A New "Companion" for Powder Presses: High-Precision, Heavy Duty Ball Screws

Powder metallurgy is a manufacturing process that uses metal powders as raw materials to produce finished parts and metal materials through compaction, sintering, and post-processing.
Compared to other processes such as casting and machining, powder metallurgy offers several advantages: parts are produced close to their final dimensions, achieving material utilization rates of up to 95%; high dimensional accuracy minimizes or eliminates the need for further machining; and it excels at forming parts with complex or unique shapes.

1. Growing Market Demand for Powder Metallurgy

Due to the advantages of powder metallurgy technology, it has become key to addressing challenges associated with new materials and plays a pivotal role in their development. It is widely applied in sectors such as automotive, machinery, electronics, and aerospace, driving immense market demand. As the critical equipment for the compaction and forming stage of the production process, powder metallurgy presses represent a market with vast potential.

2. Powder Metallurgy Applications in Automotive Engines

For instance, the engine is widely regarded as the "heart" of an automobile, with its performance directly influencing the vehicle's power and fuel efficiency. Powder metallurgy plays a vital role in automotive engine manufacturing, enabling the production of components—such as crankshafts, connecting rods, and camshafts—that offer high strength, superior wear resistance, and oxidation resistance at high temperatures. Compared to traditional casting and machining methods, powder metallurgy allows for the production of higher-precision components, thereby enhancing engine performance and reliability.

3. Why Powder Metallurgy Presses Need Heavy Duty Ball Screws

As powder metallurgy presses evolve toward higher tonnage, greater precision, and increased intelligence, there is a need to replace traditional hydraulic cylinder systems with "heavy duty ball screw + servo motor" configurations. This shift demands ball screws capable of handling high loads and precision requirements while supporting multi-drive synchronization and compact dimensions.
Simkawa has developed high-precision, heavy duty ball screws specifically for powder metallurgy presses, with successful validation across multiple client applications.

4. Simkawa Heavy Duty Ball Screw Technology

Simkawa achieves the superior characteristics of these high-precision, heavy duty ball screws through a unique high-load raceway profile design, a tangential return structure, specialized heavy-duty thread machining technology (utilizing proprietary equipment), and precision grinding processes.

4.1 High Precision, Zero Backlash

Utilizing a high-precision grinding process, the nut fit clearance is controlled to within 0.005mm. A multi-axis synchronous drive screw assembly enhances lead accuracy and preload consistency. The flatness of pressed parts after sintering reaches within 0.02mm, eliminating the need for grinding or machining and reducing production costs by over 15%.

4.2 High Speed, Low Noise

Features a helical tangent return structure; the DN value has been increased from 90,000 to 140,000, boosting the limiting speed by 55%. The entire series employs a ball retainer design, preventing direct contact between steel balls and effectively reducing operating noise.

4.3 Superior Sealing

Uses a contour-following seal design, improving grease retention by 60% and reducing maintenance frequency by 50%.

4.4 Low Power Consumption

A new series of small-lead, heavy-load products has been developed; this allows for reduced motor power requirements while still meeting load capacity needs.

Summary

The launch of Simkawa heavy duty ball screws will drive the powder press industry toward the adoption of fully electric, high-tonnage models that offer high precision and eliminate the need for grinding, thereby significantly enhancing production efficiency and the quality of pressed parts.