Press Release

Press Release

November 12, 2014

NSK Ltd.
Public Relations Department

NSK Develops the World's Fastest High-Load Drive Ball Screw

Faster Acceleration and Feeding for Drive Axis of Injection Molding Machines

NSK Ltd. (NSK; Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan; President and CEO: Norio Otsuka) today announced that it has expanded its series of high-load drive ball screws used by electric injection molding machines. NSK will start selling this series in January 2015 and expects global sales of 1 billion yen in 2016.

NSK exhibited this product at the International Plastic Fair Japan 2014 “IPF 2014” at Makuhari Messe (Chiba) from Tuesday, October 28 to Saturday, November 1, 2014.

World's Fastest High-Load Drive Ball Screw

Development Background

NSK's high-load drive ball screws are mainly used for the injection and clamping drive axes of electronic injection molding machines. NSK began selling these ball screws in 1996, and over time, as the needs for higher speeds, greater sizes and environmental measures have arisen, NSK has expanded this product series, which has a solid reputation for performance and quality.

In recent years, smart phones and tablets have become larger and lighter, driving the need for the light-guide plates used in the displays thereof to be thinner. As a result, it has become necessary to perform high-speed injection molding of the light-guide plates, which in turn has driven the need for the drive ball screw used in injection molding machines to provide higher acceleration and feed speeds.

In response to these needs, NSK has improved the design and production technology of its ball screw to expand its series by adding the world's fastest high-load drive ball screws. These new ball screws will support faster acceleration and feed speeds for the drive axes of injection molding machines.

Features of the Expanded Lineup

Expansion of the HTF-SRE Series for Injection axis
1. Wider variety of lead options
NSK expanded the shaft diameter options for its HTF-SRE Series. Up until now, there were only larger sizes available, from 140 to 200 mm, but now the range is 50 to 200 mm, covering small and medium sizes as well. Now it is possible to select the lead option that best matches the specification of an injection molding machine for higher acceleration performance.
2. Compact nut outer diameter
Same compact nut outer diameter dimensions as the HTF-SRC Series, which is widely used for injection axes. This makes it compatible with the same mounting dimensions as conventional injection axis.
Expansion of the HTF-SRD Series for Clamping axis
1. Realization of top feed speeds of 2 to 3 m/s
With the addition of larger lead sizes for high-load drive applications, this series achieves top speeds of around 2 to 3 m/sec, double the feed speed of conventional ball screws. This improved feed speed for clamping axis results in short cycle times for improved productivity.
2. Low noise
Thanks to the smooth ball circulation method, this series reduces noise to about half that of the conventional tube types, which makes for quieter machine operation.
Requirements for Ball Screws in Super Rapid Feeding
Meeting Needs by Expanding Series Lineup
Lineup After Series Expansion