Resource-efficient Ball Screw by Adaptive Lubrication

In this paper, the development of a methodology for reducing the energy demand and increasing the life time of ball screws by minimizing the friction torque with adaptive lubrication of the ball screw nut is presented.Therefore, a simulation model of the feed axis has been developed and fitted metrologically at an especially designed test stand with an adaptive lubrication system for the ball screw nut. The model allows the calculation of the optimum friction torque of the feed axis and thus determines the need for lubricants in case a deviation to the measured friction torque of the feed axis should arise.The comparison of tests dealing with the life time of ball screws with standard lubrication and new adaptive lubrication aims at proving the increase of the life time. This endeavor will result in characteristic lubrication strategies for a resource-efficient operation of ball screws during constant operating conditions.