Lead screw drives with various options

Rolled lead screw drives from Feinmess Suhl with plastic nut. (Image: Feinmess Suhl GmbH)

Ground sliding screw drives from Feinmess Suhl with a nut made of chrome steel. (Image: Feinmess Suhl GmbH)

Grinding of the finest lead screws has been a core competence of the company since its founding over 140 years ago – today part of the Steinmeyer Group. They form the heart of the precision sliding lead screws of the manufacturer and can now be customized through comprehensive manufacturing options to meet the requirements of various industries and applications.

The spindles of the versatile sliding lead screws from Suhl can be made from various materials such as steel, stainless steel, or corrosion-resistant steel, and produced using different processes: ground or rolled. Additionally, the company can produce various thread types, sizes, directions, and pitch numbers according to customer specifications. Ground spindles are available with a pitch of ≥ 0.2 mm and an angle of up to 40°, with diameters ranging from 2 mm to 25 mm. The same pitch is possible for rolled spindles – but with an angle of up to 90° and diameters from 3 mm to 25 mm.

Special materials and elaborate geometries

Feinmess Suhl manufactures single to seven-start spindles up to three meters in length, with a wide range of options regarding thread geometry: from metric, UTS, and Whitworth to trapezoidal, sawtooth, or custom shapes. Additionally, special coatings for enhanced surface hardness, corrosion protection, or low-friction lubricants (PTFE) can be realized – ideal for use in demanding environments. Moreover, the wear-resistant sliding lead screws offer simple assembly, defined free-running, minimal play, and precise shape and dimensional accuracy up to tolerance grade 4 for the highest positioning precision in the micron range. Due to the sliding friction inherent in sliding lead screws, they can also be dimensioned to be self-locking, with the nut held in place by frictional adhesion on the spindle.

Nut variants for greater flexibility

Maximum flexibility in the design of sliding lead screws is offered by nuts with their various options regarding shape, preload, play, or material. Shapes such as cylinder, flange, or low-play variants are available. Additionally, Feinmess Suhl offers spring-preloaded nuts for limited axial play or optionally fitted or paired variants for low play and small torque. Special shapes for installation in customer-specific spaces are no problem for the manufacturer, as well as adjustments of torque and axial play – even in small batch sizes. The nuts can be made from brass, bronze, steel, or stainless steel, or plastics, according to specific requirements.

Comprehensive lubricant options

Depending on the application and industry, Feinmess Suhl offers suitable lubricant options such as low-friction grease, permanent lubrications, as well as cleanroom- or food-compatible variants. Operation of the sliding lead screws without lubricant is also possible.