How to adjust the clearance between the ball screw and the support seat ?

Regular inspection and adjustment of the gap between the ball screw and the support seat is an important measure to ensure the accuracy, stability and life of mechanical equipment. The following are detailed steps and precautions:

1. Inspection steps

Manual inspection

Turn off the power of the equipment, rotate the screw manually, and feel whether there is abnormal resistance or looseness.

Push and pull the screw axially to check whether there is obvious gap (usually the allowable axial clearance should be less than 0.01-0.05mm, refer to the equipment manual for details).

Dial indicator measurement

Fix the dial indicator near the support seat and the probe against the end face of the screw.

Push and pull the screw axially and record the change in the dial indicator reading, which is the axial gap.

If the gap exceeds the standard (such as exceeding the manufacturer's recommended value), it needs to be adjusted.

Operation status inspection

Run the equipment at a low speed to observe whether there is vibration, abnormal noise or positioning deviation.

Use a vibration analyzer or stethoscope to assist in diagnosing abnormalities.

2. Adjustment method

Adjust the preload of the support seat

Angular contact bearing support seat: adjust the preload through the locking nut (refer to the manufacturer's torque value).

Loosen the locking nut and tighten it gradually with a torque wrench, while turning the screw to ensure smoothness.

Remeasure the gap after pre-tightening until it reaches the standard.

Deep groove ball bearing support seat: If the gap is too large, you may need to replace the bearing or add a gasket.

Replace worn parts

If the gap is still too large after adjustment, check whether the bearing, screw nut or support seat is worn.

Replace worn bearings or screw nuts (note to replace angular contact bearings in pairs).

Calibrate parallelism and coaxiality

Use a micrometer to check the parallelism of the screw and the guide rail (generally ≤0.02mm/m).

If the mounting surface of the support seat is deformed, it needs to be reprocessed or corrected with a gasket.

3. Maintenance cycle and precautions

Cycle recommendation

Ordinary equipment: Check once every 3-6 months.

High-precision/high-frequency equipment: monthly inspection or by running hours (such as 500 hours).

New equipment needs to be re-tightened after 1 month of first operation.

Key points

Use the original factory specified grease to avoid mixing different greases.

After adjustment, it is necessary to run the test without load, and then gradually load and verify.

Record the data of each inspection to track the wear trend.

Safety tips

Be sure to turn off the power and release the system pressure before adjustment.

Avoid excessive pre-tightening, otherwise it will cause the bearing to heat up and reduce its life.

4. Tools and consumables

Necessary tools: dial indicator, torque wrench, feeler gauge, micrometer.

Consumables: grease, seals, spare bearings (models must match).

Through systematic inspection and adjustment, the transmission error can be effectively reduced and the service life of the ball screw system can be extended. If the problem is complex (such as screw bending), it is recommended to contact professional maintenance personnel.

If you have any questions, please contact us. Any ball screw problem can be solved.