Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Affordable ball screws

Nic van der Walt wrote:

> >Any leads (no pun intended) on affordable ball screw components/
> >conversion kits?
>
> I have been looking at the EMCO/Rong Fu machines and have a totally
> offbeat
> idea.
>
> The standard leadscrews aren't to bad. If you can somehow drill a couple
> of small
> oil feeds around the centre line of the nut and then pump high pressure
> oil through
> it you form a pretty good imitation of a hydrostatic bearing.
>
> Same thing can be done with the guides etc..
>
> One ebay I see a lot of 12V and 24V hydraulic pumps for tailgate lifts
> etc. selling
> for peanuts. They should work well for something like this.
>
> If you can get enough oil pressure inside the nut you don't have a metal
> to metal situation
> anymore, and the wear and friction drops to virtually nothing. The oil
> can also take up
> most or all of the backlash if done properly.

There are hydrostatic bed machines that use the same principle to lube the
ways. They have oil dams, collector galleys and scavenging pumps.

Jon