Prithvi.

C
NIE,Mysuru
 Introduction
 Power screws are threaded elements which are not used for fastening
purposes.
 Used to transmit and transform motion and power
 Used to convert rotary motion in to linear motion
 Torque is converted in to force
 Also called as translation screws

Ball Screw Roller Screw

Application
There are two main two main applications: in which we require the use of power
screws.
• High efficiency requirements such as lead screws and screws in presses
• Low efficiency requirements to achieve self-locking conditions such as in screw jack .
Parts
The essential parts of a power screw system.
Screw
Nut
 A part (Frame) to hold either the screw or nut in place.
Power screws can be operated in two different ways. Possible combination of
power and motion transmission is given.
Screw rotating in a bearing and nut to have axial motion: Lead screw
Nut fixed to the frame and screw to have axial motion: Vehicle jacks and machine vices
Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages
• Large load carrying capacity
• Compact in construction; lesser number of parts
• Provides large mechanical advantage: for example, 15 kN can be raised by an effort of
400N
• Precise and accurate linear motion
• Noiseless operation
• Can be designed with self-locking feature

Disadvantages
Poor efficiency (40-70%)
High friction at threads and rapid wear
Form of threads
The most popular threads which are used in power screw applications are:
• Square
• Trapezoidal
• Acme threads and
• Buttress threads
 Square threads
Square threads: Features
•Flanks are normal to the axis
•Difficult to manufacture: Difficult to cut with taps and dies
•Used for power transmission in Machine tools
•Can transmit power in any direction
•Maximum efficiency
 ACME threads
Acme threads: Features
Modified form of square thread
Much stronger than square threads
Can be cut with taps and dies and easy to manufacture
Offer increased area in shear at the root
Used in lead screws and bench vices
 Trapezoidal threads
Similar to ACME threads but thread angle is 30 degrees
Standardised by ISO

Buttress threads
Buttress threads : Features
 Can transmit large forces only in one direction
Stronger compared to other threads
 Combine high efficiency of Square threads and ease of cutting of
Acme or Trapezoidal threads
Single start and Multistart thread
Single start threads
1 Pitch = lead
2 Depth of thread depends on pitch
3 Large lead requires larger pitch
4 Large pitch results in small core diameter: weakens the screw
5 Multi start threads are used.

Multi–start threads
1. Two or more parallel threads are employed to increase the travel of the
nut per revolution: multi –start threads
2. Two or three helix with same pitch are offset parallel to each other
3. Lead = pitch x Number of starts
Designation of Power screws
Single start
Square thread: Sq 30 x 6
ISO trapezoidal: Tr 30 x 6
Multi start
Square thread: Sq 30 x 14 (P7)
ISO trapezoidal: Tr 30 x 21 ( P7)
Standard square screw threads dimensions are available in any Design Data
Handbooks.
Analysis of square threads,Torque and efficiency of Power Screws
• Analysis is done by considering it as equivalent to raising or lowering of a load/weight
on an inclined plane.
• An unwound thread is imagined to represent an inclined plane.
• Movement of nut and screw against applied axial load is analogous to movement
of a load/ weight on an inclined plane.
•This is the basis for determining the torque required to raise or lower the load.
Inclined plane: Lifting/Raising of load
• Lifting of load does not
necessarily mean that power screw
is moving upwards
• When the direction of motion and
direction of load are opposite, it can
be considered as lifting the load.
• Work is done against the load

Torque required to raise the load

Nomenclature
d: Nominal Diameter 9.11 b
d1: Core diameter
d2: Mean diameter
l = lead
α= lead angle or helix angle
f = coefficient of friction at screw threads
Inclined plane: Lowering of load
Nomenclature
d: Nominal Diameter
d1: Core diameter
d2: Mean diameter
l = lead
α= lead angle or helix angle
f = coefficient of friction at screw threads

Torque required to lower the load

9.11 e
 Collar friction
•Power screws always operate with a collar or a bearing surfaces
•Continuous rubbing: frictional losses
•Frictional Power loss
Torque required to overcome collar friction
9.11 g

dc= Mean collar diameter which can be

computed based on two theories
Based on uniform pressure theory

Based on Uniform wear theory

d’, = larger diameter • Uniform pressure theory predicts larger torque

d’’ = smaller diameter and relatively safer results
fc= coefficient of friction at the collar • Uniform wear theory is less complicated to use
Efficiency:
There are frictional power losses at the screw threads and collar. Hence the torque
required to operate the screw with friction is higher than that without friction. Therefore
efficiency is given by:
9.12 a

Over–hauling and self–locking

These are the two features which can be built in to the power screw while designing.
•In applications like load lifting devices such as screw jack, load should not descends on
its own. Some additional torque is required to descend the load. This condition is called
Self-locking which prevents the load descending on its own.
•In applications like fly press, load should descends on its own. Some additional torque is
required to stop the descent of the load. This condition is called Over–hauling which
makes the mass and the screw to come down on their own and strike the component to
produce the require impact.
Thus,
Torque required to lower the load

If α is greater than φ
TL becomes negative, Additional torque is required to stop the descent of the Load.
This condition is called Over - hauling: load descends on its own.
For Over hauling

9.12 c

Example: FLY PRESS

Screw with the fly wheel masses are raised and released: If the screw is designed to
overhaul, the mass and the screw come down on their own and strike the component.
If α is less than φ
TL becomes positive: Additional torque is required to descend the load: This condition is
called Self-locking load does not descends on its own.
Example: Screw Jack
*Load is raised and released: If the screw is designed to self-lock the load does not
comes down on its own. Extra effort is required to descend the load. Further, the
efficiency of a self-locked screw is less than 50%.
Number of Threads and height
The number of threads in the nut is determined based on bearing pressure. It is
given by:
9.13 a

Height of nut
9.13 b

pb is the allowable bearing pressure from Table 9.5

Stresses induced in Power Screws
Due to axial load
Compression
Buckling: Column action
Torsion
Shearing across threads
Crushing or bearing across threads
Direct Tensile or Compressive stress due to axial load

Stresses due to buckling: When the screw rod is slender it is likely to buckle. It act as
a column. Then the stresses due to buckling has to be compute d using any of the
column equation. Rankine’s formula s used here, as given below.

α= Rankine’s constant
k= radius of gyration
I= Area moment of Inertia
Torsional shear stresses

Maximum Principal stress and Maximum shear stress: Power screws usually
operate under combined loading conditions. Hence the maximum stresses due to these
combined loads is given in terms of Maximum Principal Stress and Maximum shear
stress

Shear stresses in threads: Threads are subjected to direct shear at their roots. The direct
shear stress at the root of a thread is given by:

Bearing stresses in threads: Threads are subjected to bearing loads due relative motion.
Bearing stresses induced is given by:

D1= Root diameter of internal threads