Thomson Linear Motion Optmized
Ball Screws
The ball screw drive is an assembly that converts rotary motion to linear motion (or vice versa). It consists of a ball screw and a ball nut packaged as an assembly with recirculating balls. The interface between the ball screw and the nut is made by balls which roll in matching ball forms. With rolling elements, the ball screw drive has a low friction coefficient (typically up to 98%). The forces transmitted are distributed over a large number of balls, giving a low relative load per ball comparatively.
Standard Ball Screws
Precision Rolled Inch Ball Screws
Miniature Metric Precision Ball Screws
Precision Rolled Metric Ball Screws
Precision Plus Ground Metric Ball Screws
Bearing Supports
High-Load Ball Screws
Installation, Maintenance, Lubrication, and Repair
Custom Ball Screw Options
Ideal for high-precision, high-load applications, metric and inch ball screws are manufactured to the highest standards to translate rotational motion to linear motion with minimal internal friction.
Why Thomson Ball Screws?
Not all precision ball screws are created equal. At Thomson, our careful attention to design, quality, materials, manufacturing and application support has set us apart from the competition and created an ideal recipe for success that has lasted for decades.
Customization Options
When standard Thomson ball screws don’t meet your exact specification requirements, our engineering experts can help customize a solution for your application. Whether it’s one or a large quantity, a simple component modification or complex assembly, our custom capabilities can meet your needs and improve your machine’s performance.
Where Can You Get Started?
Thomson provides extensive online resources to help you no matter where you may be in the purchase decision process:
Let Thomson Help You Make Your Selection!
What Can Thomson Ball Screws Do For You?
With a history of global success spanning almost a century, Thomson ball screws have thrived thanks to their high quality, long-life performance and our reliable support. This video covers Thomson ball screw production processes, selection, customization options, applications, online resources and more. After watching, ask yourself, "What can Thomson ball screws do for me?"
VIDEO: Ball Screws: Design and Installation
This video provides an overview of the anatomy and installation of ball screws. It covers the function of ball screws in application design as well as the components of a ball screw assembly and of a ball nut. Also included is a demonstration of the installation of a ball nut onto a screw and the ball bearing insertion process in the event that some bearings fall out during installation.
VIDEO: Maximize Load Capacity, Lifecycle and Compactness of Your Linear Motion Designs
Any new application requires careful analysis of product performance, life and cost. Especially those that take on larger loads. Learn why you should be considering a high-load ball screw over standard ball screws for your next linear motion application.
Presenter: Markus Brändle, Product Line Specialist – Screws, Screw Jacks and LB&G Thomson Neff Industries, Germany
VIDEO: Tech Tips: How to Load Ball Bearings into a Metric Series Ball Nut
How to reload the bearings into a button return ball nut. Often Metric ball nuts are button return ball nuts. But this technique can also be used on tube return ball nuts.
VIDEO: Considerations and Calculations for Choosing the Right Ball Screw for Your Application
From all the thousands of possible choices, how can you quickly and confidently size and select the optimal ball screw solution for your linear motion application?
VIDEO: Tech Tips: How to Transfer a Ball Nut to a Ball Screw
How to install a ball nut onto a screw from an arbor.
Technical Articles
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Inch vs. Metric Ball Screws: Are You Asking the Right Questions?
Because ball screws are available in both inch and metric dimensions, designers sometimes begin the specification process by selecting a product family based on the unit of measure. This decision may prematurely exclude the ideal product for the application and lead to significant losses in time, labor and expense. This article explains how sizing and selection questions centered on performance – instead of product monikers – can lead to more efficient linear motion designs.
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High Load Ball Screws - The Motion Control Solution with Higher Load Density
Roller screws have been promoted as the only technology of choice for handling large loads when size is a constraint. But in actuality, advances in ball screw technology have now enabled the capability to support high-load applications as well. This is important because a high-load ball screw is typically less than half the cost of a comparable roller screw at equivalent performance points.
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Ball Screws – An Answer to Safe and Efficient Motion for Cobots
Used in large-scale production applications that involve continuous lifting operations but still require a human touch, collaboration robots (cobots) are gaining popularity. A French cobot maker has developed a solution that uses ball screw and cable actuators instead of gears, setting a new benchmark for cobot efficiency and safety.
Ball Screw 2D/3D CAD Drawings
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