Roller screws are an alternative to acme screws and ball screws for converting rotational motion into linear motion. They can carry heavy loads for thousands of hours in demanding applications. Roller screws have higher load capacities than comparably sized ball screws due to having more contact points between the rollers and threaded shaft. This allows roller screws to have longer expected service lives, often 15 times greater than ball screws, for applications with average loads of 2,000 pounds on a 1.2 inch diameter screw. Roller screws can also operate at higher speeds than ball screws, up to 5,000 rpm.
Roller screws are an alternative to acme screws and ball screws for converting rotational motion into linear motion. They can carry heavy loads for thousands of hours in demanding applications. Roller screws have higher load capacities than comparably sized ball screws due to having more contact points between the rollers and threaded shaft. This allows roller screws to have longer expected service lives, often 15 times greater than ball screws, for applications with average loads of 2,000 pounds on a 1.2 inch diameter screw. Roller screws can also operate at higher speeds than ball screws, up to 5,000 rpm.
Roller screws are an alternative to acme screws and ball screws for converting rotational motion into linear motion. They can carry heavy loads for thousands of hours in demanding applications. Roller screws have higher load capacities than comparably sized ball screws due to having more contact points between the rollers and threaded shaft. This allows roller screws to have longer expected service lives, often 15 times greater than ball screws, for applications with average loads of 2,000 pounds on a 1.2 inch diameter screw. Roller screws can also operate at higher speeds than ball screws, up to 5,000 rpm.
Roller screws are an alternative to acme screws and ball screws for converting rotational motion into linear motion. They can carry heavy loads for thousands of hours in demanding applications. Roller screws have higher load capacities than comparably sized ball screws due to having more contact points between the rollers and threaded shaft. This allows roller screws to have longer expected service lives, often 15 times greater than ball screws, for applications with average loads of 2,000 pounds on a 1.2 inch diameter screw. Roller screws can also operate at higher speeds than ball screws, up to 5,000 rpm.
The difference is in the roller screw’s design for transmitting Roller Screw Roller Screw Basics forces. Multiple threaded helical rollers are assembled in a plane- A roller screw is a mechanism Technology for converting rotary torque into tary arrangement around a linear motion, in a similar man- threaded shaft (shown Designers have five basic choic- ner to acme screws or ball above), which es when it comes to achieving screws. But, unlike controlled linear motion. The those devices, roller table on page 2 gives you a screws quick overview of what general advantages are associat- can carry heavy ed with loads for thousands of hours in each. Because the the most arduous conditions. roller screw technology com- This makes roller screws the converts a motor’s rotary mon to all Exlar linear actuators ideal choice for demanding, con- motion into linear movement might not be familiar to every- tinuous-duty applications. of the shaft or nut.
Roller Screw vs Hydraulic & Roller vs Ball Screw Performance – Comparisons:
Pneumatic – Comparisons: Loads and Stiffness: Due to design factors, the number In applications where high loads of contact points in a ball screw is limited by the ball size. are anticipated or faster cycling Exlar’s planetary roller screw designs provide many more contact points than possible on comparably sized ball is desired, Exlar’s roller screw screws. Because this number of contact points is greater, actuators provide an attractive roller screws have higher load carrying capacities, plus alternative to the hydraulic or improved stiffness. In practical terms, this means that pneumatic options. With their typically an Exlar roller screw actuator takes up much less vastly simplified controls, elec- space to meet the designer’s specified load rating. tro-mechanical units using roller Travel Life: As you would expect, with their higher load screws have major advantages. capacities, roller screws deliver major advantages in work- They do not require a complex ing life. Usually measured in “Inches of Travel,” the rela- support system of valves, tive travel lives for roller and ball screws are displayed on the graph on page 2. As you can see there, in a 2,000 lb. average load application applied to a 1.2 inch (approxi- pumps, filters and sensors. mate) screw diameter with a 0.2 inch (approximate) lead, you can predict that the roller Thus, Exlar units take up much screw will have an expected service life that is 15 Times Greater. less space and deliver extremely long working lives with virtually no maintenance. Hydraulic fluid leaks are non-existent. Noise Speeds: Typical ball screw speeds are limit- ed to 2000 rpm and less, due to the interac- levels are reduced significantly. tion of the balls colliding with each other as Additionally, the flexibility of the race rotates. In contrast, the rollers in computer programmed position- a roller screw are fixed in planetary fashion ing can be very desirable in by journals at the ends of the nut and therefore do not have this limitation. Hence, many applications. roller screws can work at 5000 rpm and higher – producing comparably higher lin- ear travel rates.
0 0 1,000,000 10,000,000 100,000,000 1,000,000,000 Lifetime (Inches of Travel)
Roller Screw vs. Other Linear Motion Technologies
(Used in electronic positioning applications) EXLAR ROLLER ACME BALL HYDRAULIC PNEUMATIC SCREWS SCREWS SCREWS CYLINDERS CYLINDERS Load ratings Very High High High Very High High Lifetime Very long, many Very low, due Moderate Can be long Can be long times greater to high with proper with proper than ball friction maintenance maintenance screw & wear Speed Very high Low Moderate Moderate Very high Acceleration Very high Low Moderate Very high Very high Electronic Easy Moderate Easy Difficult Very Positioning Difficult Stiffness Very high Very high Moderate Very high Very low Shock Loads Very high Very high Moderate Very high High Relative Space Minimum Moderate Moderate High High Requirements Friction Low High Low High Moderate Efficiency >90% approx 40% >90% <50% <50% Installation Compatible User may Compatible Complex, requires Very complex with have to with servo-valves, requires standard engineer a standard high pressure servo-valves, servo motion/actuator servo plumbing, plumbing, electronic interface electronic filtering, pumps filtering, controls controls linear positioning compressors & sensing linear positioning & sensing Maintenance Very low High due to Moderate Very high High poor wear characteristics Environmental Minimal Minimal Minimal Hydraulic fluid High noise leaks & disposal levels
