Screw Jack Calculation

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A guide to

choosing the right


screw jack

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Due to their unique versatility, Duff-Norton screw jacks are in use
on many machinery types within aerospace and defense, building
and construction, agriculture and food processing, aluminum,
communications and utilities, chemical and pharmaceutical,
material handling, and other industrial applications.

So what makes screw jacks so versatile? To begin with, they have


a high loadbearing-to-effort applied ratio, as well as the ability to
easily adjust heights by turning a screw, which is performed either
automatically or manually.

However, using the wrong screw jack can have a serious impact
on the performance of your application. If the product doesn’t
meet the right specifications, you can reduce the lifespan of the
screw jack resulting in application failure and damage, all of which
add up to avoidable future costs.

In this white paper, we’ll outline the two main types of screw jack
and the factors you need to consider when choosing the right
one for your application. For more information, our Screw Jacks
Design Guide and website both contain tables, charts, and other
data to help you make an informed decision.

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Types of screw jack

To ensure your application works as planned, it’s important to find the


right type of screw jack. The two main types are ball screw actuator and
machine screw actuator.

BALL SCREW ACTUATORS

Ball screw actuators move loads and apply force more efficiently than
machine screw actuators. By reducing the screw friction they require
less power, permit faster operation, have longer life spans under load,
and handle full loads in tension or compression.

Ball screw actuators are available in upright and inverted translating


and rotating style configurations, and are also available configured
for continuous duty and anti-rotation applications. We strongly
recommend consulting with your screw jack manufacturer before
deciding on a final model.

MACHINE SCREW ACTUATORS

Machine screw actuators offer positive mechanical action, precise


positioning, and uniform lifting speeds across multiple capacities.
Machine screw actuators are available in upright and inverted
translating and rotating style configurations, are available configured
for applications needing anti-backlash, and in imperial or metric
dimensions.

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Factors to consider
when choosing the right
screw jack

There are many factors to consider when deciding which screw jack is
right for your application. For the time-strapped engineer, it’s important
to recognize and evaluate these considerations prior to making a
purchase.

OPERATING PARAMETERS

Total load
The load is the weight of the force to be applied to the translating
device of the screw jack. Traditionally, it is better to calculate the load
based on the maximum applicable value ever to be required by the
screw jack. It is also very important to consider the maximum load the
actuator will ‘move’, as well as the load the actuator might ‘hold’ as
those two numbers are not always the same and the actuator should
be sized according to the greater of the two numbers.

Stroke
The stroke is the linear measure used to handle a load. It is commonly
measured in inches or millimeters and does not always correspond
with the screw length.

Lifting speed
The speed at which you require the screw jack to lift the load is another
crucial consideration. When you know the translating/lifting speed, you
can work out the rotation speed and the power required to achieve this.

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Environment and other unusual conditions
The environment and operating conditions of the screw jack are
important to consider when making a purchase. Different products will
fare better depending on, for example:

• Oxidizing and corrosive factors


• Working and non-working periods
• Vibrations, impacts, or human cargo loads
• Expected operating lifetime
• Temperature extremes

Duty Cycle
The operating frequency can dramatically affect the actuator type and
capacity. Most machine screw actuators can run at 90% duty loaded
at 10% or less of their capacity. Duty is about heat dissipation. What is
the maximum temperature the lifting screw and the worm-worm gear
interface will reach? What is the resulting average temperature of the
actuator in the maximum ambient temperature?

Side Load considerations


This occurs where force is applied perpendicular to the lifting screw –
merely having an off-center load does not always result in side-loading.
Close study of tables detailing permissible side loads is recommended
and will sometimes result in selecting a larger capacity actuator.

Load Direction – tension vs compression


There are no real limiting factors when the load and lifting screw
directions are in pure tension, although guided loads are still
recommended. However, if the lifting screw is loaded in compression
at all, then a close column strength review should be done considering
factors such as screw diameter, the distances involved, and whether
the load is guided. With compression loads sometimes a larger actuator
must be selected to ensure the load will be lifted properly without the
screw buckling.

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ACTUATOR PERFORMANCE

When looking for the right screw jack, it’s important to find an actuator
model with greater capacity than the actuator load.

A. For loads greater than 25 percent of actuator capacity, consider


torque to be proportional to load:

Actuator torque(in-lb) = Actuator Load(lbs) x Worm Torque at Full Load


Actuator Capacity (lbs)

For loads less than 25 percent of actuator capacity, add ‘worm torque at
no load’ to the above calculated torque to account for frictional losses.

B. Calculate input RPM. Shaft input should not exceed


1800 rpm:
Input RPM = Desired Lifting Speed (in/min) x Turns of worm for 1” raise

C. Calculate actuator input HP:


Actuator input HP = Actuator torque (in-lb) x rpm
63,000

If the required HP exceeds maximum HP then an actuator with greater


HP rating must be chosen to obtain the speed and capacity rating
desired. If you decide to use a gear reducer, motor horsepower must
be multiplied by reducer efficiency to obtain reducer output (actuator
input) horsepower.

D. Multiple actuator arrangements


Two or more actuators are often shaft-driven from one motor or
gear reducer. For multiple actuator arrangements, sum the input HP
requirement of all actuators. If using mitre gear boxes, allow for 4
percent power loss through each 90° turn in the power path.

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DETERMINE ACTUATOR CONFIGURATION

Taking into account capacity, speed and duty cycle requirement, select
the screw jack actuator type and configuration which most closely
matches your application’s configuration requirements:

A B C D

A. Upright translating
B. Inverted translating
C. Upright rotating
D. Inverted rotating

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UN-ATTACHED OR UN-GUIDED LOAD
CONSIDERATIONS

If your application involves a load which is un-attached, or the load is


free to rotate, the translating screw actuator must be configured so that
the lifting screw will extend when the actuator is in motion.

To prevent the translating screw from rotating, machine screw actuators


are supplied with a keyed shell and screw, and ball screw actuators
are supplied with a square nut on the lifting screw’s end that fits inside
a square tube. This ensures the actuator will perform properly for this
type of application.

Anti-rotation ball screw Keyed machine screw

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VERIFY YOUR SELECTION

Finally, it is crucial that you double-check all of the above factors


to ensure that you have definitely chosen the right product for your
application. At this point, you should also determine which screw jack
actuator end fittings best suit your requirements:

Top plate Clevis end Threaded end

IMPORTANT NOTES

Once you have chosen a screw jack, it’s important to always follow the
manufacturer’s guidance and instruction:

• The input RPM should not exceed 1800 RPM.


• Never exceed the actuator’s static and dynamic capacity.
• Never exceed the horsepower listed in our actuator specification
tables. If the maximum horsepower recommendation is exceeded,
reduce the speed, use a larger capacity actuator, choose another
actuator ratio, or consider a more efficient actuator type such as a
Ball Screw or Continuous Duty Actuator.
• Ball Screw and Continuous Duty Actuators are inherently self-
lowering. Should one of these models be the best fit for an
application, a brake motor with sufficient torque is required. Please
contact our application engineers for assistance.

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Find the right screw jack
with Duff-Norton

Since 1883, Duff-Norton has been at the forefront of precision motion


technology, providing a continued commitment to leading edge
manufacturing and highest quality engineering products for the most
advanced industrial lifting, positioning and transfer needs for our
customers worldwide.

We offer a wide variety of screw jacks, including:

• Mechanical actuators that range in size from ¼ ton to 350 tons


• Stainless steel machine screw actuators
• Micro-miniature actuators
• High duty cycle actuators
• Motorized machine screw and ball screw actuators
• Electric cylinders
• Motor control systems

Duff-Norton is dedicated to customer service excellence, setting high


standards for product quality and reliability through the involvement of
our Continuous Improvement Teams.

We don’t let anything stand in the way of delivering high-quality


products and meeting the individual needs of our clients. To find out
more, visit our website, or email us at duffnorton@cmworks.com.

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