A ball screw is an important part of diverse machine components. It consists of two main parts:
- A screw
- A nut
Each of them possesses helical or spiral-shaped grooves; each has matching balls that roll between the grooves creating the only contact between the two main components. This is a closed circuit system subject to several problems. When these occur, a ball screw repair is one option.
Common Ball Screw Problems
Ball screws can fall prey to various issues that will affect their performance. It is important to recognize the problem before deciding whether to repair or replace the ball screw. Among the most common ones are:
* Fatigue or Surface Distress: Indications are spalling or pitting resulting from contaminants
* Heat discoloration: this may appear on the balls of the ball screw. Two common causes are:
- Poor lubrication
- Loose or missing wipers or seals
* Vibration: If this occurs when moving, the causes may be:
- Bent ball screws
- Misalignment of bearing housings
- Unlevelled machine
* Loud Clicking Noises: If this issues from the ball nut tubes it may be an issue if the result is damaging, denting or bending of the nut tubes
* Brinelling: The cause is usually a crash on the screw threads
* Ball Bearing Skid Marks: Usually the result of poor lubrication
You may need to seek ball screw repair if other things such as excessive ball nut preload or disproportionate servo load occur.
Ball Screw Repair
Companies rely on their ball screw system to function optimally. It will continue to do so if a stringent maintenance system is in place. By carefully monitoring ball screws, it is possible to prevent a problem becoming serious. By recognizing the different issues that can arise, it is possible to arrange for a minor ball screw repair before the situation evolves into a major mechanism replacement.
