FAQ

Yes, corrosion-resistant ball screws are available for use in humid, aggressive, or hygienic environments. Both the screw and the nut are made of stainless steel, often martensitic or austenitic steels. The balls are also manufactured from stainless steel or ceramic to further reduce corrosion. Additionally, special coatings and corrosion-resistant lubricants are used to increase the service life.

Yes, ball screw drives can generally be repaired, provided the wear or damage is not too severe. Typical repairs include replacing or reconditioning the nut, replacing the balls, readjusting or renewing the preload, and cleaning and relubricating. However, if the thread flanks are severely damaged or high accuracy is required, replacement is often more economical than repair.

Yes, corrosion-resistant ball screw drives made of stainless steel or ceramic can be used in the food industry and in medical technology. It is important that all materials, lubricants, and coatings meet the relevant hygiene and cleanliness requirements, such as FDA or EU standards. Such ball screw drives enable precise, low-wear motion, even in environments with moisture, cleaning processes, or chemical disinfectants.

Yes, thread grinding is ideal for hardened materials and can be used without any problems on hardened steel. The process enables the highest levels of precision, dimensional accuracy, and surface finish—crucial factors in the manufacture of ball screws and ball screw nuts for demanding industrial applications.
Thread grinding offers particular advantages for hardened components when it comes to tight tolerances, high load capacities, and a long service life.

Thread rolling is the most cost-effective method for large production runs and standard threads, as setup times are offset by the use of specialized rolling tools and cycle times are very short. For one-off parts or very specialized profiles, another method may be more cost-effective.

At Kammerer, thread hard turning is primarily used for machining ball screw nuts. The ability to achieve tight tolerances directly in hardened components makes it the preferred method for internal profiles where grinding would be more labor-intensive.

A ball screw drive can be powered in various ways, depending on the installation situation, spindle length, and dynamic requirements. Often, the spindle itself is rotated by a motor, with the nut remaining stationary, thereby generating linear motion. Alternatively, the nut can be driven directly while the spindle remains fixed, which is particularly advantageous for long spindles or high dynamic demands. Further options include driving via belts, gears, or transmissions to flexibly transfer rotational motion or compensate for deflection angles. The choice of drive type influences the precision, speed, load capacity, and installation flexibility of the ball screw drive.

A thread is measured correctly by determining the pitch, outside diameter, center diameter, and profile angle. First, the outside diameter of the screw or the inside diameter of the nut is measured using a micrometer or a vernier caliper. Next, the pitch is determined—that is, the distance between two adjacent threads—usually with a thread gauge or visually under a microscope. For exact profile tolerances and angle forms, thread profilometers, thread testers, or optical measuring systems can be used.
It is important to control cleanliness, measurement direction, and temperature to obtain precise results.