lead screw?
The screw and nut on a ball screw have matching helical grooves that allow ball bearings to re-circulate in those races, and are typically semi-circular in shape to accept the spherical ball bearing. Lead screws use deeper helical threads and a mating nut, which is usually made of a polymer composite or bronze.
What is ball screw made of?
Ball screws are either made from plastic, metal or both. The shaft of the ball screw is always machined from steel or stainless steel, but the ball nuts may be made from plastic or metal, depending on the application.
How does an actuator work?
An actuator is a motor that converts energy into torque which then moves or controls a mechanism or a system into which it has been incorporated. It can introduce motion as well as prevent it. An actuator typically runs on electric or pressure (such as hydraulic or pneumatic).
How many types of ball screws are there?
By ball circulation method, the Ball Screws are divided into return-pipe type, deflector type and end-cap type. And by preloading method, fixed-point preloading (double-nut method, offset preloading) and constant-pressure preloading are selectable.
What is actuator and its types?
Actuators are motors responsible for controlling or moving a system or mechanism. In order to operate, an actuator needs an energy source, which is usually hydraulic fluid pressure, electric current or pneumatic pressure, which works by converting energy into motion. Applications for Actuators.