Lead screw technology FAQ

All questions and answers about dryspin lead screw technology

What does self-locking lead screw technology mean? How do I install a flanged lead nut? What is the maximum load a plastic lead screw nut can take? Can the bearing clearance of my application be reduced or even avoided? And do I need to lubricate my lead screw drives?

Questions upon questions - and we provide the answers! Here you will find all questions on the subject of lead screw technology summarised, sorted by topic and answered in detail. Immerse yourself in the world of lead screw technology and discover the benefits of our dryspin technology for yourself.

General

Lead screw nuts

Lead screws

Materials

Tolerances

Calculation formulas

General

What does the dryspin high helix thread product range offer?

It offers a wide range of different lead screw nuts and lead screw variants in a variety of dimensions. The dryspin® high helix thread range covers diameters from 4 to 20mm and pitches from 2.4 to 100mm. Thanks to the diversity of the product range, dryspin thread geometry can be used in almost any application.

Go to product range

Can drylin lead screw drives replace conventional ball screw drives?

Basically, yes. The application parameters (axial load, speed, etc.) must be observed and the required positioning accuracy must be achieved. Our lead screw drive expert offers optimal assistance in selecting the ideal thread system for every application.

Get more information on the replacement

What advantages does dryspin technology have over conventional lead screw drives?

Higher efficiency
Low-noise and low-vibration operation
30% longer service life due to asymmetry
Up to 25% less wear
Greater efficiency

On the advantages of dryspin® technology

How much can I save with my dryspin lead screw drives?

Our drylin lead screw nuts are up to 50.9% more cost-effective than metal lead screw nuts. They are also up to 69% more cost-effective than comparable plastic lead screw nuts and up to 50% more cost-effective than ball screw systems.

Discover savings potential here

What does self-locking lead screw technology mean?

Self-locking means that movement of the lead screw and lead screw nut is not possible without external force. This is related to the pitch and coefficient of friction.

In what temperature ranges can dryspin lead screw drives be used?

Lead screw nuts made from tribologically optimised iglidur materials are suitable for use in temperature ranges between -20°C and +150°C.

More on the subject of temperature effects on plastic nuts

Which igus lead screw support blocks are available for dryspin lead screw technology?

Our lead screw support blocks are available for thread sizes 6 – 24mm. They are available with plain bearings or, for higher dynamics, with ball bearings (BB). All lead screw support blocks are supplied in anodised aluminium, as are the matching lead screw clamping rings.

More information

How can I prevent unwanted bearing clearance?

In addition to selecting the right material for the lead screw nut, a pretension mechanism has proven to be an effective measure against unwanted bearing clearance in practice. For trapezoidal threads and dryspin high helix threads, anti-backlash, zero-backlash and low-clearance variants with pretension for the lead screw nut are available.

Reduce axial clearance here

Can igus lead screw drives be lubricated?

It is no secret that igus stands for non-lubrication of bearings. Simply put, igus products do not require lubrication. We often hear the same question from customers: "Can I use WD-40 or another lubricant to lubricate my bearing?"

More information

Does igus offer an alternative to the conventional DIN 103?

Our dryspin thread geometry is an excellent alternative to conventional trapezoidal threads. Wear tests show that the thread dimensions with dryspin geometry have a wear rate that is up to 25% lower and a service life that is up to 30% longer.

More information

How can I reduce unwanted axial clearance in my lead screw drives?

In addition to selecting the right material, a pretension mechanism has proven to be an effective measure for reducing unwanted axial clearance. Four options with pretension are available for our dryspin high helix thread and trapezoidal threads: zero-backlash, low-clearance, preload and AB lead screw nut.

More information

Lead screw nuts

What do I need to bear in mind when assembling a cylindrical lead screw nut?
When assembling a cylindrical lead screw nut made of plastic, axial and radial securing is necessary. One option for radial securing is the use of set screws. The locating spigot can be achieved with a sheet metal ring.

Discover in the online shop

What do I need to bear in mind when installing a flange lead screw nut?
When fastening a plastic flange lead screw nut, it is particularly important not to exceed the maximum tightening torque of 2.5Nm. It is also recommended to secure the fastening screws using a third medium, e.g. liquid thread-locking glue.

Discover in the online shop

What do I do if there is unwanted clearance in the lead screw nut?
In addition to the correct choice of material, a preloading mechanism has proven to be an effective measure to reduce unwanted axial clearance. For our dryspin® high helix threads and trapezoidal threads there are three options with pretension: zero-backlash, low-clearance and AB lead screw nut. Here you will find all the advantages and assembly instructions for our clearance-reduced lead screw nuts.

Learn more about reducing the clearance

How high are the loads that a lead screw nut can withstand?
The special type of the JGRM lead screw nut, in combination with a stainless steel plate, enables it to withstand static loads of up to 6MPa.

More about the JGRM lead screw nut

Lead screws

How are dryspin lead screws manufactured?
At igus, we distinguish between two manufacturing processes: thread rolling and thread whirling. Both processes have their own special specifications. igus uses thread rolling as its standard process due to the cost savings, better surface finish and longer service life it offers. Thread whirling is more suitable for small quantities and very precise threads with tight tolerances.

Learn more about production

Can I customise my lead screw online?
From the idea to the finished lead screw in just five minutes. With the configurator, you can quickly find the right lead screw and customise the machined ends from both sides. The application generates a dimensional drawing of your configuration for you immediately.

Go to the configurator

What is the difference between single-start and multi-start threads?
Single-start lead screws consist of only one thread (single start). This means that the distance between the flanks, which is characterised by the pitch, is also the linear travel in millimetres per revolution of the lead screw.

If another thread is added, the lead screw achieves twice the stroke with one revolution. The calculation for the linear travel remains the same depending on the number of threads; only the pitch of a single thread differs. This procedure can also be applied to our multi-start dryspin® high helix lead screws.

Learn more

What dimensions are available for replacing DIN 103?
Our new dimensions are suitable for a 1:1 replacement: DS10x3, DS14x4, DS18x4, DS10x2 and DS12x3. You can find more information about your replacement here. If you have any questions, our experts will be happy to help.

More information

Materials

In which materials are the low-backlash lead screw nuts available?
The zero-backlash, low-clearance and preload lead screw nuts are available in the high-performance polymer iglidur J. The material can be used at almost all speeds and is characterised by high efficiency. The anti-backlash lead screw nut, on the other hand, is also available in iglidur J and additionally in iglidur R. Thanks to its dampening specifications, the iglidur R material reduces vibrations between the lead screw and lead screw nuts and ensures low-vibration and quiet running behaviour.

To the low-clearance lead screw nuts

In which materials are dryspin lead screw nuts available?
Our lead screw nuts are available in six different materials: iglidur J, iglidur 350, iglidur R, iglidur A180, iglidur J200, iglidur E7 and iglidur W300.

The surface pressure of the materials

Material	MPa
iglidur® J	4 MPa
iglidur® W300	5MPa
iglidur® A180	3.5 MPa
iglidur® J350	2 MPa
iglidur® E7	0.5 MPa
iglidur® J200	2 MPa
iglidur® R	2 MPa

Tolerances

What is the manufacturing tolerance?
Apart from the pitch accuracy of 0.1 on 300mm, customer-specific tolerances are implemented for the end machining of lead screws and nut machining.

Go to the materials overview

What are the tolerances for single start, multi-start and reverse trapezoidal lead screws?
According to DIN 103, tolerance class 7e

Calculation formula

Required effective support surface:
Ae = Faxial / pperm [mm2]

pv value:
pv = preal x v

Surface speed
v = n x d1 x π/ 60,000[m/s]

Speed
n = v x 1,000 x 60 / π x d1 [1/min]

Feed rate:
s = n x P / 60,000 [m/s]

Drive torque:
Mta= Faxial x P / 2,000 x π x η
Mte= Faxial x P x η / 2,000 x π

How do I calculate the load capacity of a trapezoidal thread?

The load capacity of trapezoidal lead screw nuts made of high-performance polymers depends on the surface pressure, the surface speed and the resulting temperature. The temperature behaviour is also influenced by the duty cycle and the selected lead screw material and its specific thermal conductivity.

Surface speeds of the iglidur® materials in m/s:

iglidur® material	rotating long-term
iglidur® J	1.5
iglidur® W300	1.0
iglidur® A180	0.8
iglidur® J350	1.3

Max. permissible pv value

Using the pv value and the effective support surfaces specified in the dimension tables, the permissible surface speed and the resulting feed rate can be determined for each thread size.

Standard values when using drylin® plastic nuts without lubrication (with a stroke of 500mm). A correction factor must be taken into account for very short or long strokes.

Duty cycle ED	pv value_max.[MPaxm/s]
100%	0.08
50%	0.2
10%	0.4

Formulary

Designation	Meaning
F_axial	Axial force
P_perm.	Max. permissible surface pressure 5N/mm2
P_real	actually occurring surface pressure for the selected size
A_{e real}	Effective support surface of the selected trapezoidal lead screw nut
P	Pitch
d1	Pitch diameter
M_ta	Drive torque [Nm] when converting a rotary into a longitudinal movement
M_te	Drive torque [Nm] when converting a longitudinal movement into a rotary movement
v	Surface speed [m/s]
s	Feed rate [m/s]
n	Rotational speed [min^-1
η	Efficiency

Selecting the desired thread size and determining the actual surface pressure:

preal = Faxial / Ae real [MPa]

Consulting

I look forward to answering your questions

Zhao Ming Luo

Product Manager for Fast Growing Business Unit ASEAN

+65 8798 1095 Write e-mail

Shipping and consultation

In person:

Monday to Friday from 8:30am - 5.30 pm.

Online:
24h

WhatsApp-Service:
Monday - Friday: 8:30am - 5.30 pm.