Transportation ball screws in high demand
April 2023
Motion Control & Drives
Transportation ball screws are popular across industry as a cost-effective alternative to precision ground ball screws. The manufacturing process is ideal for applications that do not require the finite precision of a ground ball screw, but must still reliably transmit linear loads, and provide high-speed, yet accurate, positioning. For such applications, NSK’s transportation ball screws – namely the PR/LPR and BS Interchangeable series – are in high demand.
NSK’s transportation ball screws are the perfect linear motion system for applications that include woodworking, sheet metalworking, packaging operations, pick and place systems, and automated transfer units, to list but a few. Both the PR/LPR and BS Interchangeable series can deliver fast cycle times, thanks to a permissible rotational speed of up to 5000 rpm. Despite this high speed, there is no compromise in precision, with both ball screws offering accuracy class Ct7.
Further attributes of PR/LPR and BS Interchangeable ball screws include NSK’s innovative end deflector recirculation system, which helps to facilitate the aforementioned high speed. The end deflector, with its optimised smooth ball recirculation design, also reduces noise emissions by half, in comparison with conventional systems.
Another advantage is NSK’s optional K1 lubrication unit. This pioneering lubrication system applies grease throughout a machine’s life, making it a sustainable and environmentally-friendly way of providing long-term, maintenance-free operations. In combination with a grease-retaining seal, the K1 unit contributes to low total cost of ownership. Also available is NSK’s K1 kit for retrofit applications.
NSK’s LPR/PR series of transportation ball screws are preloaded and pre-assembled − the compact nut is already mounted on the shaft to set the preload. Available in lengths up to 4 m, these popular ball screws offer zero backlash operation.
The main characteristic of NSK’s BS Interchangeable transportation ball screw series is the separately-available shaft and nut, which are universally exchangeable, with less than 20 µm clearance, for easy installation. This free interchange of nut and shaft also means that the machine builder, or an authorised NSK dealer, can cut the ball screw to length as necessary. The result is greater flexibility and the rapid availability of DIN-compliant ball screws in individual dimensions up to 2 m maximum, perhaps for special machines or prototypes, for example.
Thanks to the engineering and performance attributes of these two NSK transportation ball screw series, the machine building community can continue leveraging fast and accurate linear motion. Furthermore, the inherent quality of the ball screws ensures reliable and repeatable positioning to enhance brand reputation and help grow market share.
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