The development of mankind is characterized by technological progress. Future-oriented and new technologies have a considerable impact and are essential for the economy and society of the next generation. The pace of development in numerous areas, such as medical, electrical, vehicle and building technology, is breathtaking.
The Internet and modern technologies are having an increasing impact on the manufacturing industry. The trend in the search for energy-efficient means and solutions is also continuing unabated. In the age of automation and miniaturization, a simple mechanical drive element must therefore constantly face new and more ambitious requirements in the respective fields of application.
The fact is, development in mechanics is never finished. The Swiss-based company Eichenberger Gewinde AG has recognized this and uses this opportunity every day. Eichenberger lives by the principle that solution-oriented dialog with the customer is our driving force for new developments. We support and/or enable the innovation of our partners.
Biological role models
Nature is the most successful innovator of all time. Through evolution and biodiversity, living beings have adapted to every available habitat, no matter how inhospitable. Problems that are comparable to technical challenges have been solved by concepts adapted to the environmental conditions. For researchers and developers, this diversity of biological models results in an almost limitless pool of specific answers to technical questions.
Ants, for example, are also frequently used as illustrative models in politics, art and social theory. Few fables are as well-known as the story of the ant and the cricket: while the ant works diligently, sometimes toiling very hard and collecting food, the cricket sings and lazes around all summer and goes hungry in winter.
The resemblance between the admirable ants - hard-working and incredibly powerful - and the cold-formed ball screws from Eichenberger, which have made a name for themselves with their robustness, precision, strength and efficiency, is definitely striking. While the tiger can drag a buffalo weighing 900 kilos many hundreds of meters, the ant is the true Hercules of the animal world. It is capable of carrying around 50 times its body weight. To match the ants, a strong man would have to lift five tons. The cold-rolled ball screw drives (KGT) Carry even exceed this ratio. With a spindle diameter of just 40 mm, a KGT can handle 1000 times the load of its own weight. How is it that Eichenberger's power screw drives (type Carry) are able to withstand such high loads and are so precise?
Carry ball screws, rolled and hardened, meet the highest performance requirements
Ball screw drives are the most widely used drive component for converting rotary motion (rotation) into linear motion (translation) due to their high efficiency η of over 0.9 and the associated energy efficiency. There is hardly an application where the thread specialist from Burg / CH does not already have a solution at hand - or then the customized answer is developed in constructive exchange with the customer.
The core competencies of Eichenberger Gewinde AG lie in thread rolling and hardening. The increase in strength resulting from cold forming is not as important in the manufacture of ball screws as it is in the manufacture of lead screws. Much more important is the continuity of the ball screw profile, which is transferred to the spindle by the solid profile on the extremely stable thread rolling tools. Equally important is the extremely finely compacted surface in the profile. This fineness offers little contact surface for contamination and also ensures that the balls roll quietly.
Higher demands require more expertise. Thanks to years of experience in the field of in-house induction hardening, Eichenberger has acquired a wealth of expertise. While a hardening store is dedicated exclusively to hardening steel, the thread specialist strives to achieve the best possible combination of hardness and precision. With the very large variety of diameters, it is particularly important to find out where the ideal tolerance position occurs in the hardness in order to achieve optimum precision. This is crucial for the high lead accuracy of the ball screw. This challenge must be mastered, especially with small diameters, because the smaller the diameter, the more expertise and intuition are required for hardening. Such high precision values could previously only be achieved with ground spindles. Efficient, fast production is possible, which has a positive effect on the price, especially for large quantities.
A spindle solution for every application
When development, production and quality assurance come from a single source, flexibility in terms of prototype production, including end machining and thread rolling tools, as is the case at Eichenberger Gewinde AG, is possible within a very short time. The KGTs of the Carry series impress with their load capacity, flexibility, the availability of spindle diameters from 4 to 40 mm and, last but not least, their attractive price. The miniature ball screws in the filigree dimension 4×1 mm, as a rolled series part, can be described as unique, as they can be manufactured in series production in Burg / Switzerland.
Tiny, robust, cleanroom-compatible and long service life. These are all requirements for high-tech innovations, such as those found in laboratory equipment (dosing, analysis, biopsy). If the fastest movements are required, such as in the automation sector or the packaging industry, lead screws with large pitches are needed. The Carry Speedline steep pitch ball screw drive combines speed, accuracy and minimum space requirements. The patented ball deflection in the end cap of the nut allows for the smallest dimensional requirements. As a rule, square and oversquare pitches are manufactured.
Service provider in development
Eichenberger Gewinde AG is a company with clear objectives: The rolling - i.e. cold forming - of threads and the production of screw drives (spindle and nut). Using state-of-the-art production methods and by developing new dimensions, Eichenberger supports the customer in "his" innovation.
