Q.1. Discuss the terminology of power screw.

ANS : The main terminology of the power screw can be defined as follows:
1. Pitch (p): It is the distance measured parallel to the axis of the screw from
point on the thread to the corresponding point on the adjacent thread.
2. Lead (l): It is the distance measured parallel to the axis of the screw it is the
distance measured parallel to the axis of screw which the nut will advance in
one revolution of the screw. For the single threaded screw, the lead is same
as the pitch while for double threaded screw,the lead is twice of the pitch and
so on.
3. Nominal diameter (d): It is the largest diameter of the screw. It is also called
the major diameter.
4. Core diameter (dc): It is the smallest diameter of the screw thread. It is called
the minor diameter.
5. Helix angle (λ): It is the angle made by the helix of the thread with a plane
perpendicular to the axis of the screw. The helix angle is related to the lead
and the mean diameter of the screw. This is basically the same for both
Unified (inch series) and ISO (International Standards Organization, metric)
threads Standard sizes for the two systems.
Q.2. Compare Square threads and Trapezoidal threads.
ANS – The difference between the square and trapezoidal threads are as follows:
1. The efficiency of square threads is more than the efficiency of trapezoidal
threads.
2. Square threads are difficult to manufacture than trapezoidal threads.
3. Square threads have less thickness than at the core diameter than trapezoidal
threads, this reduces the load carrying capacity of square threads than
trapezoidal threads.
4. It is not possible to compensate for wear in square threads. In Trapezoidal it
can be achieved by tightening the two halves.
Q.3. State the advantages, limitations and applications of power screws.
ANS –
The advantages of power screws are as follows:
1. It has large load carrying capacity.
2. It can be designed with self-locking property. Screw jack is the perfect
example of this.
3. Because of few parts it is cheap and reliable.
4. It gives smooth and noiseless service
5. It requires almost no maintenance.
6. It provides very precise motion which is required in machine tool applications.
7. It gives very high mechanical advantage hence used in screw jacks, clamps,
valves and vices.
8. Its manufacturing is easy and does not required any specialized machinery.
9. It is simple to design.
10. Overall dimensions of power screw are small which results in compact
construction.

The disadvantages of power screws are as follows:

1. Power screws have very poor efficiency; as low as 40%.Therefore,
2. It is not used in continuous power transmission in machine tools, with the
exception of the lead. Power screws are mainly used for intermittent motion
that is occasionally required for lifting the load or actuating the mechanism.
3. High friction in threads causes rapid wear of the screw or the nut. In case of
square threads, the nut is usually made of soft material and replaced when
worn out. In trapezoidal threads, a split- type of nut is used to compensate for
the wear. Therefore, wear is a serious problem in power screws.
The disadvantages of power screws are as follows:
1. It is used to raise the load e.g. screw jack
2. It is used to obtain a precise motion e.g. lead screw of lathe
3. It is used to load a specimen e.g. universal testing machine
4. It is used to clamp a workpiece e.g. vice