Kinematic Analysis of the Ball Screw Mechanism Considering Variable Contact Angles and Elastic Deformations

Abstract

The theoretical analyses developed by Lin et al. 6 for the kinematics of the ball screw mechanism have been partly adapted for the present study. In order to better understand the sliding behavior arising at two contact areas, the analyses of a ball bearing, while accounting for elastic deformation, are modified through coordinate transformations prior to their applications to the analyses for the ball screw mechanism. The influence of differing the parameters such as friction coefficient, normal force acting on the ball, and contact angle on a ball-screw’s mechanism at two contact areas are evaluated. The results of the ball-screw’s mechanical efficiency achieved by the present model are displayed to compare with those evaluated based on the model of Lin et al. Substantial differences exist in the results evaluated by these two models, especially those created at high screw rotational speeds.