Rolled recirculating ball screws are used primarily to convert rotary motion into translational or linear motion and vice versa. Their operating principle is based on a series of balls that roll between the grooves formed by the threaded shaft and the nut: an enhancement to the traditional sliding system of trapezoidal screws that makes rolled recirculating ball screws more precise and, most of all, more efficient. Inside the machines, motion is transformed using rolling friction, which lowers impact and, consequently, operating costs while providing better performance and durability. For this reason our screws are widely used with numerous types of machinery and equipment in various industrial sectors, thanks to their ease of installation and their maintenance-free characteristics.
Our rolled recirculating ball screws are made by subjecting the threaded shaft to a deformation process known as “cold rolling”, a cost and time effective procedure that makes it possible to produce the rolled ball version. However, the distinguishing feature of B.B. brand products is their “Gothic Arch” profile, a particular rolling track profile designed to optimise contact pressure occurring between ball and screw tracks as well as axial load capacity.
This is made up of two symmetrical arches which have a bend radius that is larger than that of the balls themselves. These arches meet on the axis of symmetry, forming a point; the two arches are related to the ball radius in such a way as to produce an optimum contact angle. This solution definitively prevents ball slippage or wedging.
The nut, on the other hand, can be either cylindrical or flanged, and is available in 4 different types.
THE ADVANTAGES OF ROLLED RECIRCULATING BALL SCREWS
- Extremely high efficiency (generally higher than 90%), making them approximately three times more efficient than conventional screws. Consequently, much less power is dissipated as heat, with evident advantages as far as applied motor and energy savings are concerned.
- A long working life due to excellent resistance to wear.
- High-speed performance capabilities.
- High positioning precision as a result of being able to eliminate play.