Ground Ball Screws

Ball screws are usually made by utilising one of two options, grinding or rolling. Ground ball screws are significantly more difficult to manufacture and are therefore more expensive. These ball screw assemblies are typically called precision ground ball screws, and are produced using a process that has three stages.



This method starts by forming the basic shape of the ball screw component using machining. Once this step is finished it is critical to strengthen the ground ball screw using a technique known as case hardening. Case hardening improves the hardness of the ball screw by toughening its surface by melding it with a harder metal. During the case hardening stage, elements of this harder metal are melted into the external shell of the ball screw, creating a harder alloy. This then makes a ball screw component that incorporates a soft metal core with a harder outer shell.


As soon as the metal has been case hardened, the ball screw piece is then ground. Grinding is a manufacturing process that is also known as milling. Milling machines are used to give the ground ball screw a high level of precision. Milling machines are generally used in any type of manufacturing that must have high levels of precision, and they are therefore able to make ground ball screws that have extreme levels of precision.
When they are producing ground ball screws, production companies have to deal with the problem that high temperatures can damage the ball screw at certain points but are required for others. It is in fact because of this that ground ball screws must be made through the three step method described aboved.


High precision ground ball screws are extremely accurate, and can be relied on up to one thousandth of an inch per foot. It is an established fact that ground ball screws have much better levels of precision than rolled ball screws. This also means that they are more expensive.