Description of ball screw
Mechanical specs:
Ball screw diameter (d): Common specifications 16.00 mm, 20.00 mm, 25.00 mm, 32.00 mm, etc. (e.g.: SFU1605).
Lead: 5.00mm, 10.00mm, 25.00mm, etc.
Accuracy: C7, C10 rolling processing.
Materials: S55C or # 55 carbon steel, bearing steel.
Ball nut: single nut, double nut, preloadable.
Length: customizable ≥200mm as needed.
Processing end surface: Optional options include unprocessed rough end, processed end face bearing end, and coupling end.
Surface treatment: black oxidation, chrome plating, rocker arm or according to customer requirements.
Compatible with bearing supports, couplings, screw supports, and other accessories that can be selected together.
Application, performance, and compatibility of C7/C10 ball screw for rolling:
Functional applications:
- Machine tools, automation equipment, robots, XY platforms, and detection instruments that convert rotational motion into linear motion.
- Medium precision positioning and transmission machining centers, automated assembly lines, inspection tables, medical equipment slide tables, etc.
- Cost/performance balanced solution: Compared to high-precision C3 and P2 lead screws for high grinding floors, ball screw is more economical but still have industrial-grade accuracy.
Key Performance:
- The guaranteed lead error, thread geometry, and linear motion error under the C7/C10 rolling process are suitable for moderate positioning accuracy.
- Ball reflux reduces friction, improves efficiency, lifespan, and repeatability.
- Customizable lead and diameter, suitable for different linear speeds and load requirements.
- Optional preloading eliminates gaps and enhances rigidity and responsiveness.
- Compared to a sliding lead screw, ball screw has a longer lifespan, higher efficiency, and more controllable thermal deformation.
Compatibility:
- Check if the required ball screw diameter and lead match the current support bearings, couplings, and slide table?
- Confirm if the ball screw length, end machined bearing seat holes, keyway, and coupling end meet the installation requirements?
- Check if the axial force+lateral force, acceleration/velocity are within the tolerance range of the ball screw specification?
- Does the accuracy level C7/C10 meet the positioning/repeat positioning requirements? For high-end precision machine tools, higher grades of C5/C3 may be required. Rolling C7/C10 is suitable for mid to high end but not extreme top end.
- Consider lubrication, installation alignment, preloading, and support structure rigidity: Although it is a regular rolling type, if the installation fit is poor, the performance will be compromised.
Value of Chinese manufacturer Johoty in ball screw
- Johoty customizes diameter, length, lead, nut type, preload level, end processing, material surface treatment, etc. as needed.
- Johoty’s ball screw has a cost advantage in the mid-range C7/C10 gear of regular rolling. Cheaper than top grinding models and more reliable than low-end lead screw.
- Design assistance, sample confirmation, end machining, and matching services for nuts and supports to accelerate customer development cycles.
- We have accumulated technology in precision parts manufacturing, with strong machining accuracy, inspection system, and quality control.
- Supports options ranging from standard lead screw to slightly upgraded medium precision ball screw, with a high degree of customization to meet your export requirements.
Challenges and Solutions of ball screw
Lead accuracy stability/cumulative error control of ball screw:
Challenges:
- In rolling ball screws, the precision C7 and C10 are usually defined by the cumulative lead error within a 300 mm stroke.
- For mid to high-end precision motion tables, automation modules, and multi axis machining centers, it is required to maintain extremely low deviations over long travel distances.
- Engineers are most concerned that rolled parts may encounter thermal deformation, axial load, installation stress, preload changes, and material elastic deformation. The lead error will expand with the stroke and cycle times, resulting in inaccurate positioning, poor repeatability, and reduced lifespan.
Johoty’s solutions:
- Johoty emphasizes R&D customization, rolling process optimization, and specialized precision testing.
- Provide batch rolling + mid-term heat treatment + deformation compensation, specifically for C7/C10, to achieve lower cumulative lead error drift.
- Provide engineers with transparent data support for the cumulative error value of 300 mm, nut pressing preload curve, and installation recommendations.
2D balance design of load speed life ball screw
Challenges:
- In the mid to high end of industrial automation CNC、 Accurate ball screw is required in the detection equipment. It is also required to bear large axial forces/frequent back and forth/high-speed motion. Compared to grinding parts, engineers are more cautious in terms of rigidity, lifespan, and dynamic load capacity for rolled parts.
- How can Ball Screw maintain low wear, low thermal deformation, low vibration, and low noise under high-speed, high load, and long-term cycling?
Johoty’s solutions:
- Johoty customized engineering grade rolling ball screw + high fatigue resistant steel GCr15 or special alloy + surface chrome/nitride treatment. Improve load/lifespan performance.
- Provide matching design for rolling ball screw nuts, including circulation track, steel ball material, and lubrication optimization to improve efficiency/lifespan.
- For mid to high-end customers, Johoty can provide life prediction data, wear trends, and maintenance recommendations. Engineers can choose rolling instead of having to grind ball screws with peace of mind.
Customization/Non-standardization of Ball Screw
Challenges:
- Engineers prefer high-end customization capabilities to better reflect the strength of suppliers than standard specifications. Including unconventional lead, double row, double nut, ultra-long shaft diameter, special end processing, and specified preload level.
- Do you have complete CMM testing, thread error analysis, assembly confirmation, traceability reports, timely delivery, technical response capabilities, and after-sales service.
- Engineers are most afraid of getting a so-called C7 with large deviations, poor lifespan, no technical support, and no data reports in practical applications.
Johoty’s solutions:
- Johoty has accumulated experience in precision parts manufacturing since 1987, with capabilities in research and development, customization, and production.
- Customized C7/C10 rolling ball screws, Johoty provides design scheme review, sample testing, factory inspection reports, and engineering support.
- Transparent process flow + factory inspection records + after-sales service. Engineers can obtain parameters of the thread rolling machine, heat treatment batch number, CMM measurement report, and preload curve.
Why Choose Johoty’s ball Screw ?
With its precision grinding process and strict quality control, Johoty can control the lead accuracy of C7/C10 bass screw within ± 0.05mm/300mm. Rigid matching is achieved through customized preloading adjustment and optimization of the circulation system.
Benefits of Johoty’s ball Screw
Balance between performance and cost:
Challenges: Although the cost of the ball screw under the standard catalog is controllable, its performance under variable load, high-frequency start stop, and vibration interference is only passing rather than excellent. This may lead to performance bottlenecks or potential quality risks for the entire machine. Pursuing higher performance usually means a sharp increase in costs.
Benefits: Johoty uses process know-how to finely control material heat treatment, raceway profile optimization, and preload control. The ball screw of C7/C10 can maintain price competitiveness, with better rigidity, temperature rise control, and noise performance. Effectively address the challenge of engineers pursuing excellent performance within budget constraints.
Supply chain resilience and response speed:
Challenges: Engineers are often limited by lengthy delivery times and rigid customization processes when developing new equipment or improving existing designs. Special flanges, shaft end structures, and shaped ball screws designed for weight reduction can cause months of waiting and expensive mold costs. This will seriously slow down the project progress.
Benefits: Johoty’s flexible production can quickly respond to your customized needs. Johoty’s CFT team is able to directly communicate with clients, gain a deep understanding of design intent, and work together to optimize solutions. This solves engineers’ anxiety about supply chain instability and slow iteration speed. We can ensure the controllability of the client’s project timeline.
Technical Transparency and Deep Collaboration:
Challenges: The most taboo thing for engineers is black box products. Accurate performance data is required for precise system modeling and simulation. To avoid over design or under design. Many suppliers only provide C7 as the basic threshold data. The pre pressure variation, dynamic friction torque consistency, and axial clearance parameters are kept secret.
Benefits: Johoty can provide these key data to explore details such as material selection, lubrication schemes, dust seals, etc. Resolve reliability concerns among engineers due to information asymmetry during selection. Being able to accurately predict and validate Johoty’s ball screw like using top brands.
Whole life cycle cost and sustainability:
Challenges: The responsibility of an engineer is to get the equipment moving and ensure its stable and reliable operation for several years. They often focus on the TCO, not just ball screw purchase price. If a cheap ball screw fails prematurely, the cost of replacing it and the loss of production stoppage will far exceed the ball screw itself.
Benefits: Johoty comprehensively optimizes performance, reliable customized quality, and transparent technical data. Ensure the long-term durability of our ball screw on customer devices. Can provide solutions for clean environments and extreme temperatures. Assist engineers in avoiding potential on-site application risks. Eliminate concerns about operational reliability and maintenance costs.
Applications of Johoty’s ball Screw
Machine tool XYZ slide table/CNC equipment positioning:
Challenges: During the positioning/tool changing process of the machine tool slide, there are lead errors, poor repeatability accuracy, and large return clearances.
Function: Ball screw is used for this slide table, which can provide linear conversion with low rolling friction, stable positioning, and small repeated positioning errors.
Johoty customization: designed based on the length of the slide table stroke, load, lead, and nut preload. Optional rolling process, optimized nut circuit, and double nut pre tightening.
Solution: Optimize the lead and specifications of the ball screw, reduce backlash, match the rigidity and diameter of the slide table, and improve positioning accuracy and response.
Efficiency/Cost: Improving accuracy can reduce rework/calibration time and lower scrap rates. Cost savings compared to grinding grade high-precision C3 screws.
Advantages: Rolling ball screw C7/C10 with good cost accuracy balance, customized matching slide table characteristics by Johoty, and shortened delivery time.
Industrial robot joint/linear axis drive:
Challenges: Robot joints or linear drive axes require fast response, good repeatability, long lifespan, and limited cost. The traditional lead screw is a grinding ball screw with high sliding friction or high cost.
Function: The rolling ball screw can bear large loads, has low friction, and is about 90% efficient.
Johoty customization: Design suitable ball screw diameter, lead, double nut pre tightening, lubrication circuit, and anti-vibration structure for the robot axis.
Solution: Match the ball screw load with the axis inertia, optimize pre tightening to eliminate backlash, and improve the robot’s repeated positioning accuracy and lifespan.
Efficiency/Cost: Reduce maintenance downtime and calibration frequency. Using rolling instead of grinding can save manufacturing costs.
Advantages: Rolling ball screw provides a balance between reliability and cost, while Johoty customizes load/inertia optimization for robot design.
Packaging machinery/automatic assembly line transmission:
Challenges: In high tempo packaging or assembly lines, the drive lead screw needs to move quickly, start and stop frequently, and be cost sensitive. Require good linear accuracy.
Function: Rolling ball screw is used in general industrial automation. The lead error is controllable and the cost is lower than that of ultra-high precision models.
Johoty Customization: Select ball screws with more standard specifications for assembly lines, optimize surface treatment, dust-proof design, lubrication and maintenance plans.
Solution: By adapting the ball screw lead and beat requirements, reduce screw/nut wear, improve lifespan, and reduce failures.
Efficiency/Cost: Reduce the frequency of parts replacement and minimize production losses caused by machine downtime. Rolling ball screw is more economical than high-precision grinding.
Advantages: The standard grade ball screw has reasonable accuracy and low cost. Johoty offers customized options specifically for industrial automation.
Medical equipment positioning system:
Challenges: The bed lifting of medical equipment and the slide table of imaging equipment require precise positioning but are limited in cost, and have high requirements for lifespan and cleanliness.
Function: Ball screw C7/C10 rolling can provide predictable positioning accuracy, low friction, and easy to clean structure.
Johoty’s customization: stainless steel, reduced lubricant residue, dust-proof sealing design, suitable for medical environments.
Solution: Optimize the ball screw design for the medical environment, with low noise, low wear, and reliable positioning of the equipment.
Efficiency/Cost: Reduce maintenance intervention, extend lifespan, and lower replacement costs.
Advantages: Johoty customized rolling ball screw meets the precision/cost/lifespan balance requirements of medical equipment.
Aviation ground equipment/actuators:
Challenges: The slider and lifting mechanism of aviation ground equipment have large loads and harsh environments, but the positioning accuracy requirement is moderate. The cost of ultra-high precision grinding is too high.
Function: The rolling ball screw can cope with large loads while maintaining reasonable positioning accuracy. The rolling ball screw can reach C10 C7 level.
Johoty Customization: Customize large-diameter lead screws, add anti-corrosion treatment, adapt to temperature/humidity changes, and match aviation ground handling environments.
Solution: By strengthening the ball screw design to adapt to the environment and load, improve reliability and reduce costs compared to grinding.
Efficiency/Cost: Reduce maintenance/replacement frequency and lower procurement costs.
Advantages: Johoty rolling ball screw is suitable for high load and medium precision scenarios, with high cost-effectiveness.
Semiconductor/testing equipment stage:
Challenges: The detection equipment carrier requires repeated positioning and stability. But compared to chip exposure positioning, it can tolerate wider tolerances and has strict cost control.
Function: Rolling ball screw can achieve industrial grade precision, while also having advantages in cost and manufacturing lead time.
Johoty customization: Design suitable lead, length, return pre tightening, lubrication scheme according to the testing process, and match with dust-proof or clean room materials.
Solution: By selecting a rolling ball screw to meet positioning requirements and control costs, the cost-effectiveness of the detection equipment can be improved.
Efficiency/Cost: The manufacturing cost of detection equipment has decreased and maintenance is simple.
Advantages: Johoty provides customized rolling ball screws to meet the requirements of sufficient accuracy and controllable cost for testing equipment.
Renewable Energy Tracking System:
Challenge: The solar panel tracking mechanism has a large travel distance, load changes, dust, snow, and temperature fluctuations. The accuracy requirement is for general positioning, while cost and lifespan are extremely important.
Function: Rolling ball screw has low friction, high efficiency, sufficient positioning accuracy, and long service life in such applications.
Johoty Customization: Provides dust/snow resistant design, anti-corrosion treatment, customized double nuts or large lead ball screws, suitable for outdoor environments.
Solution: By adapting the size and lead of the ball screw, the rotating mechanism can operate reliably and reduce maintenance.
Efficiency/Cost: Improve energy collection efficiency, reduce downtime due to malfunctions, extend the lifespan of the mechanism, and reduce replacement frequency.
Advantages: The cost of rolling ball screw is lower than high-precision models, and Johoty customizes it for outdoor weather resistance to improve reliability.
Stage equipment/large automated transmission platform:
Challenges: Stage lifting platforms and exhibition equipment require large travel distances, heavy loads, fast switching, and limited costs. And the positioning accuracy should be controllable, but reliability is crucial.
Function: The rolling ball screw can provide sufficient positioning control, strong load-bearing capacity, and easy maintenance.
Johoty customization: design large diameter, suitable lead, collision protection, lubrication optimization, modular ball screw for large platforms.
Solution: Customize ball screws to match platform load and travel, improve platform motion response, and reduce maintenance downtime.
Efficiency/Cost: Reduce downtime for maintenance, decrease replacement frequency, and lower overall system costs.
Advantages: Johoty rolling ball screw provides an economical and reliable solution for heavy loads/long journeys.
Advantages of Johoty’s ball screw
Johoty’s Precision Cost Efficiency Optimization Based on Deep Ball Screw Process Knowledge:
Problem solved: Engineers find it difficult to find specifications that fully match non-standard requirements in standardized product catalogs. However, seeking a fully customized solution faces high costs and long cycles.
Johoty’s advantages:
Precise control of process: Johoty can accurately model rolling equipment, mold life, and material rheological behavior. Can stably control the lead error and stroke variation within the C7/C10 standard range, further compressing tolerances. The ball screw obtained by the engineer has high consistency in accuracy. To avoid system performance uncertainty caused by batch based accuracy fluctuations.
High cost-effectiveness: Compared with grinding technology, rolling technology has inherent high efficiency and can effectively control costs. Engineers do not need to pay for unnecessary high precision C5/C3. It can achieve motion accuracy and repetitive positioning accuracy that fully meet the requirements of automation equipment, medical instruments, and high-end logistics systems.
Flexibility and rapid response: Johoty is based on mature processes and can quickly respond to customized requirements for non-standard lead, shaft end machining, and special preload levels. Engineers can optimize and adjust the design in the later stage without overturning the original design plan.
Structural design of ball screw for dynamic performance and reliability:
Problem solved: Universal ball screws are prone to vibration, increased noise, changes in backlash, and early failure under varying loads, high acceleration, or long-term operation.
Johoty’s advantages:
Optimized groove geometry and steel ball contact force: Johoty optimizes the contact angle and curvature ratio between steel balls and grooves through proprietary groove profile design. This can reduce rolling friction and noise. When subjected to radial and axial composite loads, it can achieve a more uniform stress distribution. Delaying fatigue peeling and extending service life.
Precision and consistency of preload control: For high rigidity and backlash free operation, Johoty provides precise double nut preload or misalignment preload. Being able to accurately control the preload force and ensure its stability after long-term operation. This effectively suppresses the loss of positioning accuracy and vibration caused by pre tightening relaxation.
Matching of materials and heat treatment: Johoty matches suitable alloy steel, induction hardening, and nitriding according to the speed, load, and environment of the ball screw. You can achieve the optimal balance between ball screw core toughness and surface hardness. Has excellent impact resistance, wear resistance, and fatigue resistance.
Johoty’s ball screw system level integration compatibility and interface simplification
Problem solved: Integrating ball screw into the whole machine system often requires complex machining, alignment adjustment and lubrication system design. Increased assembly difficulty, cost, and failure risk.
Johoty’s advantages:
Accurate mechanical interface customization: Johoty can provide flange and keyway types that directly interface with mainstream servo motors and stepper motors worldwide. Ensure high precision of the stop diameter and connecting flange. This simplifies the selection and installation of couplings, reducing potential installation errors and misalignment. Improve the rigidity and accuracy of the entire transmission system.
Integrated function: Install magnetic rings for sensors, customize seals to enhance IP54, or pre-set high-performance grease injection holes. Engineers can eliminate many auxiliary components during the system design phase, reducing the complexity of final assembly.
Complete technical data: provide detailed dynamic parameters of moment of inertia, critical speed, and stiffness coefficient. It is important for engineers to perform servo gain tuning, vibration mode analysis, and predictive maintenance for high dynamic systems.
Predictability and service support of Johoty’s ball screw
Problem solved: Equipment manufacturers focus on ball screw supply consistency, performance predictability, and timely technical support throughout the entire product lifecycle.
Johoty’s advantages:
Excellent batch consistency and traceability: Strict raw material and process control ensures high consistency in ball screw performance across different batches. Ensure the interchangeability of spare parts worldwide and simplify supply chain management.
Data based performance prediction: Johoty is able to provide customers with life expectancy calculations and FMEA analysis based on test data and applications. This helps customers optimize their designs and enhance their market competitiveness.
Deep technical collaboration: Johoty is able to collaborate with clients to explore the most demanding application challenges. Provide professional insights and validation data from the perspective of ball screw technology. This goes beyond simple buying and selling relationships and transforms into technology partners for joint innovation.
FAQ
Challenges: Universal ball screws often face frequent start stop and variable load impacts. At the same time, it may also encounter relaxation of pre tension force, fluctuation of channel shape and position tolerances, and insufficient system rigidity. At this point, the repeated positioning accuracy of the ball screw decreases and produces resonance noise, which affects the machining quality and reliability of the equipment.
Johoty’s solutions:
- Accurate pre tightening force control and structural strengthening: Johoty adopts a double nut interference pre tightening structure and quantifies the pre tightening force through FEA calibration. Ball screw can attenuate at a rate of less than 5% under rated dynamic load. The nut adopts a radial constraint strengthening design, which can suppress micro deformation under sudden acceleration changes and ensure system rigidity.
- Dynamics based channel optimization: The Ball screw channel profile is not a standard arc, but is optimized based on multi-body dynamics simulation. Corrected the spin and slip effects of steel balls at high speeds, resulting in a more uniform distribution of contact stress. This can reduce operating noise by about 3-5 dB (A) and delay fatigue.
- Critical speed matching: Johoty provides first-order critical speed calculation and graph for Ball screw. Assist you in avoiding the main operating speed range and resonance during the system design phase.
Challenges: Accumulated fitting tolerances on the installation surface, alignment errors between the shaft end and the motor stop, will introduce additional bending moments. Causing the ball screw to generate periodic bending stress, doubling the bearing load. It will also cause unpredictable travel changes, seriously affecting the achievement of C7/C10 accuracy indicators.
Johoty’s solution:
- Functional integrated shaft end machining: Johoty provides a complete process of shaft end machining with one clamping. Process the threads, bearing blocks, and motor connection stops of the ball screw under the same benchmark. Minimize cumulative errors and ensure coaxiality within 0.02mm.
- Application based interface standard library: Johoty has an interface size database that accurately matches mainstream servo motors. You only need to specify the motor model, and we can provide a zero adaptation shaft end solution. No need for additional adapter flanges, eliminating a major source of error.
- Provide stiffness data for mechanical interfaces: For critical applications, Johoty can provide measured torsional stiffness and axial stiffness coefficients for shaft end connections. Provide you with complete servo system model identification and controller optimization.
Challenges: Standard lubricants and materials are prone to grease aging, increased wear, and corrosion under dust, temperature changes, or continuous operation. Causing an increase in friction torque fluctuations, a sudden decrease in lifespan, and even jamming of the ball screw.
Johoty’s solutions:
- Environmental adaptability surface: The basic material is vacuum degassed alloy steel. Johoty offers salt bath nitriding (QPQ) or hard chromium electroplating for different corrosion and wear environments. We control the nitride layer depth between 0.10-0.15mm, and reach ≥HV900 surface hardness. This ball screw has excellent wear and corrosion resistance, and can maintain the toughness of the core.
- Lubrication based on usage: Johoty does not use universal lithium based grease. We will analyze your speed, load, and environment. Choose which is better: perfluoropolyether (PFPE) based high-temperature grease, polyurea based long-life grease, or synthetic hydrocarbon based low torque grease. For clean environments, we recommend low precipitation and low torque grease to maintain smooth operation of the ball screw.
- Active seal: The standard configuration of Johoty’s ball screw is a double lip contact seal. For harsh environments, the ball screw can be upgraded to a combination of non-contact labyrinth seals and magnetic seals. IP54 protection is achieved with almost no increase in friction torque, effectively blocking pollutants.
