Experimental Study on the Coefficient of Friction of the Ball Screw

The coefficient of friction (COF) is a key factor to estimate the performance of ball screws. Pieces of research focus on the experimental study of the COF, leading to the COF chosen empirically in many studies. To acquire the COF of the ball screw, a measuring system is conducted to detect the friction torque under different preloads and rotational speeds and the effects of the applied axial load and rotational speed on the COF are analyzed. By the curve fitting method, the Stribeck curve of the ball screw is obtained. The experimental results show that the lubricating state can be divided into two categories: the mixed lubrication state and the elastohydrodynamic lubrication state. This study is beneficial to choose a suitable working condition for a different performance of the ball screw.

Automated summary

This study focuses on the coefficient of friction of ball screws and aims to obtain the coefficient of friction through experimental research. The effects of applied axial load and rotational speed on the coefficient of friction are analyzed. The experimental results reveal two lubricating states of the ball screw: mixed lubrication state and elastohydrodynamic lubrication state. This research is beneficial for choosing suitable working conditions for ball screws with different performances.