Re: Ball screw accuracy

Ron Brown wrote:

> All,
>
> I tried to navigate the hiwin website. But, with a telephone company that has the maximum capacity of 19,200 BPS, I sent an e-mail instead.
>
> 'Sal' with sales stated there were two ballscrews available. One with .003" accuracy per foot; the other with ground threads and .0005" accuracy per foot. Prices are $650 and $950.
>
> Are ballscrews suitable for 'hand' operation. I have been told ballscrews allow too much feedback and are not suitable for manual operation.

Sure, there are people who swear by them. But, you DO have to handle them differently.
The lack of friction allows the table to back-drive the screws, so if you ever let go of the
handles during a cut, it can take off. If you are doing a climb cut, it can cause a disasterous
crash. It is pretty essential to have all but one axis locked, and never take your hand
off the unlocked one. A power feed or CNC system is a great aid.

Jon