A ball screw is an ingenious device that can translate rotational motion into linear motion. All of this occurs without generating large amounts of friction, energy loss through frictional effects is kept to a minimum. It also means that the interior of the ball screw wears at a slower rate. A ball screw is typically of a greater size than a leadscrew, as there is a mechanism within the barrel. The ball screw nut holds some solid metal ball bearings that can move along the grooves carved into the ball screw nut shell. It should be ensured that no obstructions or other specks of dirt can enter inside the ball screw nut casing. The balls within it must be permitted to roll freely through the threads and even a small obstruction can block this. Ball screws have a reputation for long lives, and for being extremely accurate. Clearly this performance will be reduced if particles become lodged in the mechanism. Because of this the factory craftsmen incorporate bellows and other methods so they can stop any tiny dirt specks becoming fixed in the apparatus. Ball screws have a reputation of being highly accurate as a result of the manufacturing process. That is why they are used in areas that require high levels of precision, such as in aircraft. Steppers incorporate them also, which are essential components of semiconductor production.
Many ball screws can be back-driven. That is to say where usually you would be generating rotation and receiving an output of linear motion, the operator can conversely begin with a linear energy and receive a rotational movement as an output. It is possible to do this because of the low friction within the mechanism of the ball screw nut, which literally means that the components will not jam.
