Helix Linear Blog - Acme Screws, Lead Screws, metric lead screws, Linear actuators

Lead screws and ball screws have been the most trusted and cost effective means of translating rotational energy to linear motion.

Once thought of as little more than a cheap substitute for ball screws and only suitable for limited use in less demanding applications, lead screws (sometimes called lead screws, power screws, acme screws or translation screws) have evolved and now offer many significant advantages over alternative technologies

The use of syringe pumps for medical treatment and chemical/biomedical research has substantially increased in recent years. The most common application for these small infusion pumps is to gradually administer intravenous medications to patients, including pain-killing analgesics, nausea-suppressing anti-emetics, and other drugs.

Today’s motion-driven automation environments demand effective linear motion control systems, such as lead screws and ball screws. Although lead screws are often seen as less expensive substitutes for ball screws, making a decision on which type of screw to use is a lot more complicated than focusing solely on cost.