Maintenance points of ball screws
I. Cleaning and maintenance specifications
Pollutant removal: Use dust-free cloth or anti-static brush regularly to clean up the metal chips, oil and dust on the surface of threaded raceway, nut and ball of the screw meticulously, so as to avoid impurities from entering the ball circulation system. Pay special attention to the ball reverser, dust seal and other parts that are easy to accumulate dirt, to prevent pollutants from getting stuck and causing ball jamming or wear. For stubborn stains, special neutral cleaner can be used to wipe, clean and dry quickly with a dry dust-free cloth to prevent moisture residue triggering rust.
Second, lubrication management requirements
Lubricant adaptation and application: choose suitable lubricant medium according to the operating conditions of ball screws - high-speed, light load scenarios recommend the use of low-viscosity lubricant (such as ISO VG 32), through the circulating lubrication system to quickly take away the heat and reduce the friction; heavy-duty, low-speed scenarios prioritize the use of high viscosity grease (such as lithium complex grease), using its strong adhesive properties For heavy-duty, low-speed applications, prefer high-viscosity grease (e.g. lithium complex grease), which utilizes its strong adhesion to form a durable protective film. Strictly follow the lubrication cycle stipulated in the equipment manual (e.g. every 100 hours of operation or 500 kilometers of accumulated travel) for replenishment or replacement, and make sure that the contact area between the ball and the raceway is evenly covered when applying the grease to avoid lubrication blind zones.
Precision Calibration Maintenance
Motion Accuracy Inspection: Use laser interferometer, micrometer and other precision instruments regularly to inspect the pitch error, axial runout and straightness of the screw. If the accumulated pitch error is found to be more than ±0.002mm, it needs to be corrected by precision fine-tuning device or professional calibration equipment; for the equipment of closed-loop control system, it is recommended to update the system compensation parameters once a quarter to ensure the stability of positioning accuracy.
IV. Connector fastening management
Bolt and preload monitoring: Periodically check the fastening status of the mounting bolts of the nut holder, bearing holder and other key parts, and use torque wrenches to re-tighten them according to the design standard (e.g. M8 bolts need to reach 20N・m). Loose connecting parts will cause vibration during the operation of the screw, aggravate the wear of the ball and raceway, and even lead to the risk of nut detachment; at the same time, it is necessary to regularly check whether the preload force is decaying, and readjust the preload state through special tooling if necessary.
V. Protection system overhaul
Sealing and dust maintenance: focus on checking the integrity of the screw shield, dust ring and other protective components, if found broken, aging or deformation, need to be replaced immediately. Flexible organ guards should be regularly cleaned up the dust accumulated in the folds, rigid guards need to check the sealing of the seams; for the screw exposed to cutting fluid, iron chip environment, can be installed with magnetic separator or infusion device to reduce the erosion of pollutants on the ball circulation system.
Sixth, wear state monitoring
Evaluation of key components: Regularly observe the wear traces on the surface of the ball and raceway, and detect the presence of flaking, scratches or indentation through microscopic magnification. If it is found that the roughness value of the raceway surface exceeds Ra0.8μm, or the deviation of the diameter of the ball exceeds ±0.001mm, it is necessary to analyze the reasons (e.g., overload, lubrication failure, installation deflection, etc.) and deal with them in time -- the severely worn parts should be replaced in a whole set, while the abnormal factors of the system are investigated to avoid repeated damage to new parts.
Through systematic and standardized maintenance measures, the transmission efficiency, positioning accuracy and service life of ball screws can be effectively improved to ensure the long-term stable operation of precision equipment.
