Thomson motorised lead screws: more thrust, smaller footprint

Through precision engineering, Thomson Motorised Lead Screws can offer up to 30 per cent more load capacity than other comparable products, without increasing installation footprint. Optimised motor performance matched with screw and nut design produces a higher-performing product with reduced power consumption, low noise and longer battery life in a more compact product. The more efficient motors used in the range are cooler running, so that greater torque can be generated using higher power input without overheating. The increased thrust provided in a small package size by this product range allows machine designers to reduce their machine footprint while achieving reliable, precision performance.

Traditional lead screws with direct couplings are permanently attached to the motor, making them difficult to replace and maintain. Thomson's innovative Taper Lock technology (patent pending) enables quick connection / decoupling of the lead screw and the stepper motor. The speed and ease of this connection means machines can be rapidly prototyped, maintenance time is reduced and spares inventory can be better optimised. Using Taper Lock also assures that the connection between the lead screw and motor is secure, robust and correctly aligned.

Thomson motorised lead screws are available in two motor configurations: Rotating Screw (S) and Rotating Nut (N). They come in standard and high precision variants and have a wide range of standard options to give designers flexibility and ensure a close match to the application. NEMA frame sizes between 11 and 23 can be selected with various lead screws available in metric and imperial sizes. Stepper resolutions range from 0.005mm to 0.1mm and the NEMA 23 variant delivers a maximum axial thrust of up to 890 N. Single and double stack configurations are also available where more load capacity is required. As with other products, Thomson offers an efficient customisation service for the Motorised Lead Screws to meet exact customer needs if required.

Motorised lead screws are suitable for a wide variety of linear motion applications where precision, reliability and design flexibility are advantageous. Unlike traditional stepper motor and lead screw configurations, the units eliminate the drive coupling and an external bearing support. The resulting compact product envelope offers engineers a much smaller footprint to integrate into their designs.

The simpler design of the Thomson motorised lead screw also means it has a reduced number of components compared with other products. Their design decreases overall machine complexity reduces assembly time and offers a longer stroke length than traditional options. Combined with the benefit of easily connected, self-aligning assembly and straightforward decoupling of components for easy installation and maintenance, they are simple and reliable.

Precise linear motion

The quiet, smooth and clean operation of the Thomson motorised lead screws adds benefit in many industries, particular in the medical market where these attributes are of particular importance. The Rotating Screw (S) lead screw is suitable in applications that require precise linear motion with external supports, such as medical devices and 3D printers. The Rotating Nut (N) lead screw serves application that also require precise linear motion but that have integrated anti-rotation. Examples here include medical pumps, HVAC control valves, pipetting machines and CNC applications.

The flexibility, easy installation and performance this new range offers gives real value and benefit to machine builders. Thomson provides expert, global support along with comprehensive online tools to help simplify the product selection process and optimise your design.

This new range of motorised lead screws and their features will be presented for the first time in Europe during a Thomson webinar on 20 May 2015. Interested parties can register for the free, live webinar at goo.gl/xtgJYm.

For more information about the Thomson motorised lead screw please visit www.thomsonlinear.com/motorized and www.thomsonlinear.com/mls.