Home
Back
Friction Torque Equation:
| From: | To: |
Lead screw friction refers to the resistance encountered when a lead screw converts rotational motion to linear motion or vice versa. The friction torque is a critical parameter in mechanical design that affects efficiency, power requirements, and wear.
The calculator uses the friction torque equation:
Where:
Explanation: The equation calculates the torque required to overcome friction in a lead screw assembly based on material properties and geometry.
Details: Accurate friction torque calculation is essential for proper motor sizing, efficiency analysis, and predicting system performance in mechanical systems using lead screws.
Tips: Enter the coefficient of friction (typically 0.01-0.5 for most materials), normal force in newtons, and radius in meters. All values must be positive numbers.
Q1: What is a typical coefficient of friction for lead screws?
A: For steel-on-steel it's about 0.1-0.2, while with bronze nuts it can be 0.01-0.1. Ball screws have much lower friction (0.001-0.01).
Q2: How does lubrication affect the calculation?
A: Proper lubrication can significantly reduce the coefficient of friction, sometimes by 50% or more compared to dry conditions.
Q3: What's the difference between static and kinetic friction?
A: Static friction is higher and applies before movement starts, while kinetic friction applies during motion. This calculator uses kinetic friction values.
Q4: How does thread angle affect friction?
A: The basic equation doesn't account for thread angle. For more precise calculations, the lead angle should be considered in a modified version of the equation.
Q5: Can this be used for ball screw calculations?
A: While the basic principle is similar, ball screws typically have much lower friction coefficients and different calculation methods may be more appropriate.