Engineering

Guide Thread Characteristics

Centralizing thread class acme screws are

manufactured with tighter flank tolerances and
limited major diameter clearances. The
combination of these features helps prevent the
previously described operating scenario which
can occur with general class threads Duff-
Norton screw and nut assemblies ranging from
1/2” to 2 1/2” use centralizing thread forms.

Side loaded
C Class Nut

The three primary thread form types Duff-Norton offers:

Acme and Modified Square Threads, and Ball Screw
Threads Normally
loaded nut

Modified square thread screws have straight-sided

flanks. Larger size Duff-Norton acme screws have the
modified square thread form. There is no measurable
performance difference between the modified square Stub Acme thread forms are used in some of
and acme thread forms. the small diameter screws and are made with
the same tolerance characteristics as our
Acme thread screws have a nominal depth of thread of centralizing threads, but have a thread depth
0.50 x pitch and have a 29° included thread angle result- less than one half the normal acme pitch.
ing in a angled tooth shape (some sizes have 40°).

There are three main classes of Acme thread forms: Ball thread screws have a rounded / gothic arch
General Purpose (G), Centralizing (C), and Stub shape design to match the bearing balls within the
Acme. ball nut. The ball nut will also have the same rounded /
gothic arch shape. All ball screws are heat treated.
General thread class acme screws and nuts Most ball screws are manganese phosphate coated,
are manufactured with broader tolerances and some ball screws are black oxide coated.
clearances. In some horizontal applications a
G class screw and nut assembly might bottom
out and lock up when the nuts’ thread flanks
come into contact with the screws thread flanks.
Duff-Norton screw and nut assemblies 3” in
diameter and larger use general class thread
forms.

Side loaded
G Class Nut
Ball nut interior - Contact points and clearance
under normal conditions

106 For additional assistance, contact our Customer Service at (800) 477-5002
 Engineering
Screw Characteristics Guide

Screw Starts Root Diameter

The number of independent threads on the screw shaft: The diameter of the screw at the bottom of the thread
one, two, or four. groove.

Standard Screw Lengths and Materials

Most screws are available with right hand threads
Single Start Screw - (our 4.5” and 5” acme screws are supplied with Left
Lead & Pitch are the same Hand threads as standard). Left hand thread screws
may be available in other sizes depending on order
requirements.

Standard screw lengths are 36", 72", and 144". Some

custom ball screws are available in 240" lengths
depending on screw diameter. Custom length acme
screws over 144" can be manufactured based on
Double Start Screw - material availability.
Lead is 2 X Pitch
Stainless steel screws can be provided for many
diameters and leads.

Production Processing
Duff-Norton employs three production techniques to
manufacture screws.

Four Start Screw -

Lead is 4 X Pitch Rolled Acme screws – use a combination of
feed rates and compression through a machine
with cylindrical dies to roll a screw into its
desired form.

Machine cut Acme screws – use high-end

Lead flat bed machines and several different cutting
The distance the nut advances along the screw in techniques to produce the desired form.
one revolution (lead = pitch x number of starts).
Rolled ball screws – are rolled, induction
Pitch hardened, inspected for quench cracks, and
then manganese phosphate or black oxide
The distance along the screw axis from a point on coated.
one thread to a corresponding point on the adjacent
thread.
There are only minor screw surface finish differences
Lead Error resulting from rolling or machine cutting Acme screws,
All forms of screw production yield minor and there are production and functional advantages
inconsistencies in the distance between screw and disadvantages to screws made from either
threads. This difference is commonly referred to as process.
lead error and is the difference between what the
travel should be and what the travel is. For example: Good and consistent lubrication is much more important
if an assembly were programmed to travel 24” and to a successful application than whether or not a
the screws’ lead error was .004 inch per foot, the screw was cut or rolled. All screw and nut systems
actual distance traveled could be from 23.996” to should be lubricated often enough or in such a
24.004”. Most modern day controls and programs fashion the lubricant film is always present.
are sophisticated enough to account and correct for
lead error.
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 Engineering
Guide Nut Characteristics

Bronze Acme Nuts Flanges

Through our years of experience Duff-Norton has All ball nut flanges are made from steel and black
chosen and uses two different bronze blends based oxided. Smaller size acme nut flanges are also made
on the desired performance characteristics. The from steel and black oxided. Larger size acme nuts
bronze used for our smaller size nut performs have an integral bronze flange.
extremely well in applications where the probability of
friction and wear are high (Yield 49,000 psi, Ultimate
Strength 68,000 psi, Hardness 74 Rockwell B min, CAUTION
Thermal Conductivity 58 BTU (Sqft-ft-hr-f)).
Flange Installation
Larger size acme nuts use a different bronze selected During installation, after threading the flange and
for strength, abrasion, and impact properties (Yield nut together; the nut may be drilled and tapped
29,500 psi, Ultimate Strength 74,500 psi, Compressive from the back end for a set screw. While spot
Strength 100,000 psi, Hardness 170 BHN). drilling the nut and flange assembly avoid getting
metal chips in the nuts’ ball threads. Then install
Plastic Acme Nuts a dog point set screw or pin to secure the
Duff-Norton plastic acme nuts are made from a high assembly.
viscosity homopolymer with Teflon fibers and serve
most industrial applications very well (Tensile Strength
7,700 psi @ 73º F, Ultimate Strength 7,700 psi @ 73º F,
PV Limit @ ft-lbs 11,000). Specialty plastics may
be provided upon request.

Ball Nuts
Duff-Norton ball nuts are provided with external bearing
ball return tubes with a deflector which helps provide
a smooth and quiet ball re-circulation. Our ball nuts
can be supplied with flanges and wiper kits. All ball
nuts are carburized, and black oxide coated. Some
ball nuts are also provided with a load lock spring
which helps prevent the ball nut from failing if the ball
threads or return tubes are worn out.

CAUTION
Ball Nut Installation
Ball nuts are normally supplied on arbors. After
clipping the retaining binder, care must be taken
to slide or position the arbor onto or next to the
ball screw. Rotate the screw or ball nut so that
the ball nut clears the screws end before removing
the arbor from its position. Ball nut removal should
be done the same way. Failure to perform these
actions may result in the bearing balls falling out
of the ball nut and possible loss of bearing balls.
While being installed or handled it is strongly
advised that temporary stops such as tape or
rubber bands be positioned on either end of the
ball nut and only removed after installation is
complete.

108 For additional assistance, contact our Customer Service at (800) 477-5002
 Engineering
Performance Characteristics Guide

Static Capacity Ball Nut orientation

The maximum dead weight load the screw and nut Proper orientation is important in horizontal applications.
assembly can advisably hold. Return tubes located on one side of the ball nut only
should be mounted facing up. Return tubes located
on opposing sides of the ball nut should be mounted
Dynamic Capacity
horizontally. Ball nut return tubes should not be
The maximum load the screw and nut assembly can
installed in a downward position.
advisably move.

Backdriving
Efficiency
Generally speaking, any acme screw with a lead
A ratio of work output and work input with the difference
greater than .250” may be subject to backdriving or
being lost energy. These ratios are calculated as
creep. Backdriving is when the force of the static
lubricated efficiencies and will vary depending on the
load causes the undriven screw to rotate. The use of
nut material.
a brake motor is recommended in these applications.
Acme screws with diameters .750” or larger and leads
Torque to Raise .250” or less are inherently self-locking.
The amount of rotational force required to move
one pound of load. Backlash
Backlash results from the space tolerance
Acme Life between the threads of the screw & nut and always
As mentioned, Duff-Norton manufactures our acme increases with use. This undesirable motion will
product from high quality materials. Still, there are occur when the load is changing direction, and the
too many variables involved in a given application for load shifts to the opposite thread flank.
us to accurately predict acme nut life. This is largely
due to inconsistent lubrication, and also the friction of
dissimilar metals rubbing against one another.

Ball Life
Because of the ball screw and nut design, these
assemblies operate very efficiently and life ratings can
be provided. Please see page 115.

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 Engineering
Guide

Load Conditions Load Definitions

End Fixity
The method by which the screw’s ends are supported. Static Load
There are 3 common methods of end fixity which are The maximum dead-weight load that can be applied
frequently used in 4 combinations. “Free” support to a non-moving system.
means the screw end is not supported. “Simple”
support means the screw end is supported at one Dynamic Load
point only. “Fixed” support means the screw end is The maximum recommended load that can be
rigidly restrained. moved by a system.

PV Load
Fixed - Free The severity of an application is something which
should be considered when selecting a screw and nut
Double bearing support on one screw end, the system as all nuts are subject to heat buildup. The
other end is not supported. amount of pressure on the nut and surface velocity
greatly impact system temperature. PV Values and
formulas for Duff-Norton acme nuts provided on
Simple - Simple page 111.
Single bearing support on both screw ends.
Tension Load
Occurs when a load pulls on the screw and its
support.
Fixed - Simple
Double bearing support on one screw end, Compression Load
single bearing support on the other screw Occurs when a load pushes on the screw and its
end. support.

Radial Load
Fixed - Fixed
Occuring either from the side or over-turning of
Double bearing support on both screw ends. the nut while travelling along the screw may be
detrimental to system performance. Our customer
service team will be glad to discuss your application
Column Strength
with you to determine the best installation for your
All screws loaded in compression are subject to application.
buckling or bending although screw end-fixity can
greatly impact column strength. It is important to
understand the point at which these conditions are
likely to occur. Please consult the tables on pages
113 & 116 for more information.

Critical Speed
Is the maximum recommended rate at which the
screw should be turned. Critical speeds are highly
subject to screw diameter, length, and end-fixity.
Please consult pages 112 & 114.

110 For additional assistance, contact our Customer Service at (800) 477-5002
 Engineering
PV Values Guide

Bronze Max Speed at Plastic Max Speed at

Nut P/N P factor Rated Load (in/min) Nut P/N P factor Rated Load (in/min)
050ANB010 1.56 11
050ANB020 2.93 22
050ANB025 3.93 27 050ANP025 3.93 8
050ANB050 3.93 55 050ANP050 3.93 16

063ANB010 1.23 9
063ANB013 1.26 11
063ANB020 2.31 17
063ANB025 3.14 22 063ANP025 3.14 6
063ANB050 3.07 44 063ANP050 3.07 14

075ANB010 0.68 7
075ANB020 0.72 15
075ANB025 0.75 18 075ANP025 0.75 11
075ANB050 0.75 36 075ANP050 0.75 25
075ANB100 0.74 73 075ANP100 0.74 46

100ANB010 0.5 5
100ANB020 0.53 11
100ANB025 0.48 14 100ANP025 0.48 10
100ANB050 0.48 27 100ANP050 0.48 22
100ANB100 0.48 55 100ANP100 0.48 40

150ANB010 0.2 4
150ANB025 0.19 9
150ANB038 0.18 14 150ANP038 0.18 12
150ANB050 0.21 18 150ANP050 0.21 12

200ANB025 0.12 7
200ANB050 0.12 14

225ANB025 0.11 6
225ANB050 0.12 12

250ANB025 0.09 5
250ANB050 0.11 11

300ANB032 0.07 6
300ANB066 0.07 12

375ANB067 0.06 10
375ANB133 0.06 19
375ANB032 0.32 5

450ANB032 0.25 4
450ANB066 0.11 8

500ANB066 0.05 7

600ANB075 0.03 7
600ANB100 0.02 9

700ANB100 0.02 8

900ANB100 0.01 6

The “Maximum PV value” for plastic nuts is 11,000

The “Maximum PV value” for bronze nuts is 50,000
The PV calculation method is:
1) Find P; P = Actual Load (pounds) x Pf (P factor)
2) Find V; V = .2618 x Nominal diameter of the screw (inches) x Rotational speed of the screw (rev per minute)
3) Compare the results to the maximum limit: P x V must be less than “Maximum PV Value”
Note: Rotational speed of the screw (revolutions per minute) = Linear speed of the screw (inches per minute) / Lead of the screw (inches per revolution)

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 Engineering
Guide Critical Speeds - Acme Screw

10,000

1000
Acme Screw Critical Speed (rpm)

9.00 Mod Sq

7.00 Mod Sq
6.00 Mod Sq
5.00 Mod Sq
4.50 Mod Sq

3.75 Acme
100
3.00 Acme
2.50 Acme
2.25 Acme
2.00 Acme

1.50 Acme

1.00 Acme

.750 Acme
.625 Acme

.500 Acme

10
0 50 100 150 200 250

Maximum Distance Between End Supports (in) Fixed - Free

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400

Maximum Distance Between End Supports (in) Simple - Simple

0 100 200 300 400 500

Maximum Distance Between End Supports (in) Fixed - Simple

0 100 200 300 400 500 600

Maximum Distance Between End Supports (in) Fixed - Fixed

For best performance results always design your system to operate at parameters below and to the left of a given screw’s curve. The “Fixed-
Simple” bearing support structure is recommended for most applications.

112 For additional assistance, contact our Customer Service at (800) 477-5002
 Engineering
Small Acme Screw Column Strength Guide

1,000,000

For best performance

results; the “Fixed-Simple”
bearing support structure
100,000 is recommended for most
applications. For vertical
Max Compression Load (lbs)

applications; tensions
load structures are
2.25" Acme
recommended.
2.00" Acme
10,000

1.50" Acme

1.00" Acme

.75" Acme

1,000 .625" Acme

.50" Acme

100
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45

Maximum Distance Between End Supports (in) Fixed - Free

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
Maximum Distance Between End Supports (in) Simple - Simple

0 15 30 45 60 75 90 105
Maximum Distance Between End Supports (in) Fixed - Simple

0 15 30 45 60 75 90 105 120 135

Maximum Distance Between End Supports (in) Fixed - Fixed

Large Acme Screw Column Strength

10,000,000

For best performance

results; the “Fixed-Simple”
bearing support structure
is recommended for most
applications. For vertical
Max Compression Load (lbs)

1,000,000 applications; tensions

load structures are
9.00" Mod Sq
recommended.

7.00" Mod Sq
6.00" Mod Sq
5.00" Mod Sq
100,000
4.50" Mod Sq

3.75" Acme

3.00" Acme

2.50" Acme

10,000
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190

Maximum Distance Between End Supports (in) Fixed - Free

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240 260 280 300 320 340 360 380
Maximum Distance Between End Supports (in) Simple - Simple

0 30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240 270 300 330 360 390 420 450 480
Maximum Distance Between End Supports (in) Fixed - Simple

0 30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240 270 300 330 360 390 420 450 480 510 540 570 600
Maximum Distance Between End Supports (in) Fixed - Fixed

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 Engineering
Guide Critical Speeds - Ball Screw

10,000

.750 x .200
.750 x .500
2.00 x .500
2.00 x 1.00

2.25 x .500
2.25 x 1.00

3.00 x .660
4.00 x 1.00
1,000
Ball Screw Critical Speeds (rpm)

.500 x .200
.500 x .500

100

1.50 x .473
1.50 x 1.00
.631 x .200 1.50 x 1.875
1.00 x .250
.631 x 1.00
1.00 x 1.00
1.17 x .413

10
0 6 12 18 24 30 36 42 48 54 60 66 72 78 84 90 96 102 108 114 120
Maximum Distance Between End Supports (in) Fixed - Free

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 200

Maximum Distance Between End Supports (in) Simple - Simple

0 12 24 36 48 60 72 84 96 108 120 132 144 156 168 180 192 204 216 228 240

Maximum Distance Between End Supports (in) Fixed - Simple

0 15 30 45 60 75 90 105 119 134 149 164 179 194 209 224 239 254 269 284 298

Maximum Distance Between End Supports (in) Fixed - Fixed

For best performance results always design your system to operate at parameters below and to the left of a given screw’s curve. The “Fixed-
Simple” bearing support structure is recommended for most applications.

114 For additional assistance, contact our Customer Service at (800) 477-5002
 Engineering
Ball Screw Life Performance Guide

200,000
4.00 x 1.00 2.25 x 1.00
3.00 x .660 2.00 x 1.00
100,000
2.25 x .500

2.00 x .500

10,000
Load for alloy steel (lbs.)

1,000

100 1.50 x .473 1.00 x .250

1.50 x 1.00 .500 x .200
1.50 x 1.875 .750 x .200
1.17 x .413 .500 x .500
.750 x .500 1.00 x .250-2C .631 x .200
1.00 x 1.00 .750 x .200-2C .631 x 1.00

10
0.01 0.1 1 10 100
Life Expectancy
1 = 1,000,000 In. Travel, 2C = Double Circuit Ball Nut

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 Engineering
Guide Ball Screw Column Strength

1,000,000

100,000

4.00 x 1.00

3.00 x .660
Max Compression Load (lbs.)

2.25 x .500 & 2.25 x 1.00

2.00 x .500 & 2.00 x 1.00
10,000
1.50 x 1.875
1.50 x .473 & 1.50 x 1.00

1.17 x .413
1.00 x .250 & 1.00 x 1.00

.750 x .200 & .750 x .500

.631 x .200 & .631 x 1.00

1,000

.500 x .200 & .500 x .500

100
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85
Maximum Distance Between End Supports (in) Fixed - Free

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170

Maximum Distance Between End Supports (in) Simple - Simple

0 14 28 42 57 71 85 99 113 127 141 156 170 184 198 212 226 240

Maximum Distance Between End Supports (in) Fixed - Simple

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240 260 280 300 320 340

Maximum Distance Between End Supports (in) Fixed - Fixed

For best performance results; the “Fixed-Simple” bearing support structure is recommended for most applications. For vertical applications;
tensions load structures are recommended.

116 For additional assistance, contact our Customer Service at (800) 477-5002
 Engineering
Rotary Limit Switches Guide

Limit Switch Installation

Limit Switch
Input Shaft

Cross Simple
Pin End Block

NZ Series
Limit Switch
Acme
or Ball
Limit Switch Screw
Adapter

Instuctions for installing our NZ Series Limit Switches to our Simple End Blocks.

1. The Simple End Block is designed to be a “floating block” and should be moved backwards on to the acme or
ball screw.
2. Mount the bearing in place on the screw’s journal.
3. Insert the cross pin into the hole drilled parallel to the screw’s end, then thread the lock nut in place.
4. Mount the Limit Switch adapter to the NZ Series Limit Switch with the input shaft extending beyond the
adapter’s far edge.
5. Mount the Limit Switch and Adapter to the repositioned Simple End Block’s face, the end of the limit switches
input shaft is slotted to fit into the screw’s end and over the cross pin. The acme or ball screw’s end will now be
flush with the End Blocks face.

Note: Journal Ends and End Block sizes 000 and 001 use a small coupling to connect the Limit Switches input
shaft to the screw’s journal. Contact Customer Service for SKA Series Limit Switch installation instructions.

Rotary Limit Switch Electrical Wiring Diagram and Setting Instructions

1. CAUTION: Disconnect power before making any adjustment.

2. Check drift before adjusting limits.
3. Remove screw "A" and nut guide keeper "B" to adjust limits.
4. Run the screw system to desired limit.
5. Rotate appropriate nut until switch clicks, then turn 1/2 turn more.
6. Replace "A" and "B. "
7. Run the screw system to other limit.
N.O. = Normally Open
8. Repeat steps 2, 4 and 5 to adjust this nut.
N.C. = Normally Closed
Slight adjustments may be necessary. See Performance Specification
Chart on page 83 for notch adjustment value.

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