Differences Between External and Internal Circulation of Ball Screw Assemblies
There are two common circulation methods for ball screw kits: external circulation and internal circulation. When balls are out of contact with the screw during the circulation process, it is called external circulation; when they remain in contact with the screw throughout the circulation, it is called internal circulation. Each closed circulation path of the balls is referred to as a "row", and the number of lead lengths contained in each closed circulation path of the balls is called the "number of turns".
I. External Circulation
In external circulation, after the circulation process of the balls is completed, they return to the space between the screw shaft and the nut through the spiral groove on the outer surface of the nut or an insertion tube to re-enter the circulation. Ball screw nut assemblies with external circulation are mainly classified into end cover type, insertion tube type, and spiral groove type according to the return ways of the balls during circulation.
II. Internal Circulation
Internal circulation realizes ball circulation using a reverser, and there are two types of reversers. One is the cylindrical convex key reverser, whose cylindrical part is embedded in the nut, and a reverse groove is opened at the end. The reverse groove is positioned by the outer cylindrical surface of the cylinder and the round key at its upper end to align with the direction of the thread raceway. The other is the edge insert reverser, which is a general round-head flat key insert. The insert is embedded in the slot of the nut, and a reverse groove is opened at its end, with positioning achieved by the outer contour of the insert. Compared to the two reversers, the latter has a smaller size, thereby reducing the radial size of the nut and shortening the axial size. However, the outer contour of this reverser and the slot size on the nut have higher precision requirements.
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