Ball Screw Selection and Calculations

ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Topic 4

ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Ball Screw Calculations

4-1

Ball Screw Selection Criteria

Applied Load Thrust force Required torque Maximum Rotational Speed Resonance (bending) of threaded shaft DN value

Ball Screw Selection

Ball Screw Life Basic dynamic load rating

Accuracy

Stiffness

ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Ball Screw Calculations

4-2

Based on Load
A ball screw transforms rotational motion into translational motion. As a result, the shaft is subject to loads:
Thrust force (the sum of all external forces such as machining load, gravity, friction, inertial forces, etc.). Torque required to generate the thrust force.

ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Ball Screw Calculations

4-3

Driving Torque to Obtain Thrust

Fl T= a 2
T: Fa: l: : driving torque [Nm] thrust force [N] screw lead [m] efficiency

Source: THK Co., Ltd.

ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Ball Screw Calculations

4-4

Required Thrust
The thrust is the sum of all forces acting in the axial direction.
FM: Ff: Fi: Fg: Machining force [N] Frictional force [N] Inertial force [N] Gravitational force [N]

Fa = FM + F f + Fi + Fg

Source: THK Co., Ltd.

ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Ball Screw Calculations

4-5

Stresses from Applied Loads

axial =
Fa rtr2

torsional =

2T rtr3

The equivalent (Von Mises) stress:

2 2 eq = axial + 3 torsional

eq =

4 Fa 12l 2 1+ 2 2 2 2 d tr d tr
max: Permissible stress [147 MPa]
4-6

ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Ball Screw Calculations

Graphic Solution
3 .10
8

Von Mises Stress in Shaft (Fa = 2344N)

1mm lead 2mm lead 4mm lead 5mm lead

2.5 .10

Von Mises Stress [Pa]

2 .10

1.5 .10

max

= 147 MPa

1 .10

5 .10

0 0.001

0.002

0.003

0.004

0.005

0.006

0.007

0.008

0.009

Root Diameter [m]

1mm lead -> dtr > 4.6mm 2mm lead -> dtr > 4.8mm 4mm lead -> dtr > 5.2mm 5mm lead -> dtr > 5.5mm 4-7

ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Ball Screw Calculations

Permissible Compressive Load

Buckling Load

P= 1

EI
2

lb2

P1: lb: E: I: :

Buckling load [N] Distance between mounting positions [m] Elastic modulus [Pa] Second moment of inertia [m4] Support factor Fixed free: = 0.25 Fixed supported: = 2.0 Fixed fixed: = 4.0

ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Ball Screw Calculations

4-8

Fixed-Free Mount

Source: THK Co., Ltd.

Inexpensive but only applicable for short ball screws and/or slow speeds.

ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Ball Screw Calculations

4-9

Fixed-Supported Mount

Source: THK Co., Ltd.

Most commonly used mounting setup.

ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Ball Screw Calculations

4-10

Fixed-Fixed Mount

Source: THK Co., Ltd.

Overconstrained mounting setup for applications where high stiffness, accuracy, and high shaft speed is required. Ball screw needs to be prestretched to avoid buckling in the case of thermal expansion.

ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Ball Screw Calculations

4-11

Basic Static Load Rating Coa

When ball screws are subjected to excessive loads in static condition (non rotating shaft), local permanent deformations are caused between the track surface and the steel balls. When the amount of this permanent deformation exceeds a certain degree, smooth movement will be impaired.

Coa f s Fa
Use conditions

Coa: f s: Fa:

Basic static load rating [N, kgf, lbf] Static safety factor Load on shaft in axial direction [N, kgf, lbf]

fs (lower limit) 1.0 2.0 2.0 3.0

4-12

Normal operation Operation with impacts and vibrations

ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Ball Screw Calculations

Permissible Speed
When the speed of a ball screw increases, the ball screw will approach its natural frequency, causing a resonance and the operation will become impossible.
nc: lb: E: I: : A: : Critical speed [min-1] Distance between supports [m] Elastic modulus [Pa] Second moment of inertia [m4] Density [kg/m3] Root cross sectional area [m2] Support factor Fixed free: = 1.875 Supported supported: = 3.142 Fixed supported: = 3.927 Fixed fixed: = 4.730

nc =

602 2 2lb

EI A E

152 d tr = 2lb2

ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Ball Screw Calculations

4-13

Spindle Speed and DN Value

Shaft speed

n=

va l

n: va: l:

Revolutions per second [s-1] axial speed [m/s] lead [m]

DN Value. Unless specified otherwise:

DN 70000

D: N:

Ball circle diameter [mm] Revolutions per minute [min-1]

ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Ball Screw Calculations

4-14

Dynamic Load Rating Ca and Life

The basic load rating Ca is the load in the shaft direction with 90% of a group of the same ball screws operating individually will reach a life of 106 (1 million) revolutions.

C L = a 106 f F w a
Use conditions

L: Ca: fw: Fa:

Rotation life [rev] Basic dynamic load rating [N, kgf, lbf] Load factor Load in shaft direction [N, kgf, lbf]

fw 1.0 1.2 1.2 1.5 1.5 2.5

4-15

Smooth movement without impacts Normal movements Movement with impacts and vibrations

ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Ball Screw Calculations

Example
Mass of axis: 350kg Maximum velocity: 20m/min Acceleration time: 0.05s Bearing friction factor: 0.003 Machining force: 500N Length of work piece: 500mm Length of travel at maximum speed: 100mm Orientation of axis: horizontal

ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Ball Screw Calculations

4-16

Machining Profile of Making a Slot

Machining speed

v vmax

Maximum speed Work piece Variable speed

v0 = 0 v1 = vm v2 = vm v3 = vm v4 = vm
ax ax

vm -vm

v5 = 0 v6 = vm v7 = vm v8 = vm vr = vm v1 0 = 0
ax ax

-vmax
ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Ball Screw Calculations 4-17

Load Profile for Making a Slot

0 1 V,F vmax
v0 = 0 v1 = vmax v2 = vmax v3 = vm

2 3

4 5 6

7 8

910

Fa1 = Fi + F f = 2344N Fa 2 = F f = 10 N Fa 3 = Fi + F f i = 2324N Fa 4 = Fm + F f = 510 N Fa 5 = F f = 10 N Fa 6 = F f = 10 N Fa 7 = Fm F f = 510 N Fa 8 = Fi F f = 2344N Fa 9 = F f = 10 N Fa10 = Fi F f = 2324N

vm -vm

t v4 = vm
v5 = 0 v6 = vm v7 = vm v8 = vmax vr = vmax v10 = 0

-vmax
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Ball Screw Calculations

4-18

Running Lengths Depending on Usage

Running distance during acceleration:
laccl =

(v1 + v2 )taccl
2

Running distance during deceleration: ldecl =

(v1 + v2 )tdecl
2

ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Ball Screw Calculations

4-19

Mean Axial Force

Determine mean axial load in the positive direction by collecting all individual, positive axial loads.

Fa ,mean + = 3

F l l
i+ i i

3 ai + i +

Determine mean axial load in the negative direction by collecting all individual, negative axial loads.

Fa , mean = 3

F l
i i

3 ai i

Determine mean axial load:

Fa ,mean =

Fa ,mean + + Fa ,mean 2
4-20

ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Ball Screw Calculations

10

Load Profile Based on Utilization

Mean axial force:

Fa ,mean = 3
Fm: Funi: Faccl: lm: luni: laccl: lb:

3 3 3 Fm lm + Funi luni + Faccl laccl lb

Machining force Force at constant velocity (not machining) Maximum force during acceleration and deceleration Total travel per cycle during machining Total travel per cycle at constant velocity Total travel per cycle during acceleration and deceleration Length of ball screw

Total travel length: Travel length:

lb = lm + luni + laccl
lm = qm lb luni = quni lb laccl = qaccl lb

ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Ball Screw Calculations

4-21

Load Profile Based on Utilization (contd.)

Utilization:
qm: quni: qaccl:

qm + quni + qaccl = 1
Percentage per cycle spent machining (typically 0.5 0.9) Percentage per cycle spent at constant velocity (typically 0.05 0.45) Percentage per cycle spent during acceleration and deceleration (typically 0.05 0.1)

ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Ball Screw Calculations

4-22

11

Dynamic Load Rating Ca and Life

When the rotation life L has been obtained, the life time can be obtained according to the following formula if the stroke length and the operation frequency are constant:

L Lh = 60nm
nm
ni: l i:

L: Lh: nm :

Rotation life [rev] Life time [hr] mean rotational speed [min-1]

(n l ) = l
i i i i i

rotational speed at phase i [min-1] distance traveled at phase i [m]

ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Ball Screw Calculations

4-23

Axial Rigidity

ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Ball Screw Calculations

4-24

12

Axial Rigidity
Fixed-free Fixed-supported

1 1 1 1 1 = + + + k ks k N kB kH

Fixed-fixed

1 1 1 1 1 = + + + k k s k N k B1 + k B 2 k H 1 + k H 2
Axial rigidity of linear motion system [N/m] Axial rigidity of screw shaft [N/m] Axial rigidity of nut [N/m] Axial rigidity of support bearing [N/m] Axial rigidity of support housing [N/m]

k: k s: kN: kB: kH:

ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Ball Screw Calculations

4-25

Ball Screw Selection Procedure

Axial rigidity of shaft
Fixed-free and fixed-supported:

ks =
Fixed-fixed:

AE L

ks =

AEL ab 4 AE k s ,min = L
4-26

ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Ball Screw Calculations

13

Ball Screw Accuracy

Applicable if used in combination with rotary encoders.

Source: THK Co., Ltd.

ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Ball Screw Calculations

4-27

Overall Error
The overall error is the summation of a number of individual errors:
Non-uniformity of threaded shaft. Resolution/accuracy of rotary encoder. Axial compliance of ball screw assembly. Torsional compliance of threaded shaft.

a = S +
a: s: l: Nrot: Fa:

32Tl l F l + a + 4b N rot k axial d tr G 2

kaxial: : lb: dtr: G: overall linear stiffness [N/m] applied torque [Nm] ball screw length [m] root diameter of shaft [m] shear modulus [Pa]

overall linear error [m] ball screw non-linearity [m] lead [m] resolution of rotary encoder [pulses/rev] thrust force onto system [N]

ME EN 7960 Precision Machine Design Ball Screw Calculations

4-28

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