An improved accuracy-measuring method in manufacturing the lead screw of grating ruling engine

A measuring method was studied to further improve the manufacturing accuracy of the lead screw. Firstly, factors that can axially displace the screw shaft were analyzed and a relationship between factors and axial displacement was given. The axial displacement of the screw shaft was measured using a laser interferometer, and results show that the variation amplitude of the screw-shaft axial displacement was about 80 nm while the variation period was consistent with the rotation period of the screw shaft. Next, two methods of measuring the manufacturing accuracy of the lead screw were considered: a traditional method that measures the absolute position of the nut and an improved method that measures the displacement between the nut and screw shaft. A No. 4 screw shaft was manufactured under the guidance of results obtained using the improved measuring method. Experimental measurements were then made; results show that the pitch displacement errors obtained using the traditional and improved measuring methods were 0.6 and 0.4 μm, respectively, indicating that the improved measuring method is more exact. Finally, an echelle grating ruled by a grating ruling engine that used the No. 4 screw shaft as a macro-positioning element was introduced. Its excellent parameters indirectly show that the improved measuring method has better accuracy.