Why Consider Roller Screw Technology
A roller screw is a mechanism for converting rotary torque into linear motion, in a similar manner to acme screws or ball screws. But, unlike those devices, roller screws can carry heavy loads for thousands of hours in the most arduous conditions. This makes roller screws the ideal choice for demanding, continuous-duty applications.
The difference is in the roller screw's design for transmitting forces. Multiple threaded helical rollers are assembled in a planetary arrangement around a threaded shaft (shown below), which converts a motor's rotary motion into linear movement of the shaft or nut.
Roller Screw vs. Hydraulic & Pneumatic — Comparisons
In applications where high loads are anticipated or faster cycling is desired, Exlar's roller screw actuators provide an attractive alternative to the hydraulic or pneumatic options. With their vastly simplified controls, electro-mechanical units using roller screws have major advantages. They do not require a complex support system of valves, pumps, filters and sensors. Thus, Exlar units take up much less space and deliver extremely long working lives with virtually no maintenance. Hydraulic fluid leaks are non-existent. Noise levels are reduced significantly. Additionally, the flexibility of computer programmed positioning can be very desirable in many applications.