How is ball screw backlash minimized or eliminated?
A. To reduce backlash in a ball nut, it is possible to load the assembly with larger than nominal ball bearings. This will reduce but not eliminate backlash. With plastic nuts it is possible to selectively fit the nut to the screw for reduced backlash. To eliminate backlash it is necessary to “Preload” the nut assembly. With rolled thread lead screw assemblies a resilient nut design is needed. Double nuts with springs, spring loaded antibacklash supernuts, and the ZB Ball Nut are examples of these kinds of preloads.
