Lead Screw | FAQs

Lead Screw | FAQs

What is a leadscrew?

Generally speaking, any threaded rod that is used to create linear motion could be considered a leadscrew… However… most people assume some level of accuracy and precision when they use the term “leadscrew”, making this a more precise component than a threaded rod you could buy at a hardware store.

What is an ACME screw? And is it the same thing as a leadscrew?

When people talk about ACME screws they should be referring to a leadscrew with a specific type of thread profile on the screw. This screw profile is called an ACME thread… Many people use the term ACME screw synonymously with leadscrew but that’s not exactly correct. All ACME screws are leadscrews, but not all leadscrews are ACME screws. It depends on the details of what the thread on the screw looks like.

Is an ACME screw the best type of screw for linear motion?

Not really, the ACME thread profile was developed originally way back in 1894. It became an industrial standard over 100 years ago. When this thread profile was developed it represented the height of technology (… in 1894). Things have changed since then, and many companies have developed better thread profiles with higher efficiency and smoother motion.

What kind of materials are leadscrew nuts made from?

Nuts can be made of many different materials. Many years ago, the most common material was some sort of Bronze with a lubricant. This has changed to the use of polymer nuts that are often self-lubricating and eliminate the need for lubrication and maintenance.

A range of polymers can be used with different properties such as coefficient of friction, maximum pressure rating, maximum velocity rating, and the product of pressure x velocity called “PV”. Other factors to consider are temperature rating, thermal expansion, chemical resistance and more.

What is backlash in a leadscrew/nut system?

Backlash describes the possible free movement of the nut relative to the screw without rotation. This is caused by the clearance between the outside threads of the screw and the inside threads of the nut.

Is backlash bad and what can I do about it?

Backlash is not necessarily bad, depending on your application. If you are doing very rough positioning, such as trying to open or close a door, then a few thousands of backlash doesn’t have any negative impact. In fact, the clearance that creates the backlash also lowers the drag force in the system making it more efficient. On the other hand, if you’re trying to do very accurate “bi-directional” positioning such as a pick and place machine, then backlash could create problems with positional accuracy. Most manufactures of leadscrews and nuts have developed some way to address the problem. This usually involves some sort of spring that takes out free movement between the screw and the nut.

PBC Linear leadscrews/nuts seem to have a different looking anti-backlash system than many I have seen… why is that?

We’ve been using leadscrews in our actuator products for decades and we’ve seen the good , the bad and the ugly. When we got into the business of making world-class leadscrews, we wanted to address the problems we’ve seen with other anti-backlash systems. Our approach is to use a constant force spring to provide a radial force on the nut to take up all the clearances between the screw and nut without relying on axial springs. We call this patented design CFT… Constant Force Technology. It’s quite simply a better mousetrap. It provides much better control over pre-load and is dramatically more consistent over the life of the product.

If a screw and nut have an anti-backlash system, will I see zero backlash at any load, no matter how big?

You will see no backlash at any load, meaning there will be no free movement. However, if there is a spring in the system and you apply enough load you could start deflecting the spring. When this happens, you will see relative movement between the screw and nut. This could be thought of more as deflection rather than backlash, but it has the same effect – the nut is moving axially relative to the screw without any rotation.

What are the sources of position error in a leadscrew system?

There are few sources that tend to be the largest contributors to system error. The first is lead-error. This is the difference in the amount of linear movement actually seen versus the ideal. Example – you have a 2mm lead so you expect that one revolution of the screw will cause the nut to go exactly 2.000 mm. If it goes 2.2 mm instead of 2.0 mm then you have 10% lead error (and a pretty bad leadscrew!). This type of error can be seen in one revolution, or as an accumulating error of multiple revolutions. Another source of error is caused by leadscrew straightness. If the screw is not straight, then the geometry of the system could result in linear position errors. In addition to these concerns about the leadscrew itself, system level issues such as concentricity of the bearing system, mechanical coupling, runout, motor position errors and more could all contribute to linear position errors.

What is the operating temperature range of the lead screw nuts?

The standard operating temperature of PBC LINEAR Linear lead screw nuts is -40C~+120C

Can lead screws be used in harsh environments?
Yes. Utililzing the self lubircating properties of our PTFE coated lead screws and polymer nuts optimizes use in harsh environments that are typically detremental to rolling element ball screw/nut options.
What is back driving?
As a rolling element ball screw/nuts typically will back drive when a thrust load is applied to the nut.  Conversly lead screws natural frictional resistance can minimize backdriving by following a good general rule of thumb, that in order to help prevent back driving selecting a screw lead less than 1/3 the diameter of the screw will generally prevent back driving of the nut. 
What is backlash and how does this affect my linear system?
Backlash is the amount of play or slop in a linear motion system.  PBC Linear offers a constant force technology nut which limits the amount of backlash in a screw driven scenario.  PBC Linear also offers several belt driven systems that offer some advantages over screw driven systems but backlash is not one of those.
What is column loading?
Column loading or axial thrust as it is applied to a screw, is the amount of axial force a lead screw assembly can withstand in order to maintain proper performance prior to buckling or excessive deflection. 
What is lead angle?
Lead Angle is the angle made by the screw pitch helix with a plane perpendicular to the center axis of the screw. 
What is lead screw PV (pressure velocity)?
For lead screw/nut assemblies the sliding friction between the screw and nut will generate heat, excessive heat generation can cause premeature wear and failure of the leadscrew nut.
What is pitch diameter?
Pitch diameter is the diamter of a theorectical cylinder that passes therough the threads in such a way that the distance between the thread crests and thread roots are equal. Pitch diameter is commonly measured by using approriately sized pins to rest witin the thread flanks, and then subtracting the pin diamter times 2 from the measurement taken across the three thread wire pins as illustrated in the product catalog. 
What is the material composition of the lead screw nuts?
PBC Linear uses a proprietary blend of polymers and PTFE to create a self-lubricating, low coefficient of friction nut.  The proprietary blend is treated as confidential and the intellectual property of PBC Linear.  As such, we do not disclose the specifics about the material composition.
What is the operating temperature for the lead screw nut?
-40° F to 248° F (−10° C to 120° C)
What is the straightness of the lead screws?
Lead screws are available in lengths from 2" to 65" with a standard straightness of .003"/ft.