Can conventional ball screws be replaced by igus lubrication free lead screws for format adjustments?

Shery George | 12 May 2022

Most packaging machines have a number of format adjustments. They are often made with trapezoidal lead screw nuts and a corresponding lead screw. Many format adjustments still involve metallic lead screw nuts. To work smoothly, they need lots of lubricant. The dirty environment means that regular re-greasing and maintenance are necessary.

Instead of focusing on the important things, the maintenance team will be dedicating a lot of their time for maintaining & greasing metallic  lead screw nuts; if they are non-functional, which may lead to an unplanned standstill of entire production line.

Instead, why not to have a lubrication free format adjustment and enhance your system’s operational reliability?

Then there is just one alternative: Lubrication-free format adjustment in packaging machines.

To eliminate lubrication, igus uses lead screw nuts made of high-performance polymer. The polymer nuts have many advantages over conventional ball screws. They are designed especially for dry operation, and solid lubricants have been incorporated into the compound. These high-performance polymers are self-lubricating so there is no need to grease the lead screw nuts. This keeps dirt, such as paper dust from cartons, from adhering to them.

If metallic nuts cannot be maintained or re-lubricated, the lead screw will wear until the application seizes. drylin polymer lead screw nuts are maintenance-free throughout their entire service life. This an added advantage for inaccessible points. Corrosion resistance and, for some materials, chemical resistance, are necessary for nuts to function smoothly even in areas that are frequently and aggressively cleaned.

Lead screw nuts are available in a number of materials for a wide range of application areas. Dry or wet, high or low temperatures, food-grade or hygiene-sensitive areas; igus materials can handle just about anything. Lead screw technology is also available in a wide range of geometries, ensuring simple 1:1 replacement.

Format adjustment service life

As described above, lead screw drive service life is a critical factor for maintenance-free format adjustments in packaging machines. As with all products, igus performs countless tests on them to determine service life in a wide range of applications. Number of tests were also performed for various lead screw and lead screw nut materials and geometries. To precisely calculate the probable service life for your application, you can use our online tool free of charge.

Calculate Service life of leadscrew & nut here-

https://drylin-leadscrew-drives-expert.igus.tools/requirements

Summary

It is clear that lubrication free format adjustments are most important for your machines. drylin lead screw technology with its lubrication and maintenance-free lead screw nuts offers a reliable alternative to conventional ball screws. The long service life, various materials and geometries, and quick availability are also decisive advantages of polymer lead screw nuts.

We are eager to hear for you! To speak to our Industry Manager please contact:

Mr. Tejash S Chavan
Industry Manager
E-mail: tchavan@igus.net
Tel.: +91 9375440499

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