What Are The Causes of High Noise From The Reciprocating Screw?

The high noise of the reciprocating screw (including ball screws, trapezoidal screws, etc.) is usually caused by multiple factors such as mechanical wear, poor lubrication, installation deviation, improper operating parameters, and external interference. The specific causes can be classified into the following six categories:

1. Poor lubrication (the most common cause)

1.1 Insufficient lubrication or dry friction: If the lubricating grease dries up, is missing, or is of the wrong type, the balls and the rollers (or the screw surfaces) lose the oil film protection, resulting in high-frequency sharp friction sounds (“clicking” sounds) or “sizzling” sounds, often accompanied by component heating.

1.2 Aging or deteriorated lubricating grease: If the lubricating grease has been used for a long time and has formed lumps or dried out, or has mixed in impurities to form oil sludge, the friction resistance increases, resulting in abnormal sounds.

2. Component wear and abnormal clearance

2.1 Component wear: The surface of the balls peels off, becomes misshapen, or the surface of the rollers (or the ball grooves) is scratched or peels off, causing abnormal movement trajectories, resulting in “clicking” or “sizzling” irregular noises.

2.2 Excessive clearance or abnormal preload: If the clearance between the screw and the nut is too large (causing vibration due to clearance), or if the preload of the double nuts is adjusted too heavily (causing the balls to collide more intensely), it will generate periodic abnormal sounds.

2.3 Component aging: The supporting bearings wear out or are damaged, or the coupling is loose, resulting in high-frequency abnormal sounds or “buzzing” resonance sounds under high-speed or heavy-load conditions.

3. Foreign matter intrusion and poor cleanliness

3.1 Impurities jamming: Metal chips, dust, etc. invade the nut, blocking the balls or hindering the movement of the slider, resulting in irregular noises or stuck sounds.

3.2 Surface contaminants: The screw surface rusts, has burrs, or the old grease in the nut forms lumps, causing abnormal movement friction.

4. Installation deviation and mechanical resonance

4.1 Misalignment: The motor shaft and the screw shaft are not concentric (excessive radial or axial deviation), or the base is not flat, resulting in periodic vibration and “buzzing” noises during operation.

4.2 Mechanical resonance: The operating speed approaches the system's natural frequency, or the equipment's rigidity is insufficient, causing vibration and resulting in amplified noise.

5. Operating parameters and working conditions

5.1 Excessive speed: A high speed causes the balls and rollers to collide and rub more intensely, resulting in obvious mechanical noise, especially when operating at high speed over long distances.

5.2 Abnormal load: Abnormal load changes, long-term overloading, or low-speed feed due to differences in static and dynamic friction coefficients causing “slip” vibration (creeping), will also trigger noise.

6. Design and material factors

6.1 Poor screw thread meshing: The meshing of the screw and the nut is not uniform or there are processing errors, resulting in increased tooth surface friction and noise.

6.2 Material and accuracy issues: The screw is bent, the pitch is too large, or the processing accuracy of the components is insufficient, resulting in unstable operation and generating inherent noise.

Troubleshooting suggestions: During the troubleshooting process, the "segmental elimination method" can be adopted. First, disconnect the motor from the screw, and test the motor with no load and manually rotate the screw. Combine the noise characteristics (such as high-frequency sharp sounds, dull buzzing sounds, or irregular clicking sounds) for targeted troubleshooting.

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