---
title: "Ball Screws"
industry: "Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing"
verification_protocol:
  urn: "URN:CNFX:ME:BALL_SCREWS"
  data_integrity_hash: "c83176222d1abb26c7fcda73bdbb2857"
  source_authority: "https://cnfx.com"
  strict_mode: true
source_identity:
  provider: "CNFX Industrial Knowledge Graph"
  index_version: "2026.Q1-Universal"
  authority_id: "URN:CNFX:ME:BALL_SCREWS"
  data_source_uri: "https://cnfx.com/llms/industry/machinery-and-equipment-manufacturing/product/ball-screws.md"
  official_resource_url: "https://cnfx.com/industry/machinery-and-equipment-manufacturing/product/ball-screws"
  is_verified_logic: true
attributes:
  spec:
    status: "config-dependent"
    typical_range: "Axial load capacity: 500-50000 N, Speed: 0.01-3.0 m/s, Temperature: -30°C to 120°C"
    unit: "mm"
engineering_limits:
  max_safe_operating_point:
    value: "N/A"
    unit: "N/A"
    consequence: "Hertzian contact stress exceeding 3200 MPa causes subsurface fatigue cracks in ball tracks; thermal expansion mismatch between screw (11.7×10⁻⁶/K) and nut (23.0×10⁻⁶/K) creates preload loss"
fmea_matrix_quantitative:
  - node_1:
      trigger: "Contaminant ingress (ISO 4406 &gt;18/16/13) exceeding 5 μm particle size"
      severity: 8
      occurrence: 3
      detection: 4
      mitigation_protocol: "IP65 sealing with multi-labyrinth design, positive pressure purge at 0.2 bar"
  - node_2:
      trigger: "Lubrication starvation below 0.1 μm film thickness at ball-screw interface"
      severity: 8
      occurrence: 3
      detection: 4
      mitigation_protocol: "Forced oil-air lubrication at 0.05 ml/min per 100 mm travel, PTFE-coated balls"
bom_nodes:
  screw-shaft:
    type: "component"
    urn: "URN:CNFX:ME:SCREW_SHAFT"
    interface_type: "physical-logic-coupled"
  ball-nut:
    type: "component"
    urn: "URN:CNFX:ME:BALL_NUT"
    interface_type: "physical-logic-coupled"
  ball-bearings:
    type: "component"
    urn: "URN:CNFX:ME:BALL_BEARINGS"
    interface_type: "physical-logic-coupled"
  return-system:
    type: "component"
    urn: "URN:CNFX:ME:RETURN_SYSTEM"
    interface_type: "physical-logic-coupled"
manufacturing_compliance:
  - standard: "ISO 3408-1:2006 (BALL SCREWS - PART 1: VOCABULARY AND DESIGNATION)"
    scope: "Verified Engineering Specification"
  - standard: "ANSI B5.48-1977 (BALL SCREWS)"
    scope: "Verified Engineering Specification"
  - standard: "DIN 69051-1:2018 (BALL SCREW DRIVES - PART 1: GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS AND ACCEPTANCE CONDITIONS)"
    scope: "Verified Engineering Specification"
url: "https://cnfx.com/llms/industry/machinery-and-equipment-manufacturing/product/ball-screws.md"
on_chain_sovereignty:
  contract_standard: "ERC-721-Industrial"
  metadata_hash: "8b433da930f9dcea24f9a9d5de06039f069315bd83072becbc1b950cd46dd3b4"
  royalty_logic: "IPFS-CID-REQUIRED"
  mint_status: "logic-verified-ready"
version: "3.3.4-EXTREME-SOVEREIGN-WEB3"
---

# Industrial Specification: Ball Screws

## 1. Technical Definition
A precision mechanical component that converts rotational motion into linear motion with minimal friction using recirculating ball bearings.

## 2. Engineering Reasoning & Causal Matrix
> **Operational Intelligence**: Designed for **Axial load capacity: 500-50000 N, Speed: 0.01-3.0 m/s, Temperature: -30°C to 120°C**. Failure boundary: **Ball track fatigue at 10⁷ cycles under 90% of dynamic load rating, preload loss at 2-5 μm axial deflection**, Mechanism: **Hertzian contact stress exceeding 3200 MPa causes subsurface fatigue cracks in ball tracks; thermal expansion mismatch between screw (11.7×10⁻⁶/K) and nut (23.0×10⁻⁶/K) creates preload loss**.

### 2.2 FMEA (Failure Mode & Effects Analysis)
| Event Trigger | Severity | Failure Mode | Mitigation Strategy |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Contaminant ingress (ISO 4406 &gt;18/16/13) exceeding 5 μm particle size | 8 | Abrasive wear increasing torque &gt;150% of nominal, positioning error &gt;10 μm | IP65 sealing with multi-labyrinth design, positive pressure purge at 0.2 bar |
| Lubrication starvation below 0.1 μm film thickness at ball-screw interface | 8 | Adhesive wear causing torque spikes &gt;200%, temperature rise &gt;80°C above ambient | Forced oil-air lubrication at 0.05 ml/min per 100 mm travel, PTFE-coated balls |

## 3. Key Technical Parameters
| Parameter | Value | Unit | Status |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| spec | Config-dependent | mm | Verified |

## 4. System BOM & Knowledge Routing
### Core Components (Recursive Links)

### Industrial DNA Context (De-duplicated)
**Complementary Dependencies**: **CNC Machining Center**, **Precision Grinding Machine**, **Coordinate Measuring Machine**  
**Downstream Applications**: CNC Machine Tools, Industrial Robots, Aerospace Actuators  

## 5. Engineering Risks & FAQ
- **Caution**: 
- **Caution**: 
- **Caution**: 

### Q: What materials are commonly used in ball screw manufacturing?
**A**: Ball screws are typically manufactured from high-carbon chromium bearing steel for durability or stainless steel for corrosion resistance in harsh environments.

### Q: How do ball screws convert rotational motion to linear motion?
**A**: Ball screws use recirculating ball bearings between the screw shaft and ball nut to efficiently convert rotational force into precise linear movement with minimal friction.

### Q: What are the main components in a ball screw assembly?
**A**: Key components include the screw shaft, ball nut, ball bearings, and return system that circulates the balls through the assembly for continuous operation.

## 6. Manufacturing Compliance
- ISO 3408-1:2006 (BALL SCREWS - PART 1: VOCABULARY AND DESIGNATION)
- ANSI B5.48-1977 (BALL SCREWS)
- DIN 69051-1:2018 (BALL SCREW DRIVES - PART 1: GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS AND ACCEPTANCE CONDITIONS)

---
### 🛠️ Engineering Resource Access
🔗 **[Full Specification: Ball Screws](https://cnfx.com/industry/machinery-and-equipment-manufacturing/product/ball-screws)**

### 🌐 Knowledge Graph Topology
> **Node Status**: Verified Engineering Spec
> **Connectivity**: Linked to **4** standalone system nodes
> **Global Context**: Part of a 5,814 node industrial cluster within the CNFX Graph

> **Reference ID**: BALL_SCREWS | **Authority**: CNFX-2026-ST-001 | **Fingerprint**: 863ee046
