There’s a chance you recently started noticing a decrease in production and a mechanical issue you can’t quite pinpoint. If so, your machine’s ball screws might need repair. Over time, pieces and parts wear with use, increasing production rates and age. Additionally, when machinery isn’t operating at optimum efficiency, safety becomes a concern.

Here’s a brief guide on how to tell if your machine’s ball screws need repair and how to act on it!

Watch for Signs of Wear

Various signs notify you that a ball screw is an issue in the machine. Here are a few prominent concerns and things to inform your servicing engineer.

• Excessive heat released from any parts of the machine
• Clicking or grinding noises coming from internal systems
• Any noticeable vibration
• Distress or fatigue on surfaces
• Discoloration from overheating on parts of the ball screw

Should any of these signs become persistent, it’s critical to have an expert perform ball screw repair services promptly.

Common Reasons for Signs of Wear

When evaluating the signs of a dysfunctional ball screw that needs repair, it’s vital you go one step further to get to the root cause. Knowing these issues can help a complete repair and recovery of the machine and ensure the overall safety of the operators and the work environment. The following is a list of the possible root causes resulting in worn ball screws:

• The operator exceeds or overloads the capacity limits, which results in mechanical failures over time.
• It surpasses the designated critical speed for a ball screw.
• There is improper alignment causing the machine to load inaccurately and wear the ball screw down.
• You haven’t followed up with proper inspections when a machine crashes or shows signs of fatigue.

Action Steps

You can take a few action steps to repair or replace a failing ball screw. If the problems are recurring, it’s best to contact the OEM (original equipment manufacturer). In other scenarios, reach out to us at Wedin International, and we can evaluate and adequately assess the concerns and damages and offer services for repair.

If you aren’t sure how to tell if your machine’s ball screws need repair, contact us today! We are industry-leading experts in lead and ball screw repair and replacement.