Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Request for ideas for lathe Z axis ballscrewcovers

Kim and Jon,
The Myford 254 series lathe had just such a leadscrew cover.
See the 254S:
http://www.lathes.co.uk/myford/page6.html
RichD

Jon Elson wrote:

>
> Kim Lux wrote:
>
> >Hi people.
> >
> >We've got a lathe retrofitted with ballscrews, servos, etc. It works
> >great (outstanding actually) except that the ballscrew is getting
> >contaminated with metal filings, etc. This metal is jamming the
> >ballnuts.
> >
> >The Z axis ballscrew is located where the feedrods and lead screw are
> >mounted on a conventional lathe. We've got a roof over the screw, but
> >debris is still getting on it. When cutting, we've got debris flying
> >everywhere.
> >
> >I'd appreciate any and all ideas for covering the ballscrew. Don't
> >forget that a ballnut runs up and down the screw... The best idea we've
> >had thus far is an accordion type tube, kind of like the fork covers on
> >a motorcycle.
> >
> >
> There are a number of designs, but many of them would be REAL hard to
> do without mold tooling. One thing that I have seen is a wide strip of
> spring steel. It is wound into a coil, and diagonal corners of the original
> strip are anchored by a rivet to round bushings at each end. The thing
> works by pulling the coil into a helix as it is stretched out. I think
> one end
> bushing has to be free to rotate around the screw. I'm not sure this
> design can handle the extremes of motion of a lathe.
>
> I had some Gortite bellows that came with some ballscrews off an old
> machine, but they have disintegrated. The guys at our shop got a quote
> on some Gortite bellows, and they are VERY expensive in small
> quantity. They really work nicely, though. There may be some other,
> similar bellows material, like the motorcycle fork covers, that comes in a
> roll, and you cut to length. Certainly worth some searching. I seem to
> recall some cars with rack and pinion steering had some pretty long
> bellows, too.
>
> Jon