Power Screws 1
W(44)
tan (8.531 + 4.962)
2
= (5.279 W) N-mm
For the lower screw, dm = d – 0.5 p = 50
– 0.5(8) = 46 mm l 8
tan = or
= 3.169° dm (46)
When the nut is rotated, the upper screw moves
in the upward direction. As far as the lower screw is
concerned, it is the nut, which moves in the upward
direction. In other words, the lower screw is moving
in a downward direction relative to the nut and the
load. Therefore,
Wdm ) Mt2 =
tan(
2
W(46)
Fig. 6.27 Differential Screw Jack tan (8.531 – 3.169)
2
Solution = (2.159 W) N-mm
Adding the torques of upper and lower screws
Given For handle, R = 500 mm P = and equating with external torque,
100(500) = 5.279 W + 2.159 W
100 N = 0.15 Upper screw = RH 50 12
Lower screw = RH 50 8 W = 6722 N (i)
Step I Load capacity of screw jack Step II Effi ciency of the screw jack
In one revolution of the nut, the load is raised
4W 4 6722( ) o =
through a distance equal to the difference in the
pitch of the two screws.
2(100 500) 2(100 500)
Output = work done on W = W (p1 – p2)
= 0.0856 or 8.56% (ii)
= W(12 – 8) = (4 W) N-mm For the upper
6.17 RECIRCULATING BALL SCREW
screw, d m = d – 0.5p = 50 –
0.5(12) = 44 mm l 12
tan or A recirculating ball screw, as shown in Fig. 6.28,
= 4.962° dm (44) consists of a screw and a nut, the surfaces of which
are separated by a series of balls. The screw and the
tan = = 0.15 or = 8.531° nut have approximately semi-circular thread profi
les instead of conventional square or trapezoidal
Wdm ) Mt1 = shape. As the screw is rotated, the balls advance in
tan( the grooves in the nut and the screw. They are
2 collected at the end of the nut and returned back.
Power Screws 2
The recirculating ball screw is also called ball recirculating ball screw is virtually wear-free
bearing screw or simply ball screw. Such screws due to presence of lubricant fi lm between the
are preloaded and give accurate motion due to contacting surfaces and protection from
elimination of the backlash. There is no heat contamination by dirt particles.
generation due to negligible friction. Recirculating (iv) The load carrying capacity of recirculating ball
ball screws can be used for high speeds even up to screw is more than that of conventional power
10 m/min. The balls, screw and nut are subjected to screw. For the same load carrying capacity,
contact stresses. They are usually made of nickel recirculating ball screw is more compact and
chromium steel and heat treated to a surface lightweight than conventional screw jack.
hardness of 58 to 65 HRC. Compared with conventional power screws,
recirculating ball screws has the following
disadvantages:
(i) A recirculating ball screw is much more costly
than conventional power screw.
(ii) Recirculating ball screws are usually
overhauling due to low friction. Therefore, a
separate brake is required to hold the load in
its place.
(iii) Buckling of screw and critical speed are
serious problems with recirculating ball screw.
(iv) Recirculating ball screws require a high degree
Fig. 6.28 Recirculating Ball Screw of cleanliness compared with conventional
power screws. They are completely enclosed
Compared with conventional power screws, to prevent the entry of foreign particles.
recirculating ball screws offer the following (v) Recirculating ball screws require a thin fi lm
advantages: of lubricant between the balls and grooves in
(i) In conventional power screw, there is sliding the nut and the screw for satisfactory
friction between the screw and nut threads. In operation. Conventional power screws can be
recirculating ball screw, there is rolling easily lubricated by grease.
friction between the balls and the grooves in Recirculating ball screws are used in the
the screw and nut. This reduces friction following applications: (i) Automobile steering
drastically. The effi ciency of a conventional gears
power screw is as low as 40%. The effi ciency (ii) Power actuators
of ball screws is as high as 90%, because (iii) X-Y recorders of CNC machines
sliding friction is replaced by rolling friction. (iv) Aircraft landing gear retractors
(ii) In conventional power screw, ‘stick-slip’ (v) Hospital bed adjustors
phenomenon is observed due to difference (vi) Machine tool controls
between the values of coeffi cient of static
friction and coeffi cient of sliding friction. It is
a serious drawback. In recirculating ball
Short-Answer Questions
screw, it is nearly eliminated and the operation
is smooth.
(iii) A conventional power screw must be adjusted 6.1 What is power screw?
periodically to compensate for wear on the 6.2 What are the applications of power screws?
surfaces of the screw and the nut. A 6.3 What are the advantages of power screws?
Power Screws 3
6.4 What are the disadvantages of power screws? Problems for Practice
6.5 What are the types of threads for power screw?
6.6 Why are V threads not used in power screws?
6.7 What are the advantages of square threads over 6.1 A double-threaded power screw, used for
trapezoidal threads? lifting a load, has a nominal diameter of 30
6.8 What are the disadvantages of square threads mm and a pitch of 6 mm. The coeffi cient of
compared with trapezoidal threads? friction at the screw threads is 0.1.
6.9 What are the applications of square threads? Neglecting collar friction, calculate:
6.10 What are the applications of trapezoidal (i) effi ciency of the screw with square threads;
threads? and
6.11 How will you designate square threads? (ii) effi ciency with Acme threads (2 = 29°).
6.12 How will you designate trapezoidal threads? [(i) 57.76%, (ii) 56.96%]
6.13 How will you designate multiple-start 6.2 A sluice valve, used in a water-pipeline,
trapezoidal threads? consists of a gate raised by the spindle, which
6.14 What are the advantages of multiple-start is rotated by the hand wheel. The spindle has
screws? single-start square threads. The nominal
6.15 What are the disadvantages of multiple-start diameter is 36 mm and the pitch is 6 mm. The
screws? inner and outer diameters of the friction
6.16 What are the applications of multiple-start collar are 30 mm and 50 mm respectively.
screws? The coeffi cients of friction at the threads and
6.17 What is ‘overhauling’ of power screw? What the collar are 0.15 and 0.20 respectively. The
is the condition for overhauling? weight of the gate is 7.5 kN and the frictional
6.18 What is ‘self-locking’ of power screw? What resistance to open the valve due to water
is the condition for self-locking? pressure is 2.5 kN. Using the uniform wear
6.19 State the applications where self-locking is theory for collar friction, calculate:
essential. (i) the torque required to raise the gate; and
6.20 What are the two methods to increase the effi (ii) the overall effi ciency of the
ciency of a square threaded screw? mechanism.
6.21 Why is the effi ciency of self-locking square [(i) 74.6 N-m, (ii) 12.8%]
threaded screw less than 50%? 6.3 A double-threaded power screw is used to raise
6.22 What is collar friction? a load of 5 kN. The nominal diameter is 60
6.23 What is differential screw? mm and the pitch is 9 mm. The threads are
6.24 What is compound screw? Acme type (2 = 29° ) and the coeffi cient of
6.25 Where do you use differential and compound friction at the screw threads is 0.15.
screws? Neglecting collar friction, calculate:
6.26 What is recirculating ball screw? (i) the torque required to raise the load;
6.27 What are the advantages of recirculating ball (ii) the torque required to lower the load; and
screw? (iii) the effi ciency of the screw for lifting load.
6.28 What are the disadvantages of recirculating [(i) 36.39 N-m, (ii) 7.06 N-m, (iii) 39.35%]
ball screw? 6.4 A 50 kN capacity screw jack consists of a
6.29 What are the applications of recirculating ball square-threaded steel screw meshing with a
screw? bronze nut. The nominal diameter is 60 mm
and the pitch is 9 mm. The permissible
bearing pressure at the threads is 10 N/mm2.
Power Screws 4
Calculate:
(i) the length of the nut; and
(ii) the transverse shear stress in the
nut.
[(i) 63 mm (ii) 8.42 N/mm2]
6.5 A triple-threaded power screw, used in a screw
jack, has a nominal diameter of 50 mm and a
pitch of 8 mm. The threads are square and the
length of the nut is 48 mm. The screw jack is
used to lift a load of 7.5 kN. The coeffi cient
of friction at the threads is 0.12 and the collar
friction is negligible. Calculate:
Power Screws 5
218 Design of Machine Elements
6.6 Plot a graph of effi ciency v/s helix angle,
which varies from 0 to 60°, for a square
threaded screw. The coeffi cient of friction at -
(i) the principal shear stress in the screw body;
(ii) the transverse shear stresses in the screw and the nut; the threads is 0.15 and the collar friction is
and negligible.
(iii) the unit bearing pressure.
State whether the screw is self-locking.
[(i) 4.39, (ii) 2.37 and 1.99, (iii) 2.16 N/mm 2]
(o) 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60
η(%) 36.35 52.60 61.53 66.95 70.37 72.50 73.71 74.16 73.49 72.94 71.11 68.12 6.7 The
following data is given for a machinist’s The coeffi cient of friction at the threads and clamp: the collar is 0.15. The
operator exerts a force type of thread = single-start square of 50 N on the handle at a distance of 150 nominal
diameter = 20 mm mm from the axis of the screw. Determine pitch = 5 mm the maximum clamping force that can
be collar friction radius = 8 mm. developed.
[2247.12 N]
Power Screws 6
Threaded Joints
