Daily Maintenance Methods for Ball Screw Assemblies

Jul 17, 2025

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Ball Screw Assemblies Lubrication Management

 

Lubricant Selection

Lubricating Oil: Turbine oil (Grade 90–180) or spindle oil (Grade 140), suitable for high-speed scenarios.

Lubricating Grease: Lithium-based grease, adapted for low-speed and heavy-load working conditions.

Taboos: Avoid using secondarily contaminated lubricating oil or mixing different oil products.

 

Operation Methods

Lubricating Oil: Inject through the oil hole in the nut housing until the raceway is uniformly covered.

Lubricating Grease: Apply to the surface of the thread raceway, with the amount covering 60% of the ball area.

 

Cycle

Lubricating Grease: Replace every 3–6 months (or after 2,000 cumulative operating hours).

Lubricating Oil: Supplement before starting high-speed equipment daily.

 

Ball Screw Assemblies Cleaning and Contamination Prevention

 

Daily Cleaning

After shutting down and powering off, wipe the oil stains/dust on the screw shaft surface with a dust-free cloth (strong acid/alkali cleaners are prohibited).

Clean the interior of the raceway with a special brush to avoid residual metal debris.

 

Sealing Protection‌

Preferred Option: Labyrinth sealing ring (dust-proof efficiency > 99%)

Alternative Option: Oil-resistant rubber/nylon sealing ring (friction resistance needs to be monitored)

Treatment for Exposed Screw Shaft: Install a telescopic protective cover, with the port connecting the nut and the support seat

 

Ball Screw Assemblies Environmental Control‌

 

Working area humidity ≤ 60%, avoid corrosive gases.
Install isolation baffles near the screw shaft to reduce dust intrusion.

 

Ball Screw Assemblies Periodic Inspection

 

Axial Clearance: Measure the axial movement of the nut using a dial indicator.
Temperature Rise: Monitor the operating temperature with an infrared thermometer.
Abnormal Noise/Vibration: Listen for anomalies during no-load low-speed operation.
Surface Condition: Inspect the raceway visually and with a high-intensity flashlight.

 

Ball Screw Assemblies Professional In-Depth Maintenance


Annual Maintenance

Disassemble the nut, remove old lubricating grease, and soak the ball bearings in kerosene for cleaning.

If the ball bearing damage rate exceeds 5%, replace the entire assembly.

 

Ball Screw Assemblies Precision Recheck

Detect positioning errors with a laser interferometer (refer to C5 standard: ≤±5μm for 300mm stroke).

Following this maintenance procedure can reduce the failure rate by 80% and extend the service life to over 100,000 hours.

 

Related links:

How often should ball screws be lubricated 

 

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