Lead screws are used specifically for machinery that translates rotational motion to linear motion. They are considered 25% to 70% efficient and are quiet and vibration-free, making them ideal for equipment found in medical labs, desktop CD/DVD duplication devices and similar places. Ball lead screws are more efficient (usually about 90%), but also more costly. They are especially suited for situations that require high precision and smooth motion. Both types of screws must usually be well lubricated.

Lead screws and ball lead screws both come in a wide variety of sizes. Some are measured in inches, while others use the metric system. In this guide, you will discover sources for:

1. Metric lead screw products,

2. Lead screws in inches,

3. And ball lead screws.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Search out industrial lead screws in metric units

All types of lead screws come in metric measurements, including double lead screw products, segmented lead screws, linear lead screw items and CNC lead screw products. Most lead screw manufacturers and distributors carry most of these types of lead screws.

I recommend: Thread-Craft offers a variety of metric lead screws and assemblies for commercial needs. Keystone Threaded Products provides high strength metric lead screws for manufacturing. Universal Thread Grinding Company sells high quality metric lead screws for businesses.

Find lead screws in inches

All types of lead screws are usually available in inches. Additionally, many lead screw manufacturers and distributors provide conversion information for lead screws that easily translate from metric to inches.

I recommend: Nook Industries carries standard lead screws in inches. Danaher Motion offers a wide variety of industrial lead screws in inches. Roton Products offers a good selection of lead screws sold in inches to businesses.

Discover ball lead screws

Ball screws (also called ball bearing lead screws) have a train of ball bearings riding between the lead screw and the nut. The screw itself is rounded to conform to the balls. Distributors who sell traditional lead screws often also carry ball screws, but they're considered something of a speciality. Many sources also provide custom lead screw design, or do repairs on existing ball lead screws.

I recommend: Emcor specializes in ball lead screw manufacturing for shorter production runs and individual assembles. Lead Screws International creates ball screws; they also provide ball lead screw repairs. Techno offers lead ball screws in both metric and inches for business needs.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Lead screws and ball lead screws are the workhorses of modern machinery. However, you must carefully consider load requirements when choosing these types of screws. Experts say that many times, applications are either over-engineered (leading to overly expensive screws) or under-engineered (leading to screw failure).