Power Screws

W
Load on nut

Thread friction

Looking at a square thread screw, we unwind one turn:

2 rm Lead

rm
Mean thread radius

Lead

c r
Collar friction

Mean c collar radius

This shows an inclined ramp with angle 1 Lead = tan 2 rm

Power Screws:

2004 by W.H.Dornfeld. All rights reserved.

Power Screw Torque

The torque required to raise the load W is

Traise

+ tan = W rm + c rc 1 tan

rm rc

Lead

and to lower the load, we flip two signs:

Tlower

tan = W rm + c rc 1 + tan
2004 by W.H.Dornfeld. All rights reserved.

Power Screws:

Power Screw Thread Angle

If the thread form is not square but has an angle 2, replace the thread friction with the effective friction

e =

cos

The effect: Square: 2 = 0, = 0, 1/cos = 1.0 Acme: 2 = 29, = 14.5, 1/cos = 1.033 Unified: 2 = 60, = 30, 1/cos = 1.15
The thread angle effectively increases surface friction between 3 and 15%
2004 by W.H.Dornfeld. All rights reserved.

Power Screws:

Power Screws - Overhauling

If the collar friction is small (e.g., it may have a ball thrust bearing), too small a thread friction may let the weight screw down on its own.
Lead This can happen when < tan = 2 rm

(the numerator goes negative).

Tlower
0 tan = W rm + c rc 1 + tan

2 rm Lead

This is the same case for a weight sliding down a ramp when the incline angle exceeds tan-1.
2004 by W.H.Dornfeld. All rights reserved.

Power Screws: