Ballscrew Aids High-speed Tools

Ballscrew Aids High-speed Tools August Steinmeyer is introducing its ETA+ ballscrew design to the UK market. The new ballscrew will improve the performance of machine tools, especially high-speed and high-accuracy tools. ETA+ comes very close to being the ideal linkage between motor and slide by providing an extremely stiff but highly efficient connection with no reversing error. Rigidity has been increased by 50%, compared to standard ballscrews, and friction reduced by 67%.Improved dynamics are only one of the results.No reversing error means that the ETA+ ballscrew has a perfectly linear behaviour regardless of speeds and direction of motion.As a result control errors will be reduced. ETA+ will help machine builders to minimise cost as the reduced friction prolongs the life of the ballscrew and results in less heat being generated, therefore reducing the cost of cooling. Another advantage of the improved design is reduced noise.Installing ETA+ instead of conventional ballscrews does not require any mechanical design changes to the machine.The outside dimensions of ETA+ are the same as many standard ballscrews and the new ballscrew can easily replace them.One of the latest applications of ETA+ is in actuators for motion platforms used in flight simulators.