Screw Jack Calculation
Screw Jack Calculation
Screw Jack Calculation
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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.
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
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.
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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:
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?
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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.
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.
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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
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VERIFY YOUR SELECTION
IMPORTANT NOTES
Once you have chosen a screw jack, it’s important to always follow the
manufacturer’s guidance and instruction:
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Find the right screw jack
with Duff-Norton
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