Hello all,
We’re doing a physics project and I “borrowed” this screw from our team as we have never used it before and have no idea what its use is. So, now that I’ve shown off the “uber-neat-screw” to everyone, they all want one. Does anyone know what this is called and who makes it?
Thanks
-Tanner
that is called a leadscrew. If that one was from a team from a previous KOP it was made by Kirk Motion http://www.kerkmotion.com/products/lead-screw/lead-screw.asp
you can also get them at mcmaster car www.mcmaster.com
The function of that part is to keep one student occupied playing with it during the entire build season. It doesn’t have to be the same student all the time, they can take turns.
i have one of those on my hobie cat, i have no idea what it does though, so i leave it alone:yikes:
Can’t you connect one directly to a motor and use it to open and close claws and mechanisms of that sort?
Actually, the primary operators of this device should be those who cannot land the lead position for “Time Waster”, whose sole purpose is to use the Igus track throughout the entire season.
Team 79 used one this year to raise and lower our scissorlift.
An awesome device used like crazy on all sorts of machining tools and other great things.
Lead screws FTW!
Sweet guys! Thanks for the info.
Cheers
-Tanner
i know that team 103 has used them last year on their robot, to raise a section of their robot up to knock off the track ball.
Be careful with those lead screws! They apparently have extremely sharp ends that like to cut fingers when trying to spin it. I managed to get a cut from the bottom of my index finger almost to the tip, it wasn’t too pleasant 
Gee… I can’t believe all these teams that let the students play with their leadscrews and IGUS e-chain track… I thought those were to keep the mentors busy!
I also can’t believe that no one has mentioned the coolest part about the leadscrews… you will note that they are quad-start (look at the end of the screw and you’ll see four “bumps”). That means that there are actually four seperate “threads” twisted around the axis of the screw as opposed to just one for a standard “single start” bolt or screw. That is why the nut moves so quickly.
It moves so smoothly because it is magic.
Jason
Our team used two of the lead screws to make each side of our chassis expand out. They were actuated by Globe motors. It worked pretty well for us.
I believe some of the teams with launchers used them to pull back their spring-loaded actuators.
Even cooler than lead screws, in my opinion, are ball screws. They perform the same function as lead screws, but instead of relying on surfaces sliding against each other, they have lots of ball bearings inside (and a mechanism for recirculating the balls between the bottom and top).
So do ball screws do anything better than a lead screw? Or was it just another case of an engineer with to much time on his hands and to many resources? (Creepy Thoughts)
Ball screws have been used in automotive steering gears for the past 50 years or so…
Ball Screws have less friction and maintain a lot higher linear tolerance than lead screws.
They can also handle a heavy load with marginal lubrication.
Hmm, your team is organized different then mine… I always thought the head time-waster got the screw, and the assistant was stuck with the track… especially considering we actually used the track this year!
you will find lead screws and ball screws in machines such as lathes and mills.
they are both do there job very well as for which is better it depends on what you are doing i have been told that for mills and lathes if set up right ball screw tend to be more accurate but u can get real accurate lead screws as well.
